Once you decide to develop a product MVP and hire a developer to a team for it, it’s time to think about what technology is the best fit for your product.

If you don’t have vast experience in MVP development this may seem hard to make the best choice for your product.

At BilSoft we have over decade experience in helping startups with their MVPs. According to our experience, there are some essential things to consider when choosing the tech stack:

1. Pick the proven technologies. Your MVP will eventually grow into an end product with the growing number of users, so you’ll need more software engineers to handle the project. By choosing proven technologies, you’ll make sure you can find the needed amount of developers quickly.
2. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Focus on client acquisition as it’s more important for early days of your startup, not R&D for some unique technology.

From our experience we can recommend using the following technologies for your MVP: .Net for your backend and browser based apps with React Native for iOS and Android apps.

These technologies will help you accelerate time-to-market and save resources while providing a robust set of tools to build a great product.

Why Use .Net For Your MVP

.Net has a solid following among software engineers. Common best practices make it faster and easier to write and debug code. A robust community means that developers can use open source gems to speed up the development.

It’s 30–40% faster to develop with .Net compared to similar technologies.

When speaking of MVP development, software engineer time is one of the largest outlays.

Keeping up with the budget limits is vital not only for early stage startups, but for established businesses as well. Here are some companies which already use .Net – Airbnb, GitHub, Basecamp.

React Native for Mobile Apps

Using React Native is another way to save resources on development. React Native is used for cross-platform mobile development. It lets you reuse 90% of your code when you create Android and iOS apps. The good news is that you still have all the features and performance as native apps.

This technology is a good fit not only for startups who build their first app, but for established companies such as Instagram, Facebook, Skype, Walmart, Uber and others.

.Net: When It’s Not the Best Option

With all great features and opportunities RoR provides, it doesn’t always fit an MVP perfectly.

When your project is a super high load app processing millions of requests, Golang is something you should consider.

Other projects may require machine learning and advanced data science. Then your best choice would probably lie in Python.

At BilSoft, we also faced projects with legacy code, especially PHP. It mostly requires great resources for system support and maintenance, which does not have business sense. So we decided to redevelop the application on .Net

What Else to Consider

You should also consider Laravel, Django and all-JavaScript apps with Node on the backend which are all legitimate options for startups. Keep in mind that in the end of development most frameworks deliver more or less the same result. From our experience, Rails is still faster and cheaper to use.

Technology is just a tool

Tech only helps you build a profitable business, so don’t make its choice the main focus. End users will care on how the app actually works, not how trendy your tech is.

From a business perspective, you need to make sure your tech supports your needs, is maintainable and sustainable both in terms of cost and your expansion plans. That’s why .Net on the backend plus iOS and Android apps with React Native is the way to go for most startups.

If you are still not sure about what technology to choose for your startup – let’s discuss your specific issue and BilSoft team will provide a consultation for free.

Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is building a product with some core features before developing the end one. It’s used for getting quick feedback from your target audience and making product improvements cost- and time-efficiently. With quite a lot of information about the concept itself and its use available in the net, there is not enough info about building the MVP from a technical side.

The core idea of building an MVP is to get quick feedback on the product while making cost- and time-efficient iterations to get some new ideas for the final product. With the primary MVP purpose in mind, the tech stack is also something that impacts customer feedback.

Here at BilSoft, we work with MVP development for both startups and established businesses. Many founders don’t have a final idea about the technology to use and don’t know where to start from when picking one. Enterprises also turn to MVP development when they need to test a new approach or idea and then go for fully functional software. We decided to share our expertise in building an MVP based on our previous cases.

Feature Set

When picking the tech stack for your MVP – there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Future functionality is something that defines the technology the most. Thus, you can choose Ruby on Rails for one MVP and PHP for another. In some cases, it’s better to use some pre-built options like Facebook Connect then building something from scratch.

