No one expects their IT system to do the impossible. However, we know what sort of information we are storing in our IT systems and all we want is to be able to access that information in a useful format, without manual intervention, wherever we are. Is that really too much to expect?

Well, it’s not. However, that’s easier said than done and meeting that expectation is not an easy task. And that is because your business needs evolve over time, which in turn creates the need for a change in some business processes, different reporting requirements, or the capturing of new market information for analysis purposes.

Also, it could be that your business critical information is stored in different systems and worksheets and it’s a nightmare trying to pull all of this together in a meaningful way. Moreover, your system could be rigid and doesn’t allow you to look at your information in different ways on the fly – every time you need a fresh angle on your business, you need to achieve this through partner intervention, which takes time and costs money.

You’ve probably heard of enterprise resource planning systems that are marketed as a one-stop-shop for your business needs and as having all business information in one place. Could an ERP system allow you to access information as and when you need it?

ERP systems are rich in features that include all of the fundamental areas of manufacturing, distribution and to a large extent service based companies. But how likely is it that an ERP application just happens to function exactly as you need it to? In truth, this is not very likely. The critical factor to ascertain is, assuming there will be functionality gaps, how to overcome these as easily and cheaply as possible.

The Epicor Software Corporation is a leading global player in the ERP market with a system that caters well for local companies. This is because Epicor ERP provides businesses with a rich toolkit of features to allow you to configure and adapt the system to your needs. In addition, Epicor ERP can be accessed through any device, whether it’s a PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone in the office or on the road. One of Epicor ERP’s key features is tailored dashboards. You don’t need to be a programmer to be able to create a dashboard. Once trained, your IT staff will be able to create dashboard screens in-house according to your needs. Even if you don’t feel confident in doing these in-house, as the toolkit is intuitive and flexible, your software solutions partner can do this for you relatively quickly. Once a dashboard is created and deployed, it can be available on any device. Dashboards can also be updated, allowing you to revise your business data directly from your mobile device.

If you feel overwhelmed with e-mails bouncing back and forth between you and your colleagues and find it hard to focus on what really needs your urgent attention, the Epicor Social Enterprise is for you. It enables your staff to collaborate together within groups or as individuals on business related matters. A user or group of users can subscribe to system notification – for instance, you can choose to get a screen message when goods are received in the warehouse. You choose yourself what system changes you want to be notified about, to really keep in touch with your business.

Many businesses use Microsoft Office for e-mail, spreadsheets and word processing. Epicor ERP has a built-in feature that enables you to work with the ERP stored information from within these Microsoft Office applications.

SG Solutions is the Epicor ERP partner for Malta and is proud to be able to offer this world-class system to local businesses. For more information visit www.sgsolutions.com.mt or call on 2144 2123.