Square Pegs | Right Cloud ERP for Manufacturers

May 10, 2017

SQUARE PEGS: IS CLOUD ERP RIGHT FOR MANUFACTURERS?

Should your business be looking towards ERP on the cloud or are there limits for manufacturers?

ERP ON THE CLOUD -It’s  gaining ground, most notably in small and micro businesses, but the majority of organizations retain their ERP systems on-premise.

ERP USERS OPERATING ON-PREMISES ERP IN 2012:

77% of mid-size users
59% of small users

CHOOSING AN ERP SYSTEM – THE TOP 4 CRITERIA (and not a cloud in sight):

Functionality
Ease of use
Total cost of ownership
Ease of customisation without programming

ERP ON THE CLOUD V ERP ON THE PREMISES

FUNCTIONALITY

The cloud offers no clear functionality benefits over on-premises solutions. As ‘cloud-only’ SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) ERP systems tend to be broadly generic rather than industry-specific solutions, manufacturers may require customization to achieve sector best practice. Cloud vendors can also require system to be kept in greater version alignment, so upgrades and functionality changes may be enforced.

Fewer industry-specific functions
Potentially less customization and integration scope.
Less control over upgrades and functionality changes

EASE OF USE

ERP on the cloud can be more intuitive, as the on-premises versions may offer more functionality via the desktop which requires more training. Some cloud-only ERP vendors may expect training and support to be more ‘self service’ from online resources.

Training costs are usually lower for cloud ERP with more ‘self teaching’ expected.
Deployment times are lower as systems tend to be simpler.

TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP

Compared to a traditional on-premises approach, ERP on the cloud offers cheaper upfront costs and a ‘pay monthly’ rental model is the norm.
Costs can be balanced by higher annual fees over the life of the system or money spent on customization to add sector requirements to industry-generic cloud systems.

Buyers should always compile a 7 year cost comparison to get a true picture.

EASE OF CUSTOMISATION WITHOUT PROGRAMMING

The remote nature of ERP on the cloud makes customization harder, though not impossible.
Only 4% of ERP users have made no or only minor changes to their installation.