ERP = How to Create Streamlined Processes = Profit

     Until recently, history has told a story of business growth which had consistent boundaries for the definition of small business through that of large business. Small businesses start, they face challenges and they surpass them to grow and compete with larger businesses or else they choose to remain competitive within the small business arena. That story has evolved significantly with advances in technology and the development of the strategic business environment of today. The problem now is that globalization has created new definitions for the boundaries of a small business; add to that the advances in technology which have brought about new benchmarks for competitive standards regardless of the business size. 

     In the past, growth was the major challenge for any sized company. Managing and maintaining internal controls during growth cycles were the main focus of management. Today management must focus on much more than controls and growth in order to succeed. Buzz words like differentiation, hyper-competition, strategy and process planning are essential to the health of businesses in today’s world. Small business is highly vulnerable and is susceptible to fatality. Due to high mortality in the formative years and surmounting problems from poor strategic planning, a small business faces some of the greatest challenges in its infancy than ever in its lifetime. 

     Globalization and technology has opened up the tight target markets of a small business which in turn has allowed opportunities for expansion from the traditional small business strategies of the past. Contemporary computer applications and the speed of communicating via the internet, is now enabling the small business to appear and act like a large organization. Integrating all facets of business such as sales & distribution, finance & accounting, operations, human resources and many other aspects have now become much easier, both to control and monitor. An enterprise resource planning (ERP) program is one such invaluable gift of modern technology to the world of business.

     Ever since the birth of ERP, it had been confined by its very definition to the large organization due to the many challenges it brought along. Large organizations have struggled with implementing such a complex and customized ERP program application. It is only recently that the concept of ERP has changed from being known as a large business software application to its actual and true business concept of being a strategic plan coordinating and customizing the fit of enterprise resources. These resources are human resources, processes, and the applications needed to create a dynamic workflow environment which feeds into the business strategy and vision of the organization.