It is important for any company to think beyond just perfecting what they are currently doing to dream up what they could be doing next. Carillon ERP has been advancing with the times for more than 20 years now. In the 90’s, we went from a component software to an all-inclusive single box solution. In 2001, we developed mobile solutions as smartphones became a business standard. Currently, we have cloud capabilities for all industries and a Carillon ERP iPad application for field employees. What is next? As a relative newcomer to the IT/ERP field (I’ve been in the IT field for 4 years), it is an interesting exercise to brainstorm a few possibilities.
Carillon ERP supports an implementation methodology called Know it now® which asserts that one of the three keys to receiving timely information from your system is ease of use. It must be convenient for an employee to enter information into the system. Keeping this in mind, the next step after mobile technology might be voice automation. An employee could record information into the system by dictating relevant commands and the software could complete and submit the necessary documentation. An employee could enter data into the system in about the same time it takes to let the accounting department know what he/she has completed, minus the fuss of forms. A second hot ERP topic is Business Information or BI.
The popularity of this type of add-on has skyrocketed recently as companies try to save money through forecasting. The next iteration of ERP and BI integration might involve syncing company calculating tools to historical industry data like that available on Gartner. The reporting possibilities with this type of sync would go beyond the individual company’s historic data, showing executives where the company stands relative to its industry or the decade.
Another system syncing idea might be an ERP package that was intended to link end to end with a second ERP package. As one manufacturer’s finished goods turned into another’s store front goods, the shipping, pricing, production, and inventory would be seamless between the two companies. The information sharing and security needs would be similar to today’s “cloud” based technology while the speed and accuracy of transactions would increase significantly.
Carillon ERP currently leads the pack when it comes to real-time functionality. Our customers can’t imagine going back to Great Plains, Epicor, Navision, etc. Waiting hours or days to have business information is unacceptable after knowing that the information can be available immediately. It’s like choosing a Walkman when you know MP3 players exist. We intend to keep this lead by regularly improving our software and keeping pace with not only what customers need immediately, but also what they might need in the future. To find out more about Carillon ERP and why we are in the lead, please contact us today.