Top 5 ERP Software

Companies that are ambitious and aspire to grow continuously need to ensure a proper coordination between various support functions like finance, marketing, human resource management, manufacturing, purchase, inventory management and others. Apart from a well coordinated operation, the laid out systems should make certain that necessary information is available to the decision makers in the organization for effective and quick decision making. ERP systems are widely implemented across organizations to achieve these objectives.

The use of Enterprise Resource Planning systems was, at a point in time, restricted to only larger organizations, but over time ERP systems have evolved and they are now designed to effectively address the needs of small and medium enterprises also. There is a long list of ERP system providers today and small and medium enterprises find it a daunting task to identify which particular system is a best fit for their needs.

We have tried to shortlist 5 ERP systems which promise to be the best choice for established businesses as well as rapidly expanding companies.
1. SAP Business One

A solution for small and mid-size businesses, it comes from the stable of global leader in ERP systems. SME enterprises shy away from this, as they perceive this to be too complicated for their needs. But this do not seem to be true as SAP has taken due care to ensure the software is easy to use, fast to implement and has been tailored to the SME needs.
The limitation that most people see with this is lack of payroll software. However, this can be overcome by integrating third party payroll software. As your business grows, you may use from over 450 solutions, as a top up to your SAP Business One application. Thus, you can tailor and expand SAP Business One to meet your precise business and industry challenges.
2. Oracle JD Edwards


Being modular in nature, it provides small organizations the flexibility of incorporating only those applications which they are in need of currently, while incorporating the others only when the need arises.
JD Edwards has uniquely tailored packages for various industries. A case in point being the agriculture or the agro businesses, which have been ignored by most ERP vendors, JD Edwards has built a solution that best addresses their unique needs.JD Edwards has focused on this vertical to create a superlative solution for agriculture accounting. Since most agriculturists or farmers sell through agriculture cooperatives, JD Edwards ERP solution for agribusiness has suitable functionality to take care of such transactions.
3. Sage ERP

This is one of the most user-friendly ERP packages, and clients can avoid maintaining a large IT team for support by choosing Sage. Besides, users feel pretty comfortable using this package with minimal training. The most interesting thing about Sage is that it adapts to the user needs, rather the user adapting to its feature and functions. Users can customize the process flow in the software such that it aligns with their own. With the drag and drop function, it becomes very easy for people to define their process and implement.
Like JD Edwards, Sage too is modular and you can pick and choose the functions/applications you need today, while incorporating the others only when you need them. More importantly you only pay for what you use. Sage also allows users to build a customized dashboards, which they can use to monitor the important business metrics and thus take timely and quick decisions.
4. Microsoft Dynamics GP

This comes from the stable of the global leader in computer operating systems and is designed to ensure that users feel very comfortable. Using it is easy because of most users’ familiarity with other Microsoft Software products like MS-Office/Windows. Since the interface has also been designed keeping in mind existing products, navigating and operating the software is grasped by the user intuitively and does not require training.Microsoft Dynamics GP can work in sync with the existing Microsoft software (MS-Office, Microsoft Servers, Microsoft.net), thus it saves you money as you do not require investing in incremental software.
5. Epicor ERP

Epicor ERP is highly suited for companies with a special focus on manufacturing. Epicor allows customers to track production activities in real time. With the most precise and updated information on work flow, you can plan and schedule production activities more effectively. Epicor ERP not only adds agility to your decision making process, but also makes it more robust and dependable.
Epicor ERP comes with a business process management module, which enables companies to plan for process improvements that can help them improve productivity. We all know how critical this is, in a competitive business environment.Epicor ERP not only integrates your own operations, but you can also look forward to having your suppliers and customers operations integrated as well.
Make the Right Choice!
Choosing any of the above ERP solutions is safe – they have been around for a while and you can get good support and services for each. However, it is best to compare the needs of your business with the features offered by the ERP to shortlist the best ERP systems. Also, keep in mind the learning capability of your employees and the intuitive of the ERP – after all, the benefits of implementing an ERP will be apparent only when your employees can use them with ease.
Most businesses cannot implement an ERP right away – you will need to hire a custom software development company to create and deploy an ERP that fits your business needs like a glove. So, it is a good idea to confer with your development partner before choosing an ERP software.