If excellent mobile user experience is vital in your project – you need an immersive front-end technology. So don’t go only by the opinion of the technology experts but define the core functionality

Costs

Fitting the budget is essential both for startups, SMBs, and large enterprises. Instead of going to a costly and long-term tech stack, check if you can use the open-source technologies. Keep in mind the development costs as well.

Sometimes it’s more expensive to hire a developer for a specialized technology than it was expected. You should also consider other spendings like licensing requirements, hosting costs, and costs of technology frameworks, etc.

Scalability

There is a common idea that you don’t need to care much about scalability when building an MVP. At BilSoft, we think it can result in terrible failures later. We agree that MVP is not the final product, and it needs to grow into a scalable end product. This means that the technology you pick should let you expand the architecture into a scalable software.

If you are going to test only the core idea, you might not even need a tech product but a landing page. But if you need to provide a demo with some functional features – you need a product that can be quickly scalable. There is always a chance of some success and media coverage of your MVP, which will provide new users. So your product should be ready to handle the load.

Simple Changes

The picked technology should be flexible and allow making quick changes after getting any feedback from your users. It should allow for easy iterations and modifications.

For such cases, it’s a good practice to use agile project management methodologies as it’s designed for fast product changes. It also allows product owners to communicate and effectively contribute ideas on an ongoing basis.

SaaS Option

SaaS is one of the best options to go with MVP development due to no upfront commitment and no need to worry about maintenance or upgrade. It’s great if you want to save time and resources.

For instance, you can always use services like Google Apps to collect user information, LiveChat, or LivePerson for customer support chat, kissmetrics or mixpanel for analytics, RJMetrics or Google Analytics for data collection and analysis, ZenDesk for customer support, GoodData, or Chargify or Recurly for billing services.

Talent Availability

If you are an early-stage startup owner, you might have faced the shortage of experienced developers. Therefore choosing the technology for your MVP depends on the availability of the right engineering team members.

While some technologies might be old but a good fit for your product, it can be hard to find developers who are willing to work with a specific technology. The reason is that it’s not so innovative and forward-looking.

In contrast, some modern technologies may be very attractive for the developers, but you’ll face a limited talent pool.

However, we suggest choosing your MVP technology based on the user profile, features, and strategic plans. At BilSoft, we have a large talent pool with various technologies available to start building your MVP right away.

Community Support

If you consider using open-source technology to develop an MVP, check the community network, and support the technology. It’s a must-have to accelerate the product development lifecycle. A strong community network and detailed documentation can be essential resources for solving any issues or learning about the new functionalities.

When building your MVP, consider the features set carefully. Try not to add too many features as you can mess up with the technology and launch deadlines. Pick the parts that will cause a “Wow” effect the ones you believe in.

Go with cloud hosting if it’s possible to ensure easy scaling. It might be a great idea to create videos to explain your product instead of textual content or JavaScript demos.

After giving thoughtful consideration to your target audience, pick the tech stack, engineering talent available, scalability options, and strong developer network.

If you have any questions or need some guidance, don’t hesitate to talk to the MVP Experts at BilSoft, and we will be happy to assist you.

If you started thinking of an ERP solution for your business, you probably noticed it’s not a piece of cake. With so many offers on the market with various features, pricing, and subscription models – how not to get lost in this variety?

Let’s start from the beginning and mention several kinds of ERPs: out-of-the-box, custom, and a hybrid combining features of both.

An off-the-shelf ERP, you get a pre-built set of features that can fit your business or not. A customized solution differs with its perfect-fit to your business processes. In contrast, hybrid one is something that has the best of both – software packages with pre-built features that can be tailored to your specific needs.

Need a piece of advice on picking the right option? Let’s get started.

Advantages of Out-of-the-Box ERP Solution

A pre-built ERP is a software containing all the tools, samples, and features from the get-go.

The bad news is that such platforms are developed to match as many businesses as possible. So they are almost 100% generic, which means you can’t modify them according to your specific requirements. Also, some features don’t fit the needs of individual businesses.

