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What makes an enterprise solution—ERP—different from other technology offerings? Today there are so many software categories that users can often be confused about what they need to buy. This is especially true for small and emerging businesses that are on a growth curve and are struggling with many IT decisions.
Your ERP choice should be made according to your core business strength: Look for the best-in-class capability for the most critical element of your business. In this report, we will align these core needs to the capabilities of the ERP solution provider.


Today, the enterprise has the on-premise vs. cloud (SaaS) choice. The economic advantages of cloud solutions are just too powerful to ignore. And buyers are not. Our research at ChainLink is showing a huge upswing in SaaS/On-Demand interest and adoption in most enterprise software categories. SaaS or cloud has been a hard concept for companies to accept: the idea of ‘off-premise storage’ of enterprise data. But with the current economy and a new generation of buyers who take all things on the web as ‘normal,’ this market will only grow. So, we will indicate the cloud vs. on-premise choices in the report, as well.
Growing into ERP
For many readers, you may be contemplating your first ERP purchase. Or you have an ERP, but it just is not the right fit for your growing business needs. This report addresses both of these concerns.
Small business is the true engine of the economy. And as the business grows, small business owners naturally turn to technology to enable future growth. Mid-size businesses, on the other hand, have operational challenges: often M&A’s and cross-functional integration challenges that lead them to rethink their current technology portfolio. So at each stage, the challenges and complexities of the business drive new, fundamental thinking about the technology required to run the business.
Businesses differ significantly by industry and segment. And based on your industry, the correct (or incorrect) investment in technology can have a major impact. For example, you may be a publisher and require superior composing and graphics software. Or you may be an etailer, requiring a commerce website to market and take orders. These types of businesses may have no ‘backend,’ i.e. require no manufacturing or logistics software, since they might outsource those functions. Conversely, you may be a custom manufacturer with a few big clients. You can use a simple billing system (since you may have only a handful of customers), but need a manufacturing system to keep your operation efficient to stay ahead of your competitors.
ERP for the SMB
In this report, we will cover the above issues and explore how to think about your requirements for an ERP, and align the ERP providers based on these needs.
So leave the social and sales pressures behind, and take your time to know who you are and where you are going before plunging into one of the most important decisions you will ever make for your business
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