We believe that there is value in putting things in context. We believe that it pays to understand them and learn from the past. After 30 years in the ERP business, we believe that we have the credentials to predict what the future might look like. That is why we are not just going to share with you the many ways that we can help you get A LOT more out of your ERP, we are also…

Setting the Stage

Strategic Systems Group (SSG) was already in business when the ERP acronym was first coined in the early 1990s. It did not take long for the concept of ERP to experience an immediate and meteoric rise in adoption. We watched as it took hold, and we saw the appeal.

Instead of a stand-alone accounting system, a separate inventory management solution, the third piece of software for managing the shop floor, a fourth for sales and marketing… instead of all those pieces that did not communicate with each other, you could merge everything into one Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that handled it all, eliminating those silos of information and obviating the need for duplicate data entry.

NOTE: One reason why ERP systems experienced rapid growth right out of the gate in the 1990s was what loomed ahead, to wit, the year 2000! Given the widely accepted possibility of Y2K computer system problems, many companies took the opportunity in the 1990s to replace their old monolithic systems with integrated ERP.

ERP Today

Enterprise system software is a multibillion-dollar industry that is billion with a “b.” The costs of owning and maintaining ERP systems have become one of the largest categories of capital expenditure in United States-based businesses. In 2019 ERP was a $39 billion business, and the global ERP software market was growing at an annual rate of 9%.

Most companies with at least $5 million in annual revenue have seen the value of investing in ERP. Microsoft defines the midmarket for several of its Dynamics ERP solutions as companies with $5 to $500 million in annual revenue. And we agree with those parameters. From the high end of those parameters on upward, Microsoft offers Dynamics ERP solutions for those enterprise-level entities.

ERP in the Future: End-to-End ERP versus “Postmodern” ERP

The term “Postmodern ERP” was coined in 2013* and refers to the prediction that “End-to-End ERP” (the highly integrated suites in which all parts are heavily reliant on each other) will sooner or later be replaced by a mixture of applications that more loosely coupled and can be easily exchanged if or when needed (i.e., “Postmodern” ERP).

The main benefits of a “Postmodern” ERP strategy are said to be speed and flexibility when reacting to unexpected changes in business processes or on the organizational level. The downside is that it inevitably leads to an increased number of software vendors that companies will have to manage.

FOR THE RECORD:  Strategic Systems Group (SSG) comes down in favor of “End-to-End ERP.” We simply have not seen any indication that fully integrated ERP solutions lack speed of flexibility. To the contrary.

What we do believe, based on our 30 years of experience in the business of ERP, is that…

Time spent managing ERP applications is time away from what really matters.

We believe that what you do best is manage your business. Whether you are a manufacturer, a distributor, or a financial services firm, YOU ARE NOT in the software business. WE ARE.

Despite than indisputable fact, if you are a manufacturer, distributor, or financial services firm, you have at least one and probably many IT people who spend their time managing your ERP software.

Why would you do that? Your in-house IT team comes with salaries and benefits. Of course, we would charge you to manage your ERP software system, but you do not have to pay for our healthcare, or unemployment, or disability. If you offer a 401 (k), you may be matching your IT teams’ contributions. We have our own 401 (k). Do you pay overtime? Not to us!

We would work as an extension of your internal team, and you would derive the following benefits:

• Cost savings
• Focus on your strategic objectives
• A team with 30 years of experience managing ERP

Enable your internal IT teams to focus on higher-value work and let us do what we do best. We will manage every aspect of your ERP software system, including:

• Integrations
• Upgrades, patches, and fixes
• Speed and performance
• Security

If you need:

• Customizations
• Configurations
• Controls

We will handle them.

If you need to:

• Add new features
• Add new functionality
• Add or delete users

We will take care of that, too.

If you are still on-premise but you are now ready to move the cloud, we will help you make that transition with as little disruption as possible to your daily business.

If you need to set up remote workers or bring remote workers back into your offices, we will make that happen.

We will also:

• Schedule periodic health checks
• Monitor speed and performance
• Test your disaster recovery system

These services are part of a day’s work for us, but they are distractions for your IT team. Our ERP services management team is at your disposal 24/7/365 to resolve whatever issues may arise.

We could go on and on about trustworthy we are, about our 30 years of credentials, success stories, dedication to our client’s growth and goals, or our data migration specialties. But what for when all we really want is for you to…

Take the next step

Contact Strategic Systems Group (SSG) for more information. We can be reached at (310) 539-4645 or via our contact form. We would love to meet with you either in person or virtually. We would love to have the opportunity to prove our mettle. We also think that quite simply, you will like us!

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THE FUTURE INNOVATIONS OF YOUR NEXT ERP AND MRP ARE LOOKING AMAZING

*By the Gartner Group