What is an ERP system? What are the criteria for selecting an ERP?

What is ERP system?

ERP - Enterprise Resource Planning, a supply chain management concept, is a management platform that is based on information technology and provides decision-making and operation means for enterprise decision-makers and employees with a systematic management concept. It plays a significant role in improving enterprise business processes and enhancing the core competitiveness of enterprises.

In short, ERP is a kind of enterprise management software that integrates advanced management thinking and efficient operation processes. It can improve management, streamline processes and increase efficiency. Next, let's talk about how to choose.

What are the reference conditions for selecting ERP?

1. Whether it supports multiple platforms, multiple accounts, and multiple platform data interaction

A fully functional ERP can help you complete the whole process management of cross-border e-commerce, without the need to purchase additional WMS warehouse management software and financial management software. In fact, the increase in cost is only one part, and the more important thing is that the data transmission is broken, and the data needs to be re-exported and imported, which goes against the original intention of automation and process.

2. Whether the surrounding services are well connected

Whether international logistics, freight forwarding, and overseas warehousing are fully connected, whether they are connected to payment collection platforms, and whether they are connected to various query plug-ins directly affects whether cross-border sellers can use them conveniently.

3. Import and export functions and open API interface

Data import and export can facilitate sellers to transfer data and conduct secondary analysis at any time. This is a very important right and an important attribute of a professional ERP software. A more open function is to have a public API interface to facilitate data transmission on other third-party platforms. The above are functions and attributes that medium and large sellers value very much.

4. Data security and historical data security backup

Cross-border e-commerce ERP captures order data from various cross-border platforms. The order information (product information, attributes, buyer data, feedback and evaluation data, etc.) is very rich, so when choosing an ERP platform, you must choose a professional, powerful, neutral (preferably not a trader) brand software vendor. At the same time, ERP has captured a lot of order data over time. The amount of these historical data is very large and is also very valuable and meaningful. It can analyze past sales and indicators of many dimensions. The company needs to raise funds and go public in the future, and various data are needed. The review of this area is a core element. Therefore, it will be a big plus for software vendors to retain historical data for user merchants.

5. The system and functions are scalable

At present, cross-border e-commerce ERP software are basically SaaS versions (the system can be registered and used in the network environment, without time and space restrictions). Of course, there are also a few CS versions (referred to as local versions, which require downloading the client and can only be used after functional updates). SaaS is the current and future trend of application software.

6. The selection concept should be advanced

Everyone in the world is talking about the Internet and Internet thinking, and cross-border e-commerce is no exception. However, in the process of choosing an ERP system, people always forget this point. If the price is too high, they think it is outrageous; if the price is too low, they think it is unreliable; if it is free, they think it is unbelievable. At this time, I don’t know where the Internet thinking has gone. Internet thinking refers to the way of thinking that re-examines the market, users, products, enterprise value chain and even the entire business ecosystem under the background of the continuous development of technologies such as (mobile) Internet, big data, and cloud computing.

The above is the knowledge content about ERP system in this issue. If you want to get more information about ERP system, please pay attention and we will continue to answer you~