Which ERP (enterprise resource planning) system to buy?
I wish there was an easy answer to the question “which software package to buy”? There are good packages and there are cheap packages but I do not yet know of any good cheap packages. At the top end of the price spectrum there is the highly flexible, feature rich (i.e. complicated) SAP R/3 which would cost you well over £1m to implement. There are then dozens of full function ERP/MRPII packages which you can implement for £100k upwards (including the cut down or “template” versions of SAP R/3). There are then hundreds of small packages that would cost £50k or less but have limited functionality and support. My suggestion is to start by seeing what the potential benefits are and therefore how much you can afford to spend. I nearly always find that companies with poor planning systems carry too much inventory and work in progress. The saving in inventory and work in progress alone can often justify the expense of a properly implemented full function planning system. Try the cost and bene