It’s often an easy-to-use system, and you can learn it in simple steps, but it won’t cover every process your particular business requires. There also can be some features you don’t need at all – as it tends to be not flexible but rather a universal solution.

Here are some points you should look at when considering generic out-of-the-box ERP systems:

• Off-the-shelf systems usually have a lower cost. But keep in mind that initial purchase price often excludes fees for upgrades, monthly or annual licensing, per-seat charges, software support, and per-website or installation licenses. All these issues can considerably affect your final spendings. Over time, these fees can even exceed the costs of a custom solution.
• Process adjustments. When implementing such an inflexible solution, you might have to change some of your processes to match the logic of software. This leads to the need for staff education and a slower work rate at the beginning. And don’t forget you’ll still need to cover the processes that ERP doesn’t.
• Infrastructure requirements. You may need to change your infrastructure to accommodate the software. For example, you may need to use new browsers, programming language, rollout processes, etc.
• Because an out-of-the-box ERP software is not a perfect fit with your business, it won’t be modified as your retail business grows. 
• Most out-of-the-box ERP systems are not flexible and customizable. Even if there is an opportunity for tailoring, customization can be costly.
• Off-the-shelf ERP software vendors are not interested in on-going support. As they gain profits from your initial purchases, they don’t put much effort into resolving the issues you may face. When you need to troubleshoot the problem, you’ll likely contact their call center representative – not an experienced software developer.

To sum up, off-the-shelf ERPs can perfectly fit small and medium businesses that don’t have too many complex processes or are looking for an affordable solution.

Why You Should Consider a Custom ERP System 

Choosing a custom software means you’ll be using an ERP based on your business requirements and processes. You’ll decide what features and components should be included.

Usually, flexible software like Oracle or SAP would still have the base of a feature that comprises roughly 20% of it. This means you’ll have 80% of the features and customization in your hands. Decent software vendors should analyze your processes and needs and make a custom package offering for you.

So what is essential to pay attention to when considering a custom EPR system:

• Custom ERP solutions cost more upfront than their off-the-shelf competitors as they need to be prepared before they are ready to use. You should also remember that additional features and adjustments are likely to be considered extra. Sometimes you may even require hiring an in-house engineer to help you with the system integration and support, which also increases the cost. Of course, you know what you pay for – the efficiency and automation are significantly higher than an out-of-the-box software can provide.
• Rollout Time. The system rollout process involves many people, such as database engineers, QA, developers, and so on, so it takes longer. In some cases, the rollout may even take up to several months. Hiring and onboarding your developer, if required, may also take time. The rollout often happens in the background without interfering with your core business processes, so you can run your business as usual and wait until the ERP is ready.
• Another advantage of choosing a custom ERP software – it’s suitable for integration with other systems. If you’re using QuickBooks for bookkeeping, you can set up your ERP system to operate with it automatically. Out-off-the-box ERPs are far more demanding in this regard due to the lack of customization and integration options.
• Custom ERP software vendors tend to build long-term partnerships with their customers as they prefer to continue modifying the software for as long as possible. This provides personalized support to take care of your specific needs and requirements. You’ll interact with trained software engineers, not call center representatives.
• Implementing custom ERP is quite complex and requires plenty of time involved. You need to make sure the software company you choose is stable financially and has a lot of expertise in your industry. A good practice is to talk with other customers and meet the team before signing a contract – this will provide more transparency and certainty in long-term investment efficiency.

In conclusion, custom ERP software is a good fit for large-to-enterprise-level retailers, such as Walmart or Target, as they can afford the cost and have big and complex chains, no generic system can cover.

Generic + Custom ERP Hybrid System – Pros and Cons

At this stage, you might be thinking there is no perfect solution for your retail chain entirely as you’re neither small nor large. It’s good to know that you can get an ERP system that combines the best of both types.

