UK Firms Report Unhappiness With ERP Systems

According to new research by business software firm Epicor Software Corporation, 60 per cent of UK companies using enterprise resource planning (ERP) software are less than satisfied with it.

Despite 80 per cent of the 1,500 professionals surveyed claiming that their ERP system is critical to their business performance, more than half rate their current software as merely "adequate" or "basic."

The report also suggests that further investment may be needed to improve user satisfaction levels. The UK currently has the lowest level of "current ERP investment," occurring at just five per cent of organisations, compared to a global average of 11 per cent.

It is also clear that not all ERP software functions are viewed the same, with operational planning and business intelligence systems being more frequently considered "state of the art" compared to financial accounting, maintenance and HR software.

UK firms did, however, praise the mobility of their ERP systems, allowing them to respond more rapidly to customer enquiries. 70 per cent of UK employees can access ERP on the move compared to an average of 58 per cent globally.

In spite of this mobility, ERP systems still need to improve their flexibility worldwide, with only an estimated 25 per cent of respondents accessing ERP from their smartphone or other personal devices.

Steve Winder, regional vice president for Epicor in the UK and Ireland, said that it was concerning that the performance of ERP was so underwhelming, particularly given its importance to businesses across the globe.

"ERP has been a vital strategic business platform that has helped thousands of organisations to adapt and respond to changing business demands for nearly 25 years, but it seems now is the time for ERP to adapt to survive as users demand greater performance from the system or risk being outflanked by their competitors."

The full details of the research can be downloaded from the Epicor website.