Can you achieve supply chain visibility with your ERP system?

  • Written by Peter Needle
  • Published on 3 August 2015
  • Blogs

Not many manufacturing businesses can function without enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, which has the potential to provide huge supply chain visibility benefits. However, these systems are rarely perfect. We’ve examined some of the most common ERP bugbears, and worked hard to make sure that our own supply chain technology avoids the same mistakes.

It’s too hard to use

ERP complexity can be a big problem for first time users, especially companies that are expecting a speedy set up and implementation. Software Advice analysed 250 companies who requested help in choosing ERP systems, and found that 77% wanted to implement a new solution within six months. In fact, an ambitious 41% wanted to implement an ERP platform within three months.

However, not all ERP systems are flexible, and this can make it difficult to adapt the platform to suit your unique business processes. If you can find a software platform that meets your personal requirements, your firm can often benefit from better productivity, profitability and supply chain visibility. In contrast, if the system isn’t easy for employees to use, it’s unlikely to be widely adopted.

It doesn’t play well with other platforms

The majority of companies running ERP systems rate them as "basic" or "adequate", according to a survey of more than 1000 respondents sponsored by ERP vendor Epicor. This problem can often stem from poor data integration between ERP platforms and other applications, which results in different departments struggling to work together efficiently.

It can’t be accessed on the go

Employees now expect to tackle supply chain visibility challenges from out of the office. However, only 25% of companies are able to provide access to ERP via smartphones, and only 21% had access via tablets. If staff travel for work frequently, or move between sites in different locations, it’s important that they can tap into your online systems whilst on the move.

It doesn’t suit small businesses

Software Advice found that 19% of surveyed ERP users wanted a change due to the high cost of their current systems. Small to medium-sized businesses can benefit hugely from supply chain visibility solutions, but often have tight budgets and limited opportunities to invest in new IT resources. These companies require a transparent pricing structure, as well as modest installation and operating costs.

What we’ve learnt

Not to worry, there are plenty of ERP systems out there that can be accessed on the move, integrated with other platforms and implemented quickly and painlessly. Modifying an ERP system to fit your unique supply chain needs is also possible, though this can be complicated, time consuming and most of all expensive.

We took these qualities into account when we built our own supply chain transparency software. Segura traces all sourcing within your supply chain, creating an online audit trail and alerting you if any orders are fulfilled outside of a pre-approved supplier database.

Our software functions as an add-on ordering management platform, with a full EDI transactional layer enabling it to effortlessly transact with a range of ERP and PLM systems. Customers can manage their supply chain as usual through existing platforms, while benefitting from an added level of sourcing transparency.

Available as an out-of-the-box solution or as a tailored business solution, we can make the metrics work for you and deliver interactive dashboards, reports and alerts in a way that suits your company.  We also provide support for the launch and implementation of Segura, and can even provide training for end users.

We also use a transaction-based pricing model. This means that you only pay for what you use, making our technology entirely scalable. Smaller companies who can’t afford a tailored ERP solution can therefore still benefit from a customised supply chain solution, thanks to our flexible offering.

As a cloud platform, Segura can also be operated on any mobile device, enabling users and suppliers to gain access from anywhere in the world at any time using any device.

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