In general, Integration is combining two different functionalities which are incorporated in the workflow of business. The same way strategy for ERP system integrations contain merging two different systems in an Enterprise automated and incorporated by means of ERP software.
ERP and Integration
ERP means Enterprise Resource Planning and business management tools by which business processes and functionality can be streamlined and automated. It means that it is easy to share data and information across different systems as ERP means a centralized data hub. I.e Some information like orders and its financial information of the Sales department can be easily sent to the Accounting department when the organization is equipped with ERP Software.
ERP integration is a method of interlinking ERP software with other systems to share information between automated and interconnected systems. ERP software helps to eliminate inefficient business flows and improve transparency in business flows.
Different Types Of ERP Integration
CRM and ERP integration
It is the basic requirement of any successful business to make effective communication and customer service to customers. In order to manage customer and customer services of a company it requires CRM - Customer Relationship Management which becomes mandatory. CRM and ERP integration will help for effective customer management as well as streamline sales and marketing processes.
ERP integration with eCommerce
ERP integration with eCommerce provides a huge transformational effect. The most relevant data of an organization related to customer data, orders, Inventories, Shipping and Delivery information stored and shared by ERP software. By using this data users can manage their business efficiently and effectively as all the data are integrated with each other.
ERP Integration With Human Resources (HR)
The HR department is essential in business to manage all the employees and communication between each and every employee of the organization with their status and designation. The HR department also has some backend operations like Payroll Management, Recruitment Process, Appraisal and Management of an Employee. The HR department with ERP system will streamline all the processes of Managing Employee, Salary Calculation, leaves, Recruitment etc and which reduces time of each operation.
Project Management with ERP
Most of the Company uses a third-party tool to manage projects. Integration of ERP with Project Management will help the company to complete all the projects, Tasks, Timeline in a standard manner. Employees as well as Management can see details about Current Projects, Completed Projects, Upcoming Tasks & Projects and based on priority of work allocation of tasks will be possible.
Business Intelligence (BI) Tools Integrated with ERP
BI, Business Intelligence is the most powerful and useful tool which helps to collect and analyze the data of an organization. Collection of data from BI tools helps to discover insights of the enterprise which leads to growth and enhancement of the company. With the help of ERP integration with BI tools will give more accurate information which helps any business to make better decision making and development of any business.
These are the most common integration of business to get better performance and effective business solutions. Apart from this there are other ERP integration possible based on third-party technical API.
Advantages of ERP integration
ERP system built with the purpose of integrating and interconnecting various information of different departments like Sales, Purchase, Accounting, Manufacturing, Production and Planning. But when it comes to a Fully Integrated ERP system, the advantages of the system are high.
Let’s check some of the advantages of Fully Integrated ERP systems.
Automation
Process gets automated which results in better results.
A Fully Integrated ERP system helps in a business to streamline the entire business process of different departments of an organization. Automation will reduce manual efforts of work which leads to increased efficiency in the overall work process.
Improved overall efficiency
A Fully Integrated ERP system will help businesses to increase Enterprise’s productivity as well as efficiency. It reduces the required time to complete each process so it increases time efficiency and ultimately it increases employee efficiency by reducing manual work.
Accurate Forecasting
A Fully Integrated ERP system gives forecast data which increases business growth directly and indirectly so more accurate data of forecasting will help in business to make valuable and realistic decisions.
Centralized Data
A Fully Integrated system with centralized data improves internal workflows. It requires less time to make a process for all data as it is stored at a common spot so employees from different departments can easily get the details from other departments without waiting for a person to get the details. I.e An Employee from the Account department does not have to interact with the Sales Team weekly or monthly to get details of revenue for the organization.
Transparency in workflow
Integrated ERP systems have centralized data, tasks and workflows in an enterprise are highly visualized. I.e ERP system integrated with Project Management tools, An Employee can also see the work of their colleagues and which is transparent in business flow which gives better productivity and relationship management.
We have discussed the benefits of the ERP system but there are some challenges while implementing the Integrated business process. Some of the challenges like Complexity of business process, Cost for Implementation, User training for each department. When we compare it with overall efficiency and productivity of a business, We can neglect those challenges easily.
Conclusion :
In today’s era, There is technological change and advancement so ERP System Integration must be required for small scale business in the near future. At present, Many organizations have already implemented integrated ERP systems for their business to maximize efficiency and productivity. Customization of ERP systems based on business needs gives a unique proposition in the ERP software field.
CandidRoot, Odoo Service Provider Company provides various services for Odoo ERP such as Odoo Implementation, Odoo Customization, Odoo Integration based on specific business needs. Get in touch with us in case of any queries or services required.