Not Just The Top 10 ERP Systems

Some consultants will identify the top 10 ERP systems or just consider them in software selection projects. These systems have the largest customer base and typically have:

• Modern user interfaces
• Invested large sums in R&D to take advantage of new technology like AI.
• Invested large sums in security.

But should you also consider lesser-known systems that cater to a specific industry?

Advantages of Lesser-Known ERP Systems

1. They are usually industry specific and also include business processes optimized for the industry and industry experts to implement the system.
2. Licensing and implementation are usually less expensive.
3. They are often less difficult to implement because they don’t have all the bells and whistles with the top 10 ERP.
4. You can be a bigger fish in a small pond. This means that you can have a bigger impact on future development.

Disadvantages of Lesser-Known ERP Systems

1. They may not be investing enough in new technology and security
2. They may have a small pool of good people supporting the product and not able to properly service their clients.
3. They could be swallowed by a bigger ERP vendor, who is only interested in their clients and will sunset their system.
4. There may be scalability problems to handle much higher data volumes.

We think you should consider the top 10 and the lesser-known ERP systems and base a decision that includes due diligence on the potential disadvantages.