How an ERP System Enables SMEs to Achieve Big Growth

As a small to mid-size business, chances are you’re interested in planning for growth. One of the best ways to build your business is to think and work like a larger company, but you still need to be flexible so you can respond easily to market changes. If you adopt the techniques they use and position yourself as a company that can compete with larger rivals, you can level the playing field and build the confidence to achieve your goals.

Leverage ERP to compete in your industry

All businesses need to be efficient. But larger companies operate on a bigger scale, in terms of customer base, staff numbers and departments. So they need a streamlined management system to ensure their data is integrated and they're functioning effectively. But this approach isn't limited to large enterprises. Take the lead from best-in-class growing businesses and achieve the same results with an ERP system. Focus on implementing simplified, streamlined processes to consolidate your operations and run more efficiently.

Your systems work better when they’re integrated together. An ERP system allows you to cut down on disruptions in production and distribution. And with your sales, marketing, finance and operations processes all working together, you’ll spend less time dealing with the little everyday stresses. That means you’ll have more time to focus on the things that matter, like after-sales service, customer retention and developing your growth strategy.

If you have all your data in one place, you’ll have better insights into all areas of your business so you can make decisions quicker. You can also cut down on those costly data errors, stop wasting time on duplicate data entry and work from a single source of truth. So not only can you make decisions faster, you can also be confident that they’re the right ones for your business.

Improve processes to deliver top tier customer experiences

If you think like a big company, you can operate like one. And most importantly, your customers will think of you in the same terms. They won’t care what size your business is – but they will care about the quality of your products or services, and your ability to deliver.

When you’re not distracted trying to make all your different systems work together, you can focus your energy on offering better customer service. By joining all your operations and automating key processes, you can run a streamlined business with fewer disruptions.

Putting ERP in the hands of SMEs

We know what you’re thinking: “This all sounds great. But aren’t these systems out of reach for a small to mid-size business like mine?”

Here’s the good news – they’re not. There are many ERP solutions designed specifically for small and mid-size businesses, using the best concepts from big business systems. We work with two of the leading solutions – SAP Business One and NetSuite. They both offer flexibility to meet your specific requirements and have the capability to support your changing needs as your business grows.

And now that you’ve got all your data in one place, you can actually make use of it. With built-in analytics, you can easily produce sophisticated reports and get real insight into all areas of your business. Data visualizations and dashboards give you the flexibility to present your data the way that works best for you. Now you can identify areas that need attention, see where you’re excelling and pick out trends, without having to manually manipulate data from multiple sources.

Thinking like a big company can give you the confidence to operate like one. By employing the same methods of working and streamlining your entire operation, you’ll be able to offer the same quality of service to your customers that the big guys do. So think big and growth will follow!