Every business needs to improve. This is where it becomes challenging. Business needs to improve and you need to make real-time decisions like carrying out projects, etc. Hence, this is where a business needs ERP software.
ERP, which means enterprise resource planning software. It is software that is needed in production planning to handle business operations across the board. Furthermore, to get a solution for your fast-growing business, you need an ERP alternative for small businesses. This is because the ERP system might not be the best fit for your company’s size.
Erp alternatives for small business include CRM, Netsuite, and Kinetic. Others include Acumatica and Sage Intacct. They are fast to execute, cheaper, and simpler to onboard employees. There are many reasons you need an Erp alternative, but they will be discussed in detail later.
Why You Need Erp Alternatives For Small Business
1. They are cheap
Erp alternatives are affordable compared to the Erp system. Erp system’s advanced features are costly. This prices out the largely active midsize businesses.
2. They Are Less Comprehensive
Many scaling businesses have prerogatives concerning connected services and payment gateways. Nevertheless, most ERP systems change a business workflow, cutting out other services and tools. An ERP alternative is best for small businesses and if you need a platform that is not compatible with more extensive ERP systems.
Factors You Need To Consider While Selecting ERP Alternative For Small Business
1. Scalability
This is one of the factors to consider. You need to know if the solution will grow with your business. Additionally, you need one that will not only meet your present needs. Hence, the one that can fit in as your small business expands.
2. Right Features
You need to check out the non-negotiable features for your small business. Is it real-time inventory management, production tracking, accounting, etc.? Ensure that the features you need are efficient and available in the alternative chosen.
3. Price
Ensure the pricing model works for your business now. Not only now, but for the future. This is because the budget is a big deal for thriving businesses.
4. Ease Of Integration
This is one of the factors to consider when selecting an Erp alternative. You will not like to deal with disparate systems that don’t communicate with each other. Hence, know how well the solution integrates with the existing system of your business.
5. Vendor Reviews
Before you select an alternative, measure the reliability and reputation of the vendor. You can measure this through the reading of customer reviews. Additionally, through customer testimonials and referrals.
6. Simple To Use
The alternative must be simple to use. A user-friendly interface is very important, particularly if you do not have a dedicated IT team. Check it out for intuitive navigation and nice customer assistance as well.
Erp Alternatives For Small Businesses
Here are some of ERp alternatives for your small business.
1. CRM
This is one of the Erp alternatives for your small business. This is a cloud-based solution that helps you scale actively. It has strong CRM functionality, which makes it suitable for small businesses that need a CRM rather than an ERP. It starts at $25 per month for the contact management package.
Characteristics
- It has rapid invoice production and acceptance.
- It has customer data analysis.
- It has workflow supervision and time tracking.
Merits
- It has an extraordinary team that is supportive.
- It is cloud-hosted.
- It has profound integrations with Xero and QuickBooks.
Demerits
- It is only available in English versions. This means that those who are not from Anglophone countries can not access it.
- It is adequately suited for QuickBooks and Xero users.
2. NetSuite
This is one of the popular antagonists in the Erp system. Oracle NetSuite gives a complete list of automated business functions in various departments. It comes with a convenient real-time dashboard for a fast summary of operations.
Characteristics
- It has customer supervision.
- It has sales and monetary forecasting.
- It has lead supervision.
- It has email and campaign transactions.
- It has a real-time dashboard and summaries.
Merits
- It offers extraordinary cloud assistance for remote workers.
- It has detailed documenting capacities.
- It has a well-customized feature set (financially acquainted).
Demerits
- It lacks international shipping assistance.
- It has a challenging interface for users who are not well-experienced.
- Its prices can increase quickly. 99 dollars to 999 dollars per month.
3. Kinetic
This is one of the most user-friendly Erp alternatives for small business. It has an intuitive UI, resembling a social media website rather than an overwhelming ERP system.
Characteristics
- It has workflow supervision.
- It has an activity dashboard.
- It has documented analytics and reporting.
- It has third-party integrations.
Merits
- It has straightforward uploading and updating of data.
- It has incredibly adaptable parameters catered to specific needs.
- It is user-friendly and spontaneous.
Demerits
- Its setup is challenging.
