The most important ERP topics for 2018

ERP manufacturer proALPHA, the third-largest provider of ERP for medium-sized companies in manufacturing and trade in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, has examined numerous customer projects and studies with a view to the latest developments in medium-sized companies. Cloud, mobility, Industry 4.0 and Internet of Things (IoT) are finding more and more fields of application. A majority of companies are therefore looking intensively at putting these technologies into practice in the coming year. In addition, the first are also experimenting with artificial intelligence and machine learning. For the ERP manufacturer, these ten ERP topics can be identified for 2018:

1. The focus is even more on the customer. As products become increasingly comparable in international competition, many manufacturers are rediscovering an old virtue: good customer relations. After all, it is easier to generate follow-up orders with satisfied existing customers - provided you know their shared history. Linking customer relationship management (CRM) with a customer's order and product file (ERP) lays the foundation here. Increasing demand for CRM functionality is also confirmed by the ERP 2017 market survey conducted by Trovarit and the Research Institute for Rationalization e.V. at RWTH Aachen University.
2. Medium-sized companies rely on industry solutions.  In order to map individual business processes and industry specifics in an ERP, extensive customizing is often necessary. In the past, however, too many customizations have proven to be a costly mistake - just like adapting your own processes to a system. Having learned from experience, both medium-sized and large companies are now looking for solutions that already cover many industry-specific requirements, such as proALPHA with its corresponding Industry Components.
3. Digital document management on the rise. The fear of additional interfaces or additional information silos that are tedious to maintain has kept many SMEs from investing in a document management system (DMS) in the past. With increasing digitization, the tide is now turning. In September, Bitkom presented a study according to which every fifth company in the SME sector wants to invest more in the digital office. The choices range from countless individual solutions to complete ERP solutions such as proALPHA, which already have a DMS integrated.
4. Automated management increases productivity. Closely related to the DMS is the desire for greater efficiency in administration. Many companies try to automate administrative processes as far as possible. According to a report by the consulting firm Accenture most CFOs have now recognized the need for digital transformation. The innovative ones among them are already ensuring faster end-to-end transaction processing - from invoice receipt to dark booking, for example. This can save up to 90 percent of manual effort.
5. Sustainable growth: Cloud prevails. Demand for on-premise systems remains high, recently stated the Bitkombut the trend is clearly in the direction of the cloud. Companies can choose from several proven deployment models. Starting with hosting the ERP software in a secure data center to rental models of software-as-a-service solutions. Especially when it comes to connecting foreign subsidiaries, the cloud offers the necessary flexibility. Progressive internationalization will therefore give the cloud a further boost.
6. Ever-improving analysis methods are bringing data quality into focus. Companies are increasingly recognizing the value of their data, a study by KPMG shows. They are analyzing their ever-growing data pools with modern tools in order to adapt their own business model. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of trust in data quality. About one in three companies doubts the reliability of their own data analyses, according to the KPMG report. In addition to interactive cockpits, companies urgently need data quality management. The tightening of legal requirements will further fuel this trend.
7. Focus Year for Compliance. 2018 will be a compliance year, or rather a data year. The end of the transitional period for the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) in May 2018 is attracting a lot of attention - and not just for the EU GDPR, but for the topic of compliance as a whole. Because existing sets of rules also have their work cut out for them. Companies that are unsure should definitely seek advice. Otherwise, they could be in for a rude awakening during the next audit.
8. Without mobility, nothing works anymore.  Mobile working and delay-free data transfer to downstream processes not only shorten throughput times. They also make processes more reliable. That's why mobile solutions are currently gaining acceptance across a broad front: from service portals for technicians in the field to store floor data collection in the warehouse to precise tracking of goods carriers in production. The number of use cases and implemented solutions will continue to rise here.
9. The Internet of Things is going mainstream. The "Internet of Things", or IoT for short, is increasingly coming into practice. Companies are increasingly implementing their first projects and gaining experience with the use of networked, smart sensor technologies. Predictive maintenance has taken on a pioneering role here. These solutions promise an initial, solid return on digitalization.
10. First steps in the field of artificial intelligence. SMEs tend to approach hyped fashion trends with caution. This was already evident a few years ago with Industry 4.0. The same is now true of artificial intelligence (AI). Pioneers are already experimenting with AI and self-learning systems. After all, new technologies always offer the opportunity to become more productive and relieve employees of routine tasks, as initial experiences with interactive voice assistants show.

With 26 subsidiaries and certified partners worldwide and around 900 employees, proALPHA is one of the larger providers in connection with ERP topics for SMEs. More than 100 developers work on the continuous further development of the solution. Cooperation with renowned research institutions such as Fraunhofer, RWTH Aachen, Smart Electronic Factory and SmartFactoryKL also contribute to innovation.

More information: proALPHA