What is the Best ERP System and Software for Small Businesses?

In today’s super-advanced technological age, there’s software for each and every business function. As a budding entrepreneur with a small business, that should gladden you.

Turns out, you don’t have to rely on yourself in order to fulfill every little function required of your business’s operations. Instead, you can choose to rely on software like an ERP system to help grow your company.

If you’re yet unfamiliar with the ERP term, then you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll take a look at what ERP is as well as what the best ERP system on the market is for small businesses.

What is an ERP System?

ERP is a simple acronym that stands for Enterprise Resource Planning. This self-explanatory epithet tells you what ERP does: it leverages software to make the most out of your current resources.

What this means in plain terms is that your ERP system will house all of the various processes that run your business under one massive umbrella. This ensures that data warehouses from the different departments are able to talk to each other and that you’re able to reduce costs as compared to individual software tools to support each system.

ERP Functionality

Now that you have a solid understanding of what an ERP is, it’s time to take a look at the ERP functionality that is most helpful for small businesses.

First up are supply chain and inventory management. If your product has a complicated supply chain that requires support from multiple vendors combined with a complex manufacturing process, then ERP is about to change your world.

Once the product is manufactured, ERP will also help with managing inventory so you always know how much product you have and where it’s at.

As a small business, you also need to take as much of the bookkeeping tasks out of the picture as possible. Chances are, you’re not an experienced accountant but also don’t have time to deal with the nitty-gritty of financial bookkeeping. The best ERP system will automate a lot of accounting tasks, like payroll and financial reporting.

Last but not least, you need sales and marketing automation. Sales and marketing are the revenue-generating departments that are the lifeblood of your company’s growth curve. Any tool that makes them more efficient and productive is worth investing in.

The Best ERP System for Small Businesses

The best ERP system for small businesses, considering the functionality that a small business requires, is Netsuite. Unlike the massive players like SAP and Baan that cater to massive conglomerates, Netsuite has the unique offering of being able to significantly customize the modules you receive to very granular levels.

In addition, implementation procedures and costs are comparatively minimal. And when you’re a small business, having software that doesn’t break the bank is crucial to success.

Read more about Netsuite pricing.

ERP, Made Simple

There you have it — the best ERP system, made simple. If you’re going to go with Netsuite, let us know in the comments below!

For more small business advice, be sure to check out the rest of the articles on the website!