ERP Application Development – A Complete Guide to Build an ERP App

This blog features various aspects that you should consider while Planning and Building an ERP App for your Business.

ERP is a crucial business tool that fosters business growth and streamlines processes in a more organized and optimized way. It helps in boosting the efficiency and productivity of both employees and businesses. In terms of talking about how useful it can be for your business, It is one of the assets that can deliver the scope of higher returns in the long term.

The business should choose the right platform or technology to build ERP Software as there are various options available in the software market. Based on the need and structure of the business, a business can choose to better meet its end-to-end needs.

ERP Platforms: What Options are Available in the Market

From open source stack to dedicated licensed products, you can choose different options as per your need to achieve your business’s goals. Here are various options which you can consider when planning an ERP Application Development:

• Open-Source Stack:
  

It is entirely free to use, and businesses can integrate various features and functionalities through code. It offers a more comprehensive way to change the basic features of Open-Source ERP, but it also allows the integration of third-party tools. And, it completely depends upon the business on how they want the software to be, and accordingly, they can plan features. It gives complete freedom to customize the code and features as per the business structure or processes. Moqui is one of the open-source ERP frameworks to develop a fully functional ERP solution for your business.

• Licensed-Proprietary Software: 

There are various kinds of licensed or proprietary software available for businesses to purchase. Products like- SAP, Oracle, and Salesforce are some of the options that businesses can choose depending on their budget and requirements. Since it is quite pricy than the open-source stack. And it does offer you the option of dedicated support for your team. This software is relatively stable as compared to open-source.

On-Premise ERP v/s Cloud ERP

Once you choose the type of ERP platform, you should also look towards choosing a dedicated On-Premise ERP or a cloud-based platform. These days businesses are moving to the virtual infrastructure. They are now choosing to buy cloud-based ERP, which helps to access it from any device at any location and offers numerous functionalities. In comparison, the latter option is based upon hosting or installing ERP application software on local machines, which might not provide you with as many features as cloud-based ERP can provide. In terms of pricing, the Cloud ERP comes with the option of a monthly, quarterly, or yearly subscription. While on-premise licensed software may cost you a one-time or annual subscription fee.

Build an ERP App: Considering Aspects for Your Business Needs

Different businesses might have different needs as per their business structure and industry type. It is crucial to understand the business needs. Then decide on essential features to make your business process efficient and achieve the exact goals you are planning for your business.

1) Requirement Analysis:

This is one of the prime aspects of planning an ERP for your business. You must know your exact requirements and what business process and activities you need to integrate with the ERP. It also depends on the supply chain and other aspects to see the complexity of your business. Knowing the pinpoints and shortfalls of your business can give you the right ideas about the functionality and features you need in ERP Application Development Software.

2) Considering Pricing & ROI:

ERP software comes with different pricing schemes and costs. It is crucial in terms of the business’s financial perspective to know how much a business can invest in getting a dedicated ERP Solution. So, it is also essential to see how ERP can deliver value and Return on Investment to the businesses. It may vary and differ as per the business size.

3) Scalability & Integration:

The ERP software should be capable enough to integrate various departments of your business and offer scalability to deliver real-time reporting and data analysis as per the business requirements. Whether you plan to choose an open-source ERP software or buy a licensed version, it is vital to assess how scalable the software product is. Another factor involves integration with third-party software or platforms that can ease delivery, logistics, CRM, etc.

4) Deployment Time & Integration:

Time is money. A business must think about deployment time and integration the software would take to incorporate various features. It should not increase the costs for businesses.

List of Features: What Features You Should Consider to Build an ERP App

There are various features you can incorporate with ERP software to utilize your business potential in the best possible way.

1) Business Reporting & Data Analysis:

The ERP should offer you a detailed overview and information about specific data points associated with your business. A good ERP software can give crucial insights about your business through innovative charts, leaderboards, graphs, etc.

2) Automation:

The integration of different departments through an ERP Platform should offer the scope of automating some of the processes like- Logistics, Inventory, Delivery Notifications, Order Status, etc. This will free up the bandwidth of employees from repetitive manual tasks.

3) Scope of Easy Integration:

The ERP should integrate various third-party features and apps to facilitate communication with other platforms like- CRM, Delivery Management Software, Payments interface, etc.

4) Facilitate Basic Business Activities:

The ERP Application Development should offer features related to HR Management, Accounting, Payroll Management, Invoicing, etc. to make the basic business activities relatively smooth.

These crucial points featured in this blog might help you to achieve your business goals. It should also give you a complete overview of the features your ERP solution needs to accelerate business growth.