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High Seas Team

High Seas

April 22, 2022

Drive Business Growth and Efficiency with Custom ERP Software

Developing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is now a necessity for businesses that hope to keep pace with or surpass industry competitors.

Securing the right ERP development company makes all the difference between whether your new project is an indispensable asset that streamlines day-to-day operations or a flop that requires re-tooling before implementation. 

When you collaborate with our ERP software development company, we will guide your project from concept to completion using a structured and collaborative approach that keeps you in the loop throughout development.  

Read about our collaborative enterprise software development process for more details.

How ERP Drives Business Efficiency and Growth

Developing a custom ERP solution tailored to your business needs can drive business efficiency and growth by integrating all critical operations into a single, unified system. 

A custom ERP system developed by our seasoned ERP software development company will allow your company to have complete control and real-time visibility of different departments including sales, marketing, accounting, human resources, inventory management, shipping/logistics, and more. 

This high level of transparency and collaboration across departments can help avoid costly mistakes and delays, improve customer satisfaction, and increase revenues. In short, a well-designed ERP system can help businesses run like a well-oiled machine.

Here’s how an investment in ERP software will drive business efficiency and growth:

  • Improve customer service: Automated order processing and tracking enable businesses to provide customers with up-to-date information on order status. Custom ERP software gives employees across different departments instant access to customer information so they can resolve issues quickly and efficiently.
  • Boost cash flow: Automated invoicing and payments reduce a business’s administrative costs and enable a faster cash flow. 
  • Provide real-time visibility into every aspect of your business: Integrating real-time information into one database for all business processes helps companies make faster decisions.
  • Improve data security: Implementing security controls and centralizing data storage helps businesses better protect critical data from cyber threats.
  • Reduce costs: Streamlined operations can help businesses avoid duplicate work, errors, and delays. Automating manual, time-consuming tasks such as data entry and report generation can help businesses save on labor costs.

5 Ways to Find the Right ERP Software Development Company for Your Project 

The best way to prepare for ERP system development is to do your due diligence. This will help you define your project requirements, along with the developmental processes you’d like included in the ERP development process. 

The five steps outlined below will help you find and secure the right ERP software development company for your business needs.

Define Your Business Requirements

Before you can start your search for the right ERP software development company, you need to first have a clear understanding of your business’s requirements and what you need your custom ERP solutions to solve.

Analyzing and categorizing your current business processes and clarifying what your business needs to function on a day-to-day basis will help determine how your new ERP system will fit in with existing technologies. On top of that, it will help you develop a project scope and timeline.

It's best for you to put together a comprehensive document that outlines all the features and functionalities you need in your ERP system. Your business requirements document should also include:

  • A description of your current business processes
  • An overview of your business goals and objectives
  • A list of the features and functionalities you need in your ERP system
  • Your project budget
  • Your timeline for development and deployment

Typical ERP system development will include some of the following features, though your business’s requirements will dictate the features included in your custom ERP development: 

  • Financial Management
  • Human Resources/Capital Management
  • Purchasing
  • Inventory Management
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Customer Relationship Management
  • Business Intelligence and Reporting

Get Down to the Nitty-Gritty of ERP Features and Functionalities

When you've got a handle on what your business needs from an ERP system, the next step is to start looking for ERP development companies that can turn your vision into reality. 

As you begin your search, it’s important to keep in mind that not all ERP software development services are created equal. Some developers may specialize in certain ERP software platforms, while others may have experience working with companies in specific industries.

To find the best custom ERP software developer for your project, you should isolate specific features you need your new ERP software to include and developmental processes you’d like it to undergo. What features are you looking for? What kind of data storage will the system require?

Knowing the criteria of what you’re looking for in an ERP software development company will help you create a detailed custom ERP requirements document which will significantly assist in finding the right developers for your project. 

Create a list detailing your ideal development criteria and answer the following questions to help guide your custom ERP software development:

  • Software Deployment: Are you planning to host your ERP software on an in-house or cloud server? 
  • Scalability: Are you planning to add more users or software features in the future? Scalable software is necessary for many enterprises that strive for consistent business growth. 
  • Implementation: How should your ERP software be implemented? Software implementation is an expected aspect of any ERP development company’s process, but how software is implemented and integrates with existing technologies plays a prominent role in the entire ERP development process. Figure out how you’d like the transition to work. 
  • Accessibility: ADA compliance is a necessary component of custom ERP software development. All users should receive the same experience, whether they’re reading text, for example, or using assistive technologies like a voice reader to navigate and understand your software. Failing to ensure ADA compliance may not be intentional, but could cost your business thousands in lawsuits, so thorough ADA auditing before deployment is a vital developmental process. 
  • Support and Maintenance: Are you planning to have your ERP software supported and maintained by your in-house team or your outsourced software development company? 

Take the time to look into the developers you’re considering in depth. See what their reviews say and what companies they feature in their developer portfolio. Another good idea would be asking for references from past clients, particularly those in a similar industry as your business. 

The partner you choose for ERP software development services will play a major role in the success of your project. Seeing what past clients have said about their development services and learning what you can about their development process will help ensure your outsourced software development company will effectively collaborate and deliver your company’s vision.

Get a Quote from Different ERP Developer Companies 

When outsourcing software development companies for your custom ERP solutions, keep in mind that their development price may be higher than in-house development. More often than not, trusting expert developers results in a better ROI when you factor in the cost of reassigning in-house teams to a new development project, taking them away from core functions. 

Working with experts also means receiving valuable advice on your industry's best practices and must-have ERP software features. 

Request a quote for ERP system development from multiple companies to compare their costs, development process, quality of work, and customer service. You want the pros, not amateurs.

Take Time to Conduct an Interview

The ERP development company you choose will impact your business in many ways, which is why it’s so important to make sure it’s a crew you trust to sail your software project smoothly into port. 

Conducting interviews with developers you’re considering is a great way to determine whether they’re qualified to handle your project and have the necessary resources to complete ERP system development within your desired timeframe. 

Questions to ask prospective ERP development companies include:

  • How long have you been in business? 
  • What software deployment and hosting options do you offer?
  • How do you manage communication and a project’s developmental updates?
  • What software development models will you use for my custom ERP project?
  • Do you offer continued software support and maintenance following software deployment? 

Make a Decision and Start Your ERP Project

It’s integral to choose an ERP software development company that can share your project vision, has the experience and skill sets necessary to get the project done right, and can communicate and work collaboratively throughout the development process. 

ERP software development services have the potential to save your business massive amounts of time and money while streamlining operations. Choosing the right team for the job is vital. Once you’ve chosen the crew you’ll be sailing the seas of software development with, it’s time to cast off and get the expedition underway.

Brave the High Seas with Us: Let’s Build Custom ERP Software Together 

Planning your project requirements and thoroughly researching developers will help ensure your choice for an ERP development company has the experience and resources required to bring your vision for streamlined ERP software to fruition. 

Choose an ERP software development company like High Seas, where creativity and structured, yet flexible, Agile development come together to integrate your critical business operations into one effective, unified system. 

Customized ERP software results in more productive internal personnel, satisfied and well-managed customers, and smooth operational efficiency designed to provide a competitive edge and scalable technical solutions that support business growth moving forward.

High Seas Team
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