Enterprise resource planning (ERP) support may refer to several business operations. One type is in the form of an outside company providing staff support for each aspect of ERP hosting, and another may refer to the software and computer networks that house and execute ERP programs. It is also possible to employ on-staff “in-house” ERP support. These employees provide information technology (IT) on the entire system, as well as operation on all aspects of data gathering, compiling and assessment for the company.
It may be said the ERP is the spine of a successful technology-age business. It provides important information on most of the internal business transactions, external market data, and even data on all departments within the company. Some form is generally needed to help manage all of this data and ensures it ends up in the right hands to keep the business operating as planned.
External support provides a third-party staff of experts who know the particular ERP hosting and software in question and can provide tech support as well as data management support to a business. This is a preferred option for many companies, as it tends to be less expensive than hiring new employees and creating an entirely new department for their business. Issues may arise, however, from not having on-site staff or an intimate knowledge of all integral aspects in the business.
An internal staff for ERP support may be easier to manage, as it will most likely be on-site. This, however, does mean expenses for training, overhead and sometimes even higher wages. It may even be preferable to some companies to have support staff housed in one location that manages data coming in from several places.
This term may also refer to the physical and non-tangible systems that house the ERP operations. The ERP hosting, software and network that allows data to be collected and acted upon may be called ERP support in some companies. This is a less common use of the term and is generally reserved for Internet technology companies.
Most businesses large and small benefit from this type of support. Basic duties of the support systems or staff ensure that data important to a company’s operations gets where it needs to quickly. This allows a business to adapt to changing information, alter workflow processes that do not work, and even project future operation goals. It it virtually impossible to operate successfully without the proper data management.