Enterprise Resource Planning – A Must for Any Business

ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning is a computer software system used in a company or big business to manage and coordinate all resources, information and activities of a business from shared data sources. ERP helps an organization to integrate data under one head. It makes processes transparent and facilitates tracking down of information. ERP was introduced by research analysis firm Gartner in 1990.
Today, ERP systems cover all critical functions of businesses, non-profit organisations and governments. To be an ERP system, a software package must provide the function of at least two processes. An ERP system allows a company's systems to interface efficiently and effectively with each other. This enhances productivity and efficiency of the business as a whole. ERP systems collate and centralise data in one place. Thus it is easy to synchronize changes. Also it reduces the risk of data loss by consolidating multiple permissions and security models in a single structure. It increases the speed of information processes; leads to all round efficiency of the business and prompt responses to queries.
ERPs allow accounting departments to function independently and faster rather than the earlier system of having to chase technical departments to record transactions. ERPs may be incorrectly termed back office systems indicating that customers and people are not involved. It is contrasted with front office systems like CRM(Customer Relationship Management) that directly deal with customers, business systems or SRM (Supplier Relationship management) systems. An ERP system has modular hardware and software units and services that interface on a LAN (local area network). This allows a company to add or change modules in one database that may be either centralised or distributed.

Paul Benjamin is a freelance writer on ecommerce. He has written articles and blogs on eCommerce solutions,.CRM applications Inventory management