Three ERP trends for 2019 that SMBs should watch out for
In just a few weeks, it will be time for the new year to dawn, bringing with it new developments. This also applies to the ERP industry.
David Lauchenauer - Managing Director and shareholder of the Myfactory Group - summarizes which developments SMEs must not miss as follows:
The perfect pair: ERP and IIOT
In the coming year, more and more devices, sensors and products will be networked with the Internet. The central platform for the collected data is the ERP system from the cloud. Once stored in the software and meaningfully networked, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular gain an enormous competitive advantage: Whether improved supply chains, support processes or robotic sensors on the factory floor - the Fusion of IIoT and ERP automates business processes and helps with decision-making. To achieve this, however, SMEs need to address the following questions:
- Goal: What do I need the data for, what do I want to optimize?
- Source: What data do I need and where does it come from?
- Interface: How can I integrate the data into my ERP system?
- Result: How can I automate processes based on the data?
- Responsibility: Who is responsible for the overarching data analysis in the company?
Once these questions have been clarified, the ERP system can be selected accordingly or the existing one can be adapted. The most important factors here are the high availability, scalability and flexibility of the solution in order to meet individual requirements today and in the future.
The next step: ERP and digital marketing
Social media users will become more and more numerous in the coming years. This has immense implications for marketing in particular, but also for sales and support. ERP systems must therefore be able to integrate direct marketing across multiple social media channels. This is the only way they can help small and medium-sized enterprises remain competitive. As a result, cloud ERP in particular will no longer focus solely on operational business, but increasingly on marketing as well.
The social web is not only relevant for sales and marketing professionals. It is also gaining in importance for other disciplines. In human resources, for example, more and more recruiters are looking directly in social channels for suitable applicants and potential employees. This development must be mapped in the ERP or CRM.
The ideal complement: ERP and artificial intelligence
The goal of artificial intelligence (AI) is to let machines make decisions. Whether it's taking evasive action in autonomous driving or shutting down a machine in the event of overheating. The ERP system of the future will take a different approach: In the future, it will no longer be a matter of taking over human decisions, but of supplementing them. The focus will therefore be on technological support for the user. The result can be seen, for example, in systems with which the user interacts - for example the Chatbot. It is first fed with the most important questions and answers. Then the system learns independently on the basis of the information entered in real operation. Especially in the case of software that requires explanation, the user is thus supported without much effort and at any time of the day or night.
Source and more information on ERP Trends: Myfactory Software Switzerland AG
