Part of what I do is spend a lot of time researching technologies. I'm particularly interested in ERP's (Enterprise Resource Planning) solutions. These are systems that are often the key to a company’s ability to grow fast and scale. They a business system that help all the business departments to manage their workflows and streamline operations. Without them, your business simply can't really function.
ERP’s exist nowadays for most types of businesses, but my focus for this research was on finding ERP's for wholesale and distribution businesses, who import products and sell them to other businesses. These are classic businesses that need to scale and need an ERP system.
Finding info on an ERP business system for less than £10K can be time-consuming as pricing data is not readily available and each ERP supplier wants to give you their ERP sales pitch. I thought I'd set myself the challenge of seeing if I could find an ERP for these classic businesses under £10k a year, for just 5 users. 5 users is not many so you'd think this would be easy.
Here are the three lowest-cost solutions I found:
NetSuite ERP, part of Oracle - their entry-level version starts at £20k a year. This is a basic version with no customizations.
SAP Business One - this is SAP's small business starter ERP. The first-year costs quoted were £25k and year 2 & 3 recurring fees were £9k.
Intact Software - their entry-level version is a line and starts at £8k a year.
So overall, these systems are not cheap! Intact looked like the front runner, at this stage, but it does depend on your exact requirements.
If you are looking for a business system to help streamline your business and make it easier to manage and grow, then why not get in contact?
We can research the market and come back with a shortlist of ERP suppliers that meet your requirements, also we can look at building a custom ERP which looking at the prices listed above, may be more cost-effective. On top of this, we can also help to implement the solutions to a successful outcome.
About YourTechnologyDirector
Today I continue to be passionate about helping small and medium-sized businesses grow. I bring all my experience with technology, managing projects, and working with India to act as your own affordable flexible in-house technology director, representing your interests. Researching and executing solutions as rapidly as possible, at prices that work and help you get the max out of the technology out there.
"Today it's not just about your website and getting more leads. It's much more than that. It's about getting the maximum out of the web technologies available and helping your business streamline, scale, grow, and achieve a premium sale price (if you're looking to sell at some point)".
Edward, YourTechnologyDirector
If your business is not delivering on its full potential, why not get in contact? Maybe we can create some business magic!?