In most cases, hybrid ERPs are 80% out-of-the-box and 20% customizable. So you have an option to get something that meets most of your requirements while providing plenty of customization options to cover the rest of them. You don’t spend so much time and money on putting together a whole system – only on your business’s specific critical aspects.

Let’s take a look at what you should consider when analyzing hybrid ERPs:

• The upfront costs (with support as extra) of the hybrid ERP software fall right between their off-the-shelf and custom ones. They cost less than fully flexible ERPs due to the lower amount of adjustments required to get them working.
• Rollout Time. Hybrid ERP software takes less time to implement than their fully customizable counterparts, but longer than generic software. The rollout of the off-the-shelf aspect is generally on the faster side since it’s the same copy-and-paste process for all retailers.
• A customizable aspect takes longer since it depends heavily on the complexity and size of your retail chain. Usually, the software vendor analyzes the current business processes to pinpoint any gaps and ensure that the new system addresses them, which does take time. The pay-off is that you get all the features you need.
• Industry specifications. As this kind of ERP software is not 100% or even 80% customizable, make sure that its core features are usable in your specific industry and meet your business needs.
• Hybrid ERP software vendors tend to form lasting partnerships with their customers, the same as with custom ERP software vendors. This leads to personalized support that’s there when you have specific needs and requirements. So you’ll address your requirements to trained software engineers.
• One of the most significant advantages of hybrid ERP systems is its readiness to be modified as your business grows. Considering this, you’ll never get to the point where it becomes obsolete or unusable, as is often the case with generic systems.

Hybrid ERP software is a perfect option for small-to-medium specialty retailers with over $10 million in revenue.

What About Building an ERP System In-House?

Building your ERP system brings the ultimate flexibility and fully-customizable features. This way, you’ll make sure that every tool matches your every need and process.

It’s the option that requires much time and money investments, but you’ll get a perfect solution with no need to depend on subscriptions and licenses of pre-built and custom solutions. You’ll also get the tool that will grow and change with your business.

If you’re considering this option, take the following into account:

• Building an ERP system is not your core competency; you may not have enough expertise to create one that functions at an acceptable level. As a result, you may end up with a system that costs a lot to make but doesn’t quite work as expected. You’ll need a team of skilled developers to pull this off the right way.
• Investing in skillful software developers will likely end up costing you more than merely buying a system – whether it’s off-the-shelf or custom-built. It’s also highly likely that you’ll go through multiple iterations of the software before getting it right, which won’t be cheap. You may run out of money before you even get to that point.
• Upgrades & upkeep. To ensure your ERP system continues to function correctly, you will need to have a designated IT person or department oversee its operations. The last thing you want is for your system to crash while your IT person is either on vacation or busy with something else. Besides, your IT person will have to be skilled enough to fix the problem.

With so many ERP software vendors out there, it’s much easier to find one that can meet your exact needs. The market is insanely competitive, so the vendor you find will likely do their utmost best to keep you as their customer.

Instead of Conclusion

Your decision will mostly depend on your business needs and resources. If you’re a smaller retailer, it will make more sense to go for an out-of-the-box ERP system. If you’re somewhere in the middle, with massive growth potential, then an out-of-the-box + custom ERP system might suit you better. If you’re a large enterprise with more than 250 locations, then a fully customized ERP solution is the perfect fit for you.

All retailers are different, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. So, evaluate your business carefully before you come to a decision.

If you need any consultation on choosing or building the right ERP system for your business – the BilSoft team is ready to help. Get your consultation for free by filling up the form, and we’ll get in touch soon.

If your business processes are not transparent, there is a pool of inefficient paperwork, your departments are disparate, and it’s hard to find needed information quickly – it’s time to consider using an ERP solution.

But finding an effective ERP solution is only half a plan. Finding software that fits your specific business model and needs perfectly is something you should focus on when looking for an ERP. What is the difference between platforms for large enterprises, SMEs, and startups? 

