The proliferation of subscription apps in the business place is causing fragmentation of corporate data – harkening back to the days when every department maintained their own silo of information. When department managers opt for quick fixes promised by cloud based applications they disconnect valuable data from the rest of the company, recreating the siloed information of the past.
The Efforts of a Decade
Fight back the return of department silos with ERP
As business processes have switched from paper to electronic, organizations have benefited from the ability to gather and analyze data across departments. Streamlining inefficient and duplicate processes have led to impressive productivity gains across industries. Better customer service has come through visibility of orders from beginning to end. Centralized data is the cornerstone of these advances.
The Problem:
Apps are easy and cheap
It’s very tempting for a manager to use a line of business application to deliver a quick fix to a departmental problem. With only a credit card, the department can start using a cloud-based application that’s easy to use and works around the corporate system. The data collected in those systems is not available to the rest of the company and may not be secure.
Customer service and data at risk
When the systems across the company don’t talk to one another, customers get a different answer every time they ask a question. Valuable history about customer transactions and interactions are lost to the business. Separate apps may solve an immediate problem for the department, but they threaten the long term welfare of the organization.
The Solution:
Easy to Use, Unified ERP
The solution to app creep is to use company systems that are effective and easy to use. While each department has their own challenges, modern ERP systems are flexible to meet unique requirements. If the central ERP system make their job easier, the department managers won’t be looking for new solutions.
If you are fighting the return of departmental silos, let’s talk. There is a solution that will give departments the flexibility they want while preserving the value of connected data.
