Can an ERP system support all levels of management?
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ERP Modules |
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Stock (Inventory) Control |

8/1/2019
An Overview of ERP
Enterprise
Resource Planning (ERP) is a system that we have spoken about vastly
over the last few months because we believe in the benefits of ERP software and what it can offer.
Directly
speaking, an ERP system turns the chaos of everyday tasks and workflow
into a systematic flow that brings about greater productivity and the
ability for staff and teams within a business to work cohesively on a
daily basis. The ERP system can be used across a multitude of industries
and works in accordance with the needs of each individual industry,
with the ultimate goal being a more streamlined, efficient approach to
business.
It’s essential to understand the history of ERP and its functionality within various businesses and to grasp how an ERP system can make life easier for any functioning organisation.
To do this, we will need to look at how an ERP system can support all levels of management within a business, which includes:
- Top-level management
- Middle-level management
- Lower-level management
Top-Level Management
Top-level
management is the board of directors, the CEO and the company
executives, who have the final say in how an organisation runs. They
make vital decisions daily, ensuring the company operates effectively
and efficiently across all departments.
How Can an ERP system Assist Top-level Management?
An
ERP system within an organisation makes it possible for key
stakeholders and decision-makers to access information centrally, in
real-time, without waiting for feedback from different departments.
Their time is generally limited, so the ability to dive directly into
company data, daily operational activity and company productivity, is a
huge benefit for the successful running of an organisation. An ERP
system is beneficial to top-level management in various ways, including:
- Preparing company policies with ease.
- Issuing instructions and guidelines to all departments.
- Analysing
company productivity, profitability, and losses, through access to
daily reports and feedback from the mid-level management.
Middle-Level Management
Mid-level
management generally consists of the financial department, who are
responsible for reporting directly to top management. They make critical
financial decisions within a business which can ultimately affect the
company’s bottom line. Top-level management is reliant on the
information that the finance department serves them to make executive
decisions about the business. Mid-level management is responsible for
evaluating the performance and productivity of each department in the
business. Likewise, their aim is to ensure that company resources are
used as effectively as possible to achieve the overall business goals.
How Can an ERP system Assist Middle-level Management?
An
ERP system empowers mid-level management to run their daily tasks
efficiently by providing information readily and often summarised
effectively for them to make decisions. It allows them to monitor the
performance of staff, access budgets, accounts, and company spend
whenever necessary. An ERP system allows mid-level management, among
other things, to:
- Plan budgets for the year.
- Assign tasks to different departments.
- Create reports effortlessly with a summary of essential information.
- Coordinate with other departments.
- Collect reports and financial input from other departments to send to top-level management.
- Evaluate the performance of staff across all departments.
Lower-Level Management
Lower-level
management includes all supervisors, department heads, account
managers, and anyone in charge of managing a team within a business.
Their role is to direct and control their team and report back to higher
management on the daily runnings of their department.
How Can an ERP system Assist Lower-level Management?
An ERP system can assist lower-level management daily by assisting with:
- Planning the weekly and monthly tasks of their department.
- Organise each person’s involvement and activities for the day/week/month.
- Assign work to the relevant person or team.
- Supervise the performance of their team and each employee.
- Report back to mid-level management efficiently within the central system.
All
levels of management can work systematically together when an ERP
system is in place, allowing information to flow seamlessly between
them. An ERP system allows for a greater level of transparency within a
business, where the different levels of management can work together
without relying solely on another department for information. The ERP
system brings management together, that would generally be divided and
eliminates the possibility of confusion and miscommunication between the
varying roles.
Learn more about implementing an ERP system for your company and what this entails.
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