Why ERP is not suitable for purchasing management
Most businesses today have an ERP system in place. These popular platforms emerged in the 1990s with the aim of enabling companies to optimise their operations, increase efficiency and gain a competitive edge. ERP systems have become mainstays of the enterprise software industry, but many professionals have found that these systems are not suited to all aspects of the business, including purchasing management.
ERP systems offer the ability to handle a wide range of business functions. In reality, they are quite sufficient for a limited number of operations. Purchasing (other than placing orders), as many have found, is not one of them. In short: ERP systems were not designed to manage purchasing.
That’s why it’s important for companies to understand the limitations of ERP systems when it comes to managing purchasing, and to find alternative solutions to complement their day-to-day operations.
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ERP systems offer a less than satisfactory UX
The user experience offered by ERP systems is still rooted in decades gone by. These cumbersome and complex systems offer interfaces that can be described in the same way. This poses a major obstacle to new entrants to the job market, which now includes millennials accustomed to technologies that are so intuitive they don’t even have a learning curve.
These technologies have changed employee expectations, leaving little room for solutions that are not easy to master.
The poor user experience that still plagues most ERPs leads to rapid abandonment of the system and severely limits user adoption, as they spend more time navigating the system rather than performing productive tasks. Ultimately, this translates into lower employee satisfaction and increased frustration, affecting morale and motivation.
It is important to note that while ERP is an essential tool for various business functions, it does not address the needs of procurement management. Procurement modules for ERP attempt to fill this gap, but they take a long time to configure and are not flexible or functional enough to effectively optimise procurement management.
ERP is not flexible enough for purchasing management
ERPs were designed to be comprehensive business management systems, capable of supporting many business processes, including procurement management. However, these systems are not flexible enough to meet the specific needs of purchasing teams.
Although ERP systems can be extended with additional modules, these modules have to fit into the overall system, which can be restrictive for buyers looking to customise their processes and workflows. For example, procurement teams may need to easily customise approval workflows to effectively manage operations that involve a variety of stakeholders, processes and documents.
Unfortunately, these features are not always available in ERP modules dedicated to supply management. That’s why it’s important to look for solutions that are specifically designed to meet the needs of internal teams.
ERP does not encourage collaboration
Collaboration between the various players involved in the purchasing process is crucial to its smooth running. It enables the various forms, contracts, purchase orders, supplier invoices, etc. that are required at each stage of the process to be managed efficiently. However, ERP systems, which are often reserved for a limited number of users – mainly those in the finance team – do not allow for optimum collaboration between the different departments in the company.
What’s more, these systems are often rigid and do not allow easy customisation of workflows to suit the needs of each department. As a result, collaboration between the various players is not optimal, which can slow down processes and lead to errors.
Weproc connects with your ERP
Fortunately, there are now cloud-based purchasing software solutions that can synchronise with existing ERP systems, allowing companies to continue to leverage their existing systems while extending the strategic value of their investment. At Weproc, we offer a SaaS-based purchasing management solution that can be interconnected with any ERP on the market. Our purchasing software enables you to easily manage purchasing, synchronising supplier approval and invoice data, while providing valuable information based on a company’s purchasing history to optimise costs and improve business efficiency.
By using Weproc to manage your purchasing, you can avoid the problems associated with using an ERP for tasks for which it was not designed. Our flexible, user-friendly solution provides a better user experience for everyone involved in the purchasing process, while allowing your business to benefit from the power of your existing ERP system. With Weproc, you can finally optimise your purchasing and improve your overall efficiency, without sacrificing data quality or accuracy.
Want to learn more about our procurement management software Weproc? Contact us or request your free 15-minutes demo below!
Weproc is a SaaS software specialized in digitizing the procurement process of companies. From purchase requests to supplier invoicing, through the validation process, Weproc is designed to simplify the purchase management of SMEs and mid-sized companies by centralizing all purchase-related activities.