If your business is at an early stage or you only plan to build a one, you should prevent such an issue. A scalable ERP system can become a great option for you.

Such ERPs are designed to grow and scale as your company grows. Let’s find out how to choose a perfect ERP for startups and SMEs along with looking at some examples.

ERP for SMEs

So what is ERP and why it plays such an essential role in the operational performance of each company? If you’re a business owner you’re no stranger to optimizing and maintaining processes that often require additional time resources. With an ERP system, you can avoid manual work and reach cost efficiency, as well as data accuracy and availability.

The key features of ERP systems that fit small and medium-sized businesses:

• Integration
• Automation
• Data Analysis
• Reporting
• CRM
• Accounting
• Tracking and Visibility

Whether you have a small company in the manufacturing of a digital startup, you’ll need some core set of features for each business process. As your business is developing, you require more information to be collected and managed. So the ERP system should be scalable and adaptive to your changing needs.

With an ERP platform, you can improve the efficiency of everyday workflow. It’s a tool for managing resources, tracking, tracing business, and manufacturing processes from A to Z. All in one system.

Let’s look at the key modules that you may need:

• Invoicing
• Supply chain
• Sales
• Inventory control
• Development

Best ERP system with a set of core features for small businesses

IQMS Manufacturing ERP

IQMS fits SMEs perfectly. What is good about it is a clear interface, centralized data that is easy to use and manage. IQMS has one cloud-based app covering all modules and functionality, so you can access it at any time. Why is IQMS so good for small businesses, let’s take a look at its features.

• Inventory management allows you to get full control over the cash flow, see the number of assets, bills of materials, and work orders. You can also get alerts in real-time and see the sticking level. This functionality is useful for optimizing business processes by managing and forecasting reorders for the future. It also helps you manage the production workflow and prevent any troubles that could lead to the cost loss.
• Real-time data. Each piece of information is accurately displayed in real-time. Track the performance and efficiency of all the teams on helpful dashboards, monitor the production time, prevent any unexpected downtimes, the number of parts missing, and so on.
• Quality Management Software helps meeting all the requirements from government and regulatory organizations and provides accurate information on current product quality.
• Electronic Data Interchange is used for processing orders and invoicing. You can easily automate lots of processes, have a shorter supply chain cycle with auto-filling of requests, production time reduction, and so on.
• A built-in warehouse management system that also works in real-time. Manage the inventory and production amount with access to required accurate information anytime.

Custom ERP

Most businesses consider building a custom solution when looking for a perfect match. Unlike out-of-the-box-solutions, custom ERP will have the right number of features or modules that you can choose yourself. You can build a solution for your specific industry vertical – no matter if it’s manufacturing or banking, retail, or supply chain business. It’s also flexible and scalable to your team’s requests. And of course, you won’t need to pay a monthly/yearly subscription or worry about security issues.

ERP for medium-sized businesses

When choosing an ERP for your SME, mind such factors as budget, timelines, processes, and resources. Think about all functional requirements to find an ERP that meets 100%.

Also, check some more factors will be useful:

• Warehouses with a bar-code scanning module
• Bills of materials
• Planning module
• Repairs and services
• Inventory management module
• Simple return process

It’s a good practice to compare the ready-to-use ERP systems using this list of features. If you choose to build your solution discuss each module and requirements with a software vendor, consider using business analysis from their side to ensure platform efficiency.

Try not to overdo with the ERP system. It doesn’t need to be super complicated or difficult and requires much time for staff training. This solution aims at simplifying and automating the processes. 

Also, you should choose if use a cloud or on-premise-based solution. Most modern systems are cloud-based and this trend is growing. Is it the best solution? Let’s consider the issues that may arise here:

• Internet connection quality
• Remote access
• Scalability

Standard or Custom Solution

Are your requirements standard and common in such ERP systems? How to choose an up-to-date solution that will meet all the modern needs and processes? 

