As already mentioned in previous articles, each business management application offers a specific functionality, grouped in a set of modules. The level of functionality offered will depend on the market segment targeted by each product and also on the product's orientation:
There are solutions that are highly oriented to a certain sector, also called "vertical solutions or applications". In this case, the level of adaptation of the product to the needs of the company is usually much higher than that of multi-sector products or solutions.
Some products offer a very high level of functionality in a given area compared to other existing solutions. The level of functionality they offer is very high compared to other modules.
The size of the company to which the product is addressed is another important factor determining the level of functionality offered by the system. Thus, a system oriented to small companies will not provide the same level of functionality as a system oriented to medium-sized companies or large corporations.
Large companies often choose to acquire modules of different products, depending on the level of adaptation to the needs of each process, developing an interface to exchange information between the different products implemented.
In smaller companies this situation is not so frequent and the aim is to find the product that globally best suits the company, avoiding as far as possible the integration of different products. This is justified because the benefit that would be gained at the functional level would be lost due to the difficulty of integrating systems and the fact that the company has to manage several different products, with specific technological requirements, different suppliers, different user interfaces, etc. In addition, the problem of a software application is not only its implementation, but also its maintenance and evolution, so that in the case of several different applications, this aspect is complicated by having to ensure the integration of these applications over time.
Is it necessary to acquire all the modules of an ERP management system?
Companies usually implement their management system gradually, starting with certain modules.
Also, some companies choose to implement certain modules of a business management software, integrating modules from other products. In this case, the company must foresee that the system must integrate both products, to avoid the existence of "islands of information". The programs that carry out the integration between two different applications are called interfaces.
Currently, the exchange of information between programs is often done through what are known as web services. In a world in which the market is increasingly complex and changing, it is vital for the survival of an organization to make the right decisions at the right time. With this premise in mind, market and customer information becomes a basic and indispensable resource to ensure the future of an organization.
However, many organizations, despite the accumulation of data, do not really know their customers. This becomes a major handicap for organizations if we take into account that the key to success in many businesses is to make a personalized offer tailored to each customer at the right time.
With this in mind, the question that every company should ask itself is the following: What information will be useful to me and how or where can I get it?
Some of the information that is useful to the organization can be extracted from the data that the company itself collects through its core business activities such as sales, after-sales services or even complaints. However, there are many data that reach the company but do not end up being recorded in the Information System implemented, so that a complete view of each of its customers is not achieved.
In short, companies need to know more and better their customers in order to anticipate their future needs, as far as possible. Thus, some of the questions that an organization should keep in mind are the following:
There are solutions that are highly oriented to a certain sector, also called "vertical solutions or applications". In this case, the level of adaptation of the product to the needs of the company is usually much higher than that of multi-sector products or solutions.
Some products offer a very high level of functionality in a given area compared to other existing solutions. The level of functionality they offer is very high compared to other modules.
The size of the company to which the product is addressed is another important factor determining the level of functionality offered by the system. Thus, a system oriented to small companies will not provide the same level of functionality as a system oriented to medium-sized companies or large corporations.
Large companies often choose to acquire modules of different products, depending on the level of adaptation to the needs of each process, developing an interface to exchange information between the different products implemented.
In smaller companies this situation is not so frequent and the aim is to find the product that globally best suits the company, avoiding as far as possible the integration of different products. This is justified because the benefit that would be gained at the functional level would be lost due to the difficulty of integrating systems and the fact that the company has to manage several different products, with specific technological requirements, different suppliers, different user interfaces, etc. In addition, the problem of a software application is not only its implementation, but also its maintenance and evolution, so that in the case of several different applications, this aspect is complicated by having to ensure the integration of these applications over time.
Is it necessary to acquire all the modules of an ERP management system?
Companies usually implement their management system gradually, starting with certain modules.
Also, some companies choose to implement certain modules of a business management software, integrating modules from other products. In this case, the company must foresee that the system must integrate both products, to avoid the existence of "islands of information". The programs that carry out the integration between two different applications are called interfaces.
Currently, the exchange of information between programs is often done through what are known as web services. In a world in which the market is increasingly complex and changing, it is vital for the survival of an organization to make the right decisions at the right time. With this premise in mind, market and customer information becomes a basic and indispensable resource to ensure the future of an organization.
However, many organizations, despite the accumulation of data, do not really know their customers. This becomes a major handicap for organizations if we take into account that the key to success in many businesses is to make a personalized offer tailored to each customer at the right time.
With this in mind, the question that every company should ask itself is the following: What information will be useful to me and how or where can I get it?
Some of the information that is useful to the organization can be extracted from the data that the company itself collects through its core business activities such as sales, after-sales services or even complaints. However, there are many data that reach the company but do not end up being recorded in the Information System implemented, so that a complete view of each of its customers is not achieved.
In short, companies need to know more and better their customers in order to anticipate their future needs, as far as possible. Thus, some of the questions that an organization should keep in mind are the following:
- Who buys from us?
- Why do they choose us?
- How often do they buy from us?
- What do they look for and what do they need?
- Can we predict their behavior?
Companies should also take into account market trends and competitors' movements.
One of the tools that can help us to have the necessary information in a short time and with a minimum of effort is a good