Accounting software is often the first system a company buys, and for good reason. But as the business grows, more and more work moves into spreadsheets and email around it. These are the signs we see most often when companies start looking at an ERP.
1. Stock lives in spreadsheets
If sales has to ask the warehouse what is in stock, or purchasing reorders based on a spreadsheet that is updated once a week, inventory is no longer under control.
2. The same data is typed more than once
Entering an order in an online store, retyping it into accounting and copying it into a delivery note creates three opportunities for error. Repeated data entry also hides how much time the team spends on administration.
3. Month-end closing takes days
When closing the month means collecting exports, reconciling spreadsheets and chasing missing documents, management gets its numbers late and with less confidence.
4. Nobody has the full picture
Sales, finance and operations each have their own version of the truth. Simple questions, such as which customers are profitable or what a project really cost, need manual work to answer.
5. Growth adds complexity
New companies, currencies, warehouses or sales channels multiply the workarounds. What worked for one entity and one location becomes a risk at three.
What an ERP changes
An ERP such as SAP Business One brings finance, sales, purchasing, inventory and production into one system, so data is entered once and every department works with the same numbers. The key to a successful project is not the software alone, but a clear picture of your processes, a well-planned data migration and training for the people who use it every day.
Recognize some of these signs? Request a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your company’s current systems.