Whether you are taking over a company with poor computerization or simply want to modernize your processes to improve efficiency, you will quickly become interested in a fundamental aspect of your company’s operations: management software or ERP.
But given the multitude of business management software solutions available, it is difficult to make the best choice. Let’s dig a little deeper.
Category 1: “boxed” ERP software
This may be what your company is currently using. Traditionally aimed at very small businesses, it is not unusual to see companies with 50 to 100 employees still working with this type of tool.
This category includes well-known products such as Sage, EBP, API, SAP Business One and Ciel.
This type of ERP for small businesses is very easy to install (you buy it and install it on a few PCs, hence its nickname “boxed software”) and to run: you adapt all your company’s processes to the way the software works.
But for a medium-sized company, or even for a very small company with strong ambitions or operating in a niche market, this type of software will often prove inadequate: limited number of simultaneous users, limited functional scope, and above all… no way to adapt it to the specific needs of your company.
Category 2: “Enterprise” ERP solutions
At the other end of the spectrum, you will find business management software designed for companies with more than 500 employees: SAP R3, Sage X3, Microsoft Nav, etc.
These solutions are designed for large organizations with complex processes and very active international operations (multi-currency management, certified accounting in most countries, etc.). Fully customizable, they require your internal IT department to produce very detailed specifications before implementation. Such a project will often take several years and cost several hundred thousand dollars.
In short, a worthwhile option for very large companies, but completely unsuitable for medium-sized businesses.
Category 3: ERP for medium-sized companies.
For a company with 10 to 500 employees, an intermediate category of management software is preferable.
Among these, you’ll find some major names such as Divalto, Microsoft Dynamlcs 365, and the bestseller of recent years: Odoo.
These solutions were created to give small and medium-sized businesses the flexibility and power of “key account” solutions, but with more realistic deployment times and budgets.
Their main advantage is that they come in standard versions (such as the Boîte software), so they do not require a custom build from the outset, yet they are not closed: a competent service provider can therefore adapt them to your company’s constraints and specifications.
Make your choice!