- It has paywall-locked customization features.
- It has more room for errors due to its highly customizable nature.
4. Acumatica
It is one of the Erp alternatives for small business. It has a massive volume of data processing. This keeps people in the loop.
Characteristics
It has features for;
- Production management.
- Building Management.
- Monetary Management.
- Analytics and reporting tools.
- Data pursuit and trends.
Merits
- It has extremely responsive customer support
- It is merged with a large choice of third-party plugins and programs.
Demerits
- It has a learning curve.
- The work done with it does not save automatically.
- It requires modules.
5. Sage Intacct
It is one of the ERP alternatives for small business that distills complicated information into a single, simple-to-read document. This helps one make more informed decisions in business. It is one of the best alternatives for small businesses; with it, they can find what they are looking for with a limited budget.
Characteristics
- The monetary records and data can be shared with an accountant.
- It has budget and workflow supervision.
- It has security access for each user.
- It offers industry-particular solutions.
Merits
- Intact offers a free trial.
- It has software that updates constantly.
- It offers comprehensive training
Demerits
- It is similar to Acumatica but has a high learning curve.
- Its price is unclear as it is strictly quote-based
- It has a Weak archiving and search system.
6. NEX
It is one of the ERP alternatives for small business that is an ingenious software platform. It provides seamless integration with leading financial supervision applications like Quickbooks and Xero. It is developed for small to medium-sized businesses.
It restores the gap in areas such as merchandise management, order processing, services supervision customer relationship supervision, providing rich functionalities of found expensive ERP system systems flexible pricing systems
Characteristics
- It is developed to work in pairs with QuickBooks and Xero.
- It has features that help one gain control over stock levels.
- It offers end-to-end control over order techniques.
- It offers service management.
- It has features for understanding, tracking, and managing relationships.
Merits
Here are the advantages of NEX:
- Its highly customizable options help you adapt the system to your business needs.
- NEX grows with you as your business grows, you will not be weighed down with expensive contracts.
- NEX is fast to execute.
- It has a unique customer service that keeps your business systems running smoothly.
Demerits
- It is new to the market but rapidly gaining friction.
7. Acctivate
This is one of the business software programs developed primarily for small businesses. It is also for medium-sized businesses that need more than fundamental merchandise supervision. The software is specifically robust in sectors like wholesale, where precise merchandise supervision is important. Although it has a comprehensive suite of tools for numerous business operations, it is impeded in terms of customization and is also difficult to set up.
Characteristics
- It has strong merchandise supervision capacities.
- It comes with a pair of substantial reporting tools.
- It has a sales order management system.
Merits
- It provides businesses with great knowledge for reasonable decision-making.
- It is effective for specific industries where comprehensive merchandise supervision is important.
Demerits
- It lacks customization alternatives.
- It has a challenging setup.
8. Cin7
This was known before as Orderhive. It is one of Erp’s alternatives for small business because it gives access to many features like Warehouse supervision, point-to-sale functionalities, etc. It is mostly needed by e-commerce companies.
Characteristics
- It is excellent at handling complicated order workflows.
- It provides thorough warehouse supervision features.
- It gives access to point-of-sale features. This makes it versatile for online and brick-and-mortar sales.
Merits
- Due to its comprehensive order tracking, it is adequate for e-commerce business.
Demerits
- Its array of features makes it overwhelming for some users, causing the learning curve to be steep compared to easier solutions.
- It has a customer service problem.
- Compared to other ERP alternatives, pricing for added functionalities can be expensive.
9. Zoho
This is a popular Erp alternative for small business. It provides a suite of online productivity tools and SAAS applications. It is popularly known to be a budget-friendly option compared to other Erp systems that are big.
Characteristics
- It has a vast suite of applications.
- It has a modular nature.
Merits
- It covers most business operations, making it convenient for many companies
- It is good for small businesses.
Demerits
- It lacks the features for specialized industries like healthcare.
- The added functionalities can accumulate the costs and make it expensive though the fundamental modules are inexpensive.
Final Words
Erp alternatives for small business include Sage Intacct and Netsuite. They are affordable and less comprehensive. On choosing Erp alternatives consider if the solution will grow with your business and whether it has the right features your small businesses need.
