The enterprise resource planning (ERP) system has become an essential business tool. It is the backbone of business technology, automating and optimising a wide range of operational processes. Furthermore, it integrates all the company’s functions into a single solution: sales management, accounting, finance, supply chain, human resources, etc. This real-time, cross-functional view of the business significantly enhances operational efficiency and strategic decision-making.
Here’s a look at the 5 best-performing ERP solutions on the market.
An ERP centralises the management of all the company’s functions on a single platform: accounting, finance, customer relations, sales, marketing, human resources, logistics and so on.
It connects the various departments and facilitates the flow of information internally. In this way, ERP provides a cross-functional, real-time view of the business. As a result, it optimises strategic and operational management.
This close integration of business processes significantly increases team productivity. ERP automates a large number of tedious and time-consuming tasks, such as entering and processing orders, invoicing, producing quotations and managing stocks. Freed from these tedious operations, teams can concentrate on higher added-value tasks.
ERP systems come in vertical solutions specific to certain sectors (industry, services, etc.) and horizontal, cross-sector solutions. They are aimed at companies of all sizes, from VSEs and SMEs to ETIs and groups.
There are two possible deployment modes: traditional licence or cloud solution in SaaS mode. The second option offers the advantage of limited investment and on-demand provisioning.
Here are the 5 best ERP solutions on the market, evaluated according to their functionality and value for money:
As the historic market leader, SAP dominates the market thanks to the functional richness of its solutions and its sector-specific expertise. The publisher offers a comprehensive range of solutions covering all your ERP, analytics, CRM and supply chain management needs.
SAP ERP centralises all of a company’s management processes on a single platform: financial, commercial, logistics, HR, etc. Advanced data integration provides a cross-functional view in real time.
The publisher designs vertical solutions by business sector, with specific business extensions. This optimises quality management in industry and formulation in pharmaceuticals.
Thanks to its extensive R&D resources, SAP regularly updates its solutions to incorporate the latest technological innovations, including the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence and big data.
A key player in the SME segment, Sage designs feature-rich, packaged ERP solutions for small and medium-sized businesses.
Its flagship Sage 100 and Sage 1000 packages cover all the management needs of SMEs: accounting, finance, sales, purchasing, inventory, HR, CRM, payroll and more.
Their intuitive ergonomics, combined with a host of pre-configured settings, make it easy for users to get started. The general menu brings together the different modules in a user-friendly way.
Sage’s ecosystem of certified integrator partners ensures the distribution, installation and support of its solutions throughout France.
Available in licence or cloud rental mode, Sage solutions offer excellent value for money. They enable rapid implementation at controlled cost.
Oracle offers NetSuite, a complete suite dedicated to business management in the cloud: ERP, CRM, e-commerce, warehouse management and more.
This ERP in SaaS mode is suitable for companies of all sizes. It offers extensive coverage of the business processes it supports.
Native integration of cloud applications (social, mobile, analytics) is one of NetSuite’s strengths. Updates are automatic, ensuring that users always have access to the latest version.
Its flexible technical platform means that new processes can be set up quickly to meet specific business needs.
Although it is designed for companies of all sizes, NetSuite’s high cost generally reserves it for companies with a substantial IT budget.
French software publisher Cegid designs Cloud management solutions for SMEs and SMIs. Its Yourcegid range integrates the application bricks that are essential for managing SMEs and SMIs: accounting, finance, sales, customers, suppliers, buyers, stocks, manufacturing, HR and payroll.
The Cloud offers great flexibility of use. Updates are automatic, so you always have the latest version.
The intuitive interface, combined with a wide range of business-specific settings, makes it quick and easy to learn and deploy.
Yourcegid offers extensive functional coverage. But the market leaders offer even more comprehensive solutions, particularly in business intelligence and CRM.
Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 ERP is aimed at organisations of all sizes. This modular Cloud ERP integrates the classic functionalities found in every full-featured ERP on the market.
Its strength lies in its seamless integration with the Microsoft ecosystem: Office 365, Power BI, Teams, SharePoint and Azure. The user experience is also highly accomplished.
However, Dynamics 365 remains more generalist. It is less specialised in certain business areas than solutions published by pure players.
The high total cost of ownership of Dynamics 365 should also be taken into account, particularly for SMEs.
Ultimately, the choice of the right ERP depends very much on the company’s size, processes and budget. The solutions described here are among the market benchmarks for their added business value, technological sophistication and value for money. They enable you to optimise operational performance and decision-making over the long term, thanks to an exhaustive, real-time view of your business. This makes ERP an essential strategic investment in competitiveness and sustainable growth.
