ERP software users say systems and services improving
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Manufacturing users are generally happier with their ERP now than they were two years ago – and that applies to functionality, implementation and service/support. However, business benefit scores remain static, despite users’ acknowledgement of expected improvements. Brian Tinham reports
Manufacturing users are generally happier with their ERP now than they were two years ago – and that applies to functionality, implementation and service/support. However, business benefit scores remain static, despite users’ acknowledgement of expected improvements.
Those are the top line findings of a major survey by Benchmark Research, building on its study in 2002. Research manager Paul Watts says that satisfaction in all areas “is now fairly good and serious problems are rare – although there are significant differences between users of specific systems.”
Key strengths of modern ERP systems include, unsurprisingly, the core manufacturing and business management modules, but also scalability and reliability. “Customers today should not be experiencing problems in these areas as most suppliers now perform very strongly.”
However weaker areas brought out by the survey include cost of implementation itself, ongoing running costs, ease of upgrades and ease of integration with other systems. Benchmark’s advice: although satisfaction stats have improved here slightly, watch these aspects if you’re among users considering system replacement or first time systems.
Beyond that, Benchmark’s findings demonstrate again heavy bespoking of packaged systems, most apparent among the mid to large users, has an adverse effect on functionality satisfaction stats, as well as those for ease of use, stability and upgrade experiences.
Benchmark also warns that service and support factors, about which users are generally satisfied, take a dive where systems have been heavily bespoked. The organisation cites training, managing new releases and upgrades and basic aspects like finding the right vendor consultant and answering specific queries, as most problematic.
As for who is most likely to be looking for systems, Benchmark finds mid to large size manufacturers most likely: one in three have systems that are now more than a decade old. SMEs, meanwhile, are generally younger users, with less than one in six having systems that old.
Benchmark spoke to customers of Exel, Infor, K3, Syspro, Sage and Softbrands in what it terms the SME bracket, and Epicor, Geac, IFS, Mapics, Oracle, PeopleSoft, QAD, Sanderson, SAP and SSA covering the mid-market and large corporates.