The efficiency and benefits of ERP system are beyond any doubts, and many business organizations are fast implementing this software package to scale new heights in performance and profit making. Since the emergence of ERP from MRP software, its advanced features like providing e-commerce and other net based services, are fast gaining popularity in the market. Although the use of ERP is mostly restricted to large business organizations, small and middle sized organization are also joining the band in implementing this multi-faceted software. The flexibility, which ERP offers through different customized modules has widened its acceptability.
ERP will continue to dominate the operation and functions of not only the manufacturing organizations, but also of other service providing organizations. The concept of ERP II is being seriously considered that will emerge with more advanced features in the near future.
1. Future ERP software package will include more use of the internet by using the tools like Enterprise 2.0 and Web2.0. In this area, Microsoft’s data centric web technologies are gaining more popularity according to the demands of the market. Updating data online through internet is very convenient and so the customers are more leaned towards web based services. Such ERP packages will always keep the customers updated with the latest information of the changing business scenario, through online automated data refreshing system. It will also provide online alerts to the business partners, regardless of their location in any part of the globe. Provision to integrate the business partners will also be included in the package.
2. The installation cost of ERP package will be greatly reduced in future, as there is a sharp drop in the price of hardware and software equipments for the past few years. This will encourage more small and mid sized organizations to implement ERP, and the vendors can capture a better portion of the market by introducing latest advanced features at the optimum cost.
3. Latest introduction of ERP SaaS has been one of the cost effective implementation of ERP, where the customers can access the benefits of this software through the web server hosted by the vendor at any geographical location on use-and-pay basis. The vendor through the web server provides service to many customers at a time, and the customers have to pay according to the usage of the server. Experts are of opinion that in future, SaaS ERP model will occupy a considerable share in the market, as it removes all the hassles of the customers reducing the Total Cost of Ownership.
Keeping in view of the beneficial aspects of SaaS technology, the key players of ERP like SAP, Oracle and Microsoft are carrying on extensive research, and are planning to launch new models of SaaS ERP.