Questions

I prefer having multiple user usage product, where my accountant can have "limited access" and other engineering team leaders who are located in different locations can load in their data sheet or notes when required on the ERP system. What I am trying to establish : 1) I would just like to keep on eye on the finances and the productivity of the company and as far as I know OpenERP is an option. 2) With limited access given to the accountant and HR, I can have a full online view of company finances and hiring process. 3) It becomes more efficient when I am on the go and can view the changes or anything I need, where ever I need. Also, if anyone has a better product or service which can be used on cloud or server based to my needs which I have explained above that would be great.

The simple answer here is there's no one-size-fits-all ERP solution, and it very much depends on the specifics of your company. There are several major considerations including how large your company is, the degree of complexity of your business, the volume of data, the need for company-wide integration, and the price you are willing to pay for software.

From what you've described, the feature set you need is (1) financial accounts (2) hr management and (3) productivity management. If these are the only three sets of features, you may be better off going for point solutions that specialize in each.

If you have already determined that a point solution is not enough and specifically need integration across the whole company, then take a look at Netsuite. It is widely used for companies that outgrow Quickbooks and need more integration beyond their financials, particularly among the Inc5000 community.

Bottom line: picking an ERP is a very important and tough decision to make. There are hundreds of alternatives on the market and you need to develop a detailed set of requirements and compare several of the main contenders to see which fits your circumstances. You do not want to make a decision and change to another system later, transitions from one system to another are a nightmare.

I am currently working with a company who made the wrong choice. They purchased a product based on the prior experience of an employee, and battled against the complexity of the system for 18 months. It has caused incredible frustration amongst the internal team, and causes lost productivity of >20% across the company. They have had to build their own internal system and are diverting tech resources away from their product to do it.

No-one can really advise you without more detail. Your best bet is to develop a detailed spec list, create a shortlist, and carefully evaluate the main contenders. This is one of those decisions that's important to get right the first time.


Answered 10 years ago

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