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Which ERP vendors have a reputation of serving small businesses?
Are there any?
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10 Answers
First, this is a difficult question to answer without more specific information regarding the type of business, it's complexity and the size of its' user base. ERP typically means manufacturing or distribution operations are involved, and in answering this question, I'll consider that as a basic assumption.
The smallest systems in this space serve businesses in the 1-5 user range, usually in a simple, peer-to-peer network. The next tier would be systems that can serve 5-50 users and are typically more sophisticated, client/server based systems.
As for the type of business and complexity involved, they are some important considerations, such as is the business a manufacturing concern and what type of manufacturing (i.e. is it job or project based, or is a flow based process: discrete, process or mixed-mode).
For the smallest of businesses, if it's a 'true' ERP system that you need, one such vendor that stands out in this space is DBA Manufacturing and their DBA Next Generation product.
There's a number of vendors who serve the next tier of businesses, including big name shops like Microsoft Great Plains (Dynamics Xa), SAP (BusinessOne)and smaller shops such as Sage, Epicor and Infor.
Regards,
rs
If you are looking for a Microsoft Dynamics AX solution, you should check out their partners because each partner focuses on specific industry/solutions for small businesses. Here is a website you can take a look at: www.olive-3.com
ERP requirement for small businesses also differs from Manufacturer to manufacturer. Each business needs is satisfied in unique manner, so we cant say any specific company could meet all business needs.
Regards,
http://www.multiply.binarch.com - provides ERP for small to medium level business.
91-44-4501-4442
info@binarch.com
It depends on what you mean by "small business". If you are an under 10 or under 20 employee company, QuickBooks is likely your best solution. NetSuite is the leading web-based ERP system with 6,600+ customers and focuses primarily on high growth and midsized businesses in the 20-500 employee range.
Rob
As others have said, it depends on how you define ERP. You may want to check out Brightpearl - www.Brightpearl.com. I don't have any affiliation with them but regularly hear good things about the product which encompasses many inter-related aspects of running a business.
I would echo Robert's answer above and recommend that you start your search by looking at QuickBooks and Peachtree to see if these cover your needs. If not, the next step up in terms of operational needs would be providers like Infor and Activant who sell several different systems that are focused on different industry verticals.
Epicor, mentioned above, and Infor may both offer some solutions that can bridge the gap between the needs of a small company and the tools that are used by larger companies. As you grow, you may find it useful to have these tools already present in your software package.
If you would like more specific advice, I can be reached at jeff@brentwoodconsulting.net . Good luck in your search!
Same as Robert and Jeff for small companies. If those won't work, then:
Activant Eclipse - by a mile. Activant Prophet21 next, then Microsoft, SAP, or even Sage.
Stay away from Infor - they market their products hard, but lack a ton of functionality.
The best way to gauge which ERP system will be suitable for 'small businesses' would be to match it with how complex (or simple) the financial requirements are for the company. Commmon mistake is getting a well reputable ERP system and hoping that it would meet your requirements.
My recommendation is to have a person with Operations/IT background to process flow and improve the efficiency of your company's operating and financial procedures, then get 3 ERP comparatives. ERP is ERP, most of them have similar logics. I prefer the ones that are modular which you can add a module as needed. But has a quick and easy way to create business intelligent reports (ie Cognos or being able to download to Excel).
Are you really looking at ERP or focusing on an accounting or financials system. For ERP, check out NetSuite, Sage, and SAP. These companies have a range of products suitable for small companies and include both SaaS and on-premise solutions. For a small company, say under 20 employees, a SaaS solution really makes sense. This way you can avoid the headache and expense of IT needing to manage another server and software system.
There are number of ERP vendors serving small businesses. But, it depends on your business, industry, and preferred deployment option, among many other things. You should check out sites like Technology Evaluation Center, Find Accounting Software, and 2020Software for a list of vendors and their features.
And, you can always check out Epicor at www.epicor.com.
Best,
Bryant
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