Functionality
Does it connect the processes your business actually uses?
ERP Guides
Understand ERP. Choose the right system. Get more from it.
ERP can seem complicated. It doesn't have to be.
Our ERP Guides explain the fundamentals of Enterprise Resource Planning in plain language — from understanding what ERP software does to choosing, implementing, and getting more value from the right system for your business.
Whether you're moving beyond spreadsheets, replacing accounting software, or evaluating a new ERP, start here.
Start with ERP Basics
What Is ERP?
ERP, or Enterprise Resource Planning, is software that connects the core processes of a business in one system.
Sales→Inventory→Purchasing→Financials→Reporting
Instead of managing financials, inventory, sales, purchasing, documents, and reporting separately, an ERP allows information to flow between them.
In this guide:
- What ERP software does
- How ERP systems work
- Core ERP modules
- Benefits of ERP
- Who needs ERP
- ERP for SMEs
Accounting Software vs ERP
What's the difference?
Accounting software primarily focuses on recording and reporting financial transactions. ERP connects those financials to the wider business — including sales, purchasing, inventory, documents, compliance, and management reporting.
In this guide:
- Accounting software vs ERP
- What each system does
- When accounting software is enough
- When a business needs ERP
- How to know when you've outgrown your accounting system
ERP vs Excel
When do spreadsheets stop being enough?
Excel remains a useful business tool. The problem comes when spreadsheets become the system your business depends on. If teams are manually moving information between spreadsheets, rebuilding reports, reconciling different versions, or entering the same data multiple times, it may be time to consider ERP.
In this guide:
- ERP vs spreadsheets
- Problems with spreadsheet-based processes
- When Excel works well
- Signs you've outgrown Excel
- How ERP reduces manual reporting
Choosing an ERP
How to Choose ERP Software for an SME
The right ERP isn't necessarily the biggest ERP.
SMEs need software that fits the complexity of their business without creating unnecessary complexity of its own.
A good ERP evaluation should consider:
Reporting
Can management get answers without constantly exporting data?
Compliance
Does it support the tax, statutory, and e-invoicing requirements where you operate?
Transparency
Can you trace numbers back to their underlying transactions and documents?
Security
Where is your data stored, and who can access it?
Scalability
Can the system support additional companies, currencies, users, transactions, and years of data?
Implementation & Support
Who will implement the ERP, train your team, and support you afterward?
10 Questions to Ask Before Choosing an ERP
Don't evaluate ERP software on a feature checklist alone.
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How quickly can we access our financial and operational information?
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Can we drill down from reports to the transactions behind them?
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How much work will still need to happen in Excel?
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Does the ERP support our local tax and statutory requirements?
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Can it support multiple companies and currencies?
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Where will our data be stored?
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Who can access our data?
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How long does implementation typically take?
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How are upgrades and regulatory changes handled?
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What support will we receive after going live?
Implementing ERP
ERP Implementation Guide
What actually happens when you implement an ERP?
ERP implementation is the process of moving your business from its existing systems and workflows into the new ERP.
In this guide:
- ERP implementation stages
- Preparing your data
- Configuration vs customization
- Employee training
- Testing
- Going live
- Common implementation mistakes
- What to expect after launch
- Understand
- Configure
- Prepare Data
- Train
- Go Live
Configuration vs Customization
They aren't the same thing.
Configuration adapts an ERP using functionality already built into the system. Customization changes or develops the software specifically for your organization. Understanding the difference matters because excessive customization can make an ERP more complicated to maintain and upgrade. FACT ERP.NG is designed around configuration, allowing businesses to adapt the system to their processes without automatically requiring custom development.
Getting More from Your ERP
How to Reduce Spreadsheet Dependency with ERP
Spreadsheets aren't the problem. Depending on them to run processes your ERP should handle is.
Learn how connected ERP data can reduce manual reporting, duplicate entry, reconciliation, and spreadsheet-based management reporting.
ERP Reporting: What Should Your ERP Tell You?
An ERP should do more than store transactions.
Management should be able to understand what is happening across the business — and investigate the information behind the numbers.
- Real-time management visibility
- Financial reporting
- Multi-year analysis
- Drill-down reporting
- Audit trails
- Supporting documents
- Multi-company reporting
ERP for Multi-Company Businesses
Managing multiple companies creates another layer of complexity — particularly when businesses operate across currencies, countries, and regulatory environments.
Learn how ERP can help connect multiple entities while maintaining visibility at both the individual-company and consolidated level.
ERP Guides by Topic
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ERP Basics
- What Is ERP?
- Accounting Software vs ERP
- ERP vs Excel
- Core ERP Modules Explained
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Choosing ERP
- How to Choose ERP Software for an SME
- 10 Questions to Ask an ERP Provider
- ERP Evaluation Checklist
- When Should You Replace Your Accounting Software?
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ERP Implementation
- ERP Implementation Guide
- Configuration vs Customization
- How Long Does ERP Implementation Take?
- How to Prepare for ERP Implementation
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ERP Reporting & Management
- ERP Reporting Guide
- How to Reduce Spreadsheet Dependency
- Multi-Year Financial Reporting
- ERP for Multi-Company Businesses
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ERP Compliance
- ERP and Tax Compliance
- What Is E-Invoicing?
- How ERP Helps with Audit Trails
- What Is Maker-Checker?
READY TO SEE FACT IN ACTION?
ERP Guides for Growing Businesses
FACT has spent 39 years developing ERP software around the needs of businesses, accountants, CFOs, and management teams.
Our guides turn that experience into practical resources to help you understand ERP, evaluate your options, and make better technology decisions.
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