ERP Comparison

We have prepared an analysis of ERP systems on behalf of CAmagazine and issued surveys to all the ERP vendors we know, collated the results and wrote an accompanying article. We have extracted the 1st few paragraphs of the articles below and the remainder is available at CAmagazine by hyperlink from the headings.

ERP Comparison 2009

As we present the 11th instalment of our annual CAmagazine software survey, it’s interesting to look back and see just how far we have evolved. When we ran our first survey, many people were unfamiliar with enterprise resource planning and vendors were just beginning to target their ERP products to middle-market companies. Now midsized companies are well served, as are their smaller and larger counterparts. New vendors continue to appear and new functionality continues to be released. We also expand each year on what we include in the survey. This time, for example, you will find a section on human resources. We have also included professional services automation vendors. PSA is really just ERP for professional services organizations.

The ERP products have been segregated into tiers based on customer revenue and employees and product cost. This is a convenient, albeit not perfect, means of differentiation. This year, we have reduced the number of tiers from five to three. We have found that many of the systems scaled beyond one tier and with our new approach, we don’t think there should be much overlap...

ERP System Comparison Charts in Excel Format

ERP Comparison 2008

Believe it or not, we’re now in our 10th year for our annual CAmagazine software vendor survey. As always, we have added new functionality and new systems. This year we have 54 systems, 17 more than last year.Last September, in an effort to simplify things, we merged all the enterprise surveys - business intelligence (BI) / corporate performance management (CPM), customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP) and professional services automation (PSA). But we found vendors and readers preferred a more focused approach. So this year, we combined ERP with just PSA (which is ERP for professional service-based organizations). Since many ERP vendors have extended their systems for this market, a combined survey makes sense. We will publish the results of the CRM survey in November and the BI/CPM in December.

On the above vendor comparison chart, we slotted all the products into what we believe are the appropriate tiers based on cost and target market. Be cautious if you’re trying to calculate the costs for a system, as these numbers are just averages.

The charts include both large, well-known vendors and small ones that are most likely unfamiliar to you. Don’t rule out small vendors that might be able to respond more quickly to your needs and focus on just your industry. A small vendor does not have the same overhead as the major players and can succeed with only a few new clients a year. However, some of the larger vendors are also focusing on specific industries. For example, Microsoft has recruited business partners to extend the Microsoft Dynamics platform into specific industries.

This year, we heard about a number of ERP failures. For example, on March 27, 2008, ITBusiness.ca reported: "The trash disposal giant Waste Management is suing SAP over an ERP implementation it dubs ‘a complete failure.’ In its court complaint, Waste Management said senior SAP executives, including SAP Americas’ president and CEO Bill McDermott, participated in the ‘rigged and manipulated’ demos..."

ERP System Comparison Charts in Excel Format

ERP Comparison 2007

Our annual CAmagazine software survey is back and this year it’s bigger than ever. We combined all our surveys - accounting/ERP, customer relationship management, business intelligence/corporate performance management and professional services automation - into this issue.

Accounting/ERP systems automate what is called the back office, including financials, manufacturing and human resources. CRM automates the front office: contact management, sales force automation, etc. ERP and CRM systems both generate lots of data and that is where BI comes in. It turns the data into information useful for making decisions. CPM includes BI along with other tools found lacking in most ERP systems, such as consolidation, budgeting and forecasting, strategic planning and scorecarding. PSA is the same as ERP but was designed specifically for professional service organizations that manage projects and track their time.

The big trend today is to merge ERP and CRM with BI/CPM. In March 2007, Oracle purchased Hyperion. In May, SAP followed suit with the acquisition of Outlooksoft. Many wonder whether Cognos (another leading BI/CPM vendor) will be purchased - and if so, when. By the time this article is published the answer may be clear. PSA is also being swallowed up by ERP, as vendors extend their footprint to professional service organizations...

ERP System Comparison Charts in Excel Format

ERP Comparison 2006

It’s hard to believe we are now in our eighth year for our annual accounting and ERP vendor survey. Interest continues to grow and most vendors want to be part of the survey. This year, we have new or updated responses for 50 systems as of June 2006. The systems cover the entire spectrum - from QuickBooks and Simply Accounting to mid-market systems from Sage and Microsoft to high-end products from SAP and Oracle.

There is still some confusion about the differences between an accounting system and an enterprise resource planning system. For me, an ERP system is one that automates business processes across most, if not all, departments within a company. Using that definition, even a system like QuickBooks or Simply Accounting can be considered an ERP system for a small company...