The new year and decade are now upon us and we expect the coming years are going to bring a lot of changes for businesses. With technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and automation tools becoming increasingly utilised across job roles in essentially every industry, the way we work is going to significantly change over the next decade. The point of this blog post is to help you reflect on whether your business could benefit from upgrading or implementing an ERP system to cope with these upcoming changes and stay ahead of the game in your respected industry.
ERP systems are one of the most important technologies that a business can rely on and use, with ‘95% of businesses experiencing an improvement in their processes after implementing an ERP system.’ (Panorama Consulting 2018 ERP report) We know that these solutions are extremely useful for linking your departments together to increase collaboration and visibility, reducing process time and ensuring your businesses back-end processes are running smoothly.
Why should I upgrade my ERP?
In our experience we’ve seen many businesses that implement an ERP solution, utilise it and see the benefits but remain using the same system for many years – which may still work well, but with the rapid development of technology it means your legacy ERP system may end up becoming more of a business problem than business solution. There are many factors which can attribute to this, such as:
- Slow Systems – In the same way that Windows Vista isn’t going to run as efficiently as Windows 10, an old ERP system is going to limit the productivity of your workers with slow operational speeds and an increased risk of crashing.
- Lack of functionality – New ERP solutions are becoming increasingly intelligent and contain lots of capabilities that make it easier to work, collaborate and help your business grow.
- Security – Legacy systems may no longer be getting regular security patches which can make them more vulnerable to security breaches and bugs in the system.
- Accessibility – Older on-premises solutions make it difficult to access the ERP from devices outside of the office, whereas cloud-based ERP solutions can be accessed seamlessly from computers, mobiles & tablets from anywhere in the world.
Upgrading your businesses ERP software is undoubtedly a big commitment that requires time, effort and money. Many organisations remain using legacy software as it is still getting the job done, so an ERP upgrade project is not a priority or seen as a viable investment. However as you’re used to the old system, you may not realise little faults that are hindering your work and you don’t know how much you could be benefiting from a modern, up-to-date ERP solution. Another important point to note is that Brexit is going to cause disruption for businesses and their processes, so you want to ensure your back-end systems are able to adapt and work consistently with any new changes and regulations that come as a result of Brexit.
We believe the vast majority of businesses who upgrade their ERP will experience a Return on Investment (ROI) not only from the time & effort saved with the new system but additionally the opportunity it gives to improve the business to achieve more through data-backed decisions and better collaboration throughout departments.
What ERP system should I upgrade too?
Without trying to sound too biased, the only ERP we think you should be looking into is Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Obviously, this product is our speciality as opposed to other ERP solutions on the market, but this is for good reason. We’ve got a lot of content available about the features of Business Central and why it is the best ERP currently available.
Additional reading
What’s new in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central 2024 Release Wave 1
As we approach Microsoft's first biannual update of 2024 for Dynamics 365, known as Release Wave 1, anticipation is high for the innovative enhancements to the business platform. These updates signify a commitment to continuous improvement, infusing the Dynamics 365...
Comparison between Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations and Business Central
In an effort to cater to organisations of all sizes across various industries and sectors, Microsoft offers solutions tailored to meet their specific needs. With two robust Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions available, Dynamics 365 Business Central and...
Utilising Namespaces in AL of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central stands tall as a comprehensive enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, offering businesses a seamless suite for managing finances, operations, sales, and customer service. Underpinning its functionality is a vital...
For those short on time, these 5 points below should give you a little insight into why Business Central is at the top of the ERP game.
- Deployment & Accessibility – Start & grow your solution either On-Premises, in the Cloud or as a SaaS solution – with the ability to access your data anywhere, from any device.
- Customisation & Integrations – Extend and customise the solution to fit your business perfectly with AppSource extensions, extensive industry add-ons and seamless integration to other Microsoft applications like the Power Platform, Office 365, SharePoint and other Dynamics 365
- Functionality – Business Central is filled with intelligent functionality such as natural language search, AI/Machine Learning and workflows all inside an easy-to-use user interface to increase productivity, make work easier and achieve more.
- Reporting & Analytics – Business Central utilises your data to help you understand your business performance in-depth & make informed, data-backed decisions. Embedded Power BI visualisations provide instant insights into key data metrics.
- Compliance & Security – Regardless of your deployment method, Business Central uses a layered approach to application security alongside user authentication and data encryption to ensure your business is protected. Business Central is also up-to-date and compliant with all recently introduced legislations such as Making Tax Digital (MTD) & GDPR.
How can I upgrade my ERP solution?
Here at Mercurius IT it is our mission to help businesses successfully implement ERP solutions at the lowest possible cost and with minimal disruption to your daily operations. Our ERP implementation experience spans across an array of industries where we can utilise our own IP & add-on solutions from our Partners to build a solution that fits your requirements perfectly.
We have experience in all types of implementation and can help users who are looking to introduce their first ERP to their organisation, migrate from a different ERP platform to Dynamics 365 Business Central or upgrade from a legacy version of Dynamics NAV, with the added bonus of our Fixed-Price Upgrade offer.
To get started simply contact us for a no-obligation chat about your requirements.
Email – [email protected]
Phone – 01908 508 080
We hope this blog post has informed you and made you think about why you should upgrade ERP to set your business off successfully in the new decade. So don’t wait around and contact us today to get started.
