Cloud ERP is delivering visible benefits to major industry verticals with 90 per cent saying that migration to the cloud was worth the effort
Cloud ERP is recognised as a vital digital core for business but many companies do not have large IT teams to manage and support their tech stack so there’s a need for ERP providers to deliver industry-specific knowledge, interoperability and data support.
ERP implementations are still the biggest concern for about half of companies but the vast majority of cloud users believe the flexibility, agility, and security benefits of moving to the cloud outweigh the migration effort.
Epicor’s latest study of 1,350 international cloud ERP users from five vertical sectors – automotive, construction, distribution, manufacturing, and retail – showed that 82 per cent of respondents were operating in a hybrid cloud environment – with 46 per cent either primarily or entirely in the cloud and that 90 per cent believed their move to the cloud was worth the effort.
According to the study, 96 per cent of organisations surveyed worldwide have confidence in their ability to navigate the early stages of the ERP purchase process, from initial evaluation to requirements planning.
Cloud ERP support
Forty-eight per cent of organisations cited a strong need for more support and partnership from their ERP providers – from implementation, go-live, and ongoing customer care – to ease migration and realise faster time-to-value.
Ninety per cent of decision makers indicated their move to the cloud was worth the effort with benefits including improved flexibility and adaptability, better security, simple regulatory compliance, and enhanced business resilience.
The vast majority of respondents using cloud solutions said they feel loyal to their current cloud ERP provider but nearly half said they actively consider moving to a new ERP solution every one to three years, due in part to industry innovation and digital transformation delivering new technologies.
“Companies are setting a higher bar for their ERP providers to deliver on more than just the technology,” said Steve Murphy, ceo of Epicor. “Customers want a provider that can not only tailor their solution to the industry-specific needs that fit the customer’s business, but also collaborate throughout the purchase journey to provide transparency, strengthen onboarding and training, ensure dedicated support and help realise meaningful business value. The ERP provider can’t just be a software expert they must also act as a committed partner.”