Here are the features that every modern ERP platform for small businesses should provide:

Cloud solution with no need to maintain the hardware or software yourself.

Mobile interaction with your customers and employees is not a competitive advantage but a must-have in today’s market. 

E-commerce should be easy and accessible 24/7.

Cross-platform solution – the more channels for interacting with the customers you find, the more profit you may gain.

What is the best cloud ERP for SME?

Odoo

Being an open-source project, it can be used as an ERP platform for SMEs. Odoo offers a package of modules and features covering CRM, sales, inventory, manufacturing, project management, etc. You can choose those modules that you need for every team in your company.

The reduction of manual work is one of the most powerful advantages Odoo has.

All modules are compatible with each other and they act as parts of one big application, not as disparate apps. Automate processes, keep all the functions in one place, and access accurate data when you need it with one user-friendly platform.

Odoo provides free and paid apps. ERP system cost can vary and depends on the package. A comprehensive set of apps may make you lost – you’ll spend much time until you choose all you need. Here are the top categories for the Odoo modules:

• eCommerce
• Human Resources
• Localization
• Manufacturing
• Marketing
• Productivity
• Point of sale
• Accounting
• Document Management
• Сustom

Here you can think about making a custom solution if you’re not a tech-savvy person and have a lack of time to deep dive into all the features and models. In such cases hiring software, a vendor may be a good option to consider. A vendor will become your partner and will take care of the whole process from start to finish. All you need to do is describe your requirements and expectations.

The second reason for choosing a custom solution is the lack of features or modules that you need. Each business is unique and out-of-the-box software solutions can’t always meet the needs of each company.

ERP for Startups

Managing a startup requires much time not only on searching for investors or polishing the ideas but on operational tasks as well. Once you face the number of tasks that you should handle, there comes a time when you have to choose a solution that will help you get over it. A right ERP solution will save you time and resources.

What kind of software will work for a startup? An aim of using ERP platforms is assisting businesses with their everyday activities. Evaluate how much time and other resources you spend on the processes that can be automated. Scaling and growing may be hard when handling hundreds of tasks, if you feel like it’s too much – consider using an ERP.

Productivity

Maximum efficiency is vital for each startup company. You should ensure access to accurate information to track and improve the way your every-day processes go – both with your customers and employees. You can access this information from any device, even from your phone. You can even have a mobile ERP system.

Your team members can have the same access to the information or you can limit this access for some specific parts of the data. You won’t need to spend time collecting information, analyzing it, and generating reports based on it. Automate this process, eliminate the chance of making a mistake and give yourself a boost on growth and scale.

No spreadsheets or notebooks are required. or If you have a custom app, you can have any visual elements that you want to see. You can decide how the future software solution will display information for you and your team players.

Scalability

ERP software growth and scales as your business do. It’s better to avoid using free apps as most of them are not supposed to be scaled in the future.

What are the best small business ERP cloud solutions?

Apprise for Discrete Manufacturing

This ERP platform provides such modules as financials, manufacturing, logistics, importing, retailer compliance, demand planning, forecasting, transportation, mobile sales, and so on. Any information is accessible at any time. You can manage all the manufacturing processes from the point of delivery to finishing operations and cost reduction. Apprise is available both on Android and iOS devices.

Batch Master for Process Manufacturing

Having a pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic, or chemical and food business? Consider using a Bath Master ERP. You can use it as an add-on to Sage 100, QuickBooks, SAP Business One, or Microsoft Dynamics GP. It has modules for managing inventory, entering and updating formulas, reporting, auditing, and managing documents.

Epicor for Wholesale Distribution

This ERP system fits good for HVAC, electrical, fastener, petroleum, medical, plumbing, and fluid power industries. Manage orders, make purchases, accounting, manage the supply chain, and inventory with Epicor modules. You can also use the built-in Business Analyser to optimize the processes. This software is compatible with Windows OS.

TradeGecko for eCommerce

A cloud-based platform that acts out as a B2B e-commerce portal. You can add users so they could sell wholesale to retailers with the help of custom storefronts. There are complex CRM, accounting, demand forecasting, sales reporting, and demand forecasting modules. You can easily integrate it with Shopify, Amazon, Magento, WooCommerce, or Bigcommerce.

How Does ERP for SME and Startups Differ?

The reason for implementing ERP software in any type of business is meeting needs and requirements. Startups and small businesses often have different processes and needs of course. 

A startup provides a new product or service, uses new technology and innovation to bring this product or service to life. There’s no structured approach in most of the cases. It uses its own experience to grow.

An SME uses the so-called old approaches to analyzing the market niche, planning and organizing the production processes, and so on. They use someone else’s experience to grow.

Each business has its list of tasks to be solved and goals to be reached – focus on them when selecting the best software solution in your case.

Why you should pick up a scalable ERP solution

There’s one thing that unites all the companies no matter what industry you are in. It’s scalability. Why do you need it? You get an opportunity to grow. You get an opportunity to reach all business goals that you think of. It’s good to keep this idea in mind all the time when you are viewing information about ERP solutions.

How can you scale off-the-shelf products? Get in touch with the software developers and ask them about any updates or solve any problems. If they don’t have actively-responding support or don’t provide system updates, flexible features – try to avoid such a solution. You better to build a custom solution that will be as scalable as you need this.

How can you pick up a scalable custom ERP solution? You need to hire a reliable software vendor with a strong experience in building such applications. Check the Bilsoft portfolio to see the cases we worked on. If you decide to have a custom ERP app for your company or have any questions, we’ll be happy to assist you.

Having a startup with multiple directions to develop, isn’t an easy task to handle. From investors pitching to crunching numbers and orders fulfillment – the processes require focus, creativity, and plenty of time.

When you feel like there’s something that needs to change it’s time to consider using an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. The right ERP will save your time and money along with consolidating all your startup’s high priority business processes and data in one place. Despite the “enterprise” word in ERP, such a solution is an essential tool for businesses of all types and sizes. You’ll just need to find the best-fitting option for your needs. You should also consider cloud-based solutions as they are more affordable, easy-to-use, and reliable than ever.

Still have doubts about implementing an ERP in your business? Find out 5 reasons to consider it right away.

1. You use multiple systems and duplicate data



Managing the same data in different unconnected spreadsheets or even systems can cause data loss, incorrectness, and inefficiency. If you rely on this inefficient data, how would you make the right decisions in managing your startup? An ERP will integrate your finance, sales, and customer info in one place so that you can access the latest and right data whenever it’s needed and on any device with an Internet connection.

2. Your systems are disparate



Working with data takes too much time on copying, pasting, or importing data from one spreadsheet to another – it’s getting harder to keep everything updated. These systems and spreadsheets are not connected to each other which causes the risk of losing vital data. With a properly set up ERP solution, you won’t need to worry about your sales, finance, fulfillment, and service processes linking. Just imagine you’ll have more time on developing your business – not troubleshooting it.

3. Lack of business processes visibility



In such a competitive ecosystem, startups need to be agile to succeed. To track key parameters,

get ready to react to internal and external risks, and scale up when needed – it’s vital for a business owner to have at-a-glance insights into performance. An ERP solution is designed to provide real-time accurate performance reporting and brings transparency to each business department.

4. Lacking an IT person on your team



If you manage an early-stage startup, you most likely handle multiple processes by yourself including IT. Let yourself focus on business growth and development by defining the highest priorities along with delegating and automating other tasks. With a cloud-based ERP, you won’t need to worry about IT issues, deployment, etc. Get a ready-to-use tool that can be customized to your business needs without a dedicated IT professional.

5. Struggling to keep up with reporting



Investors require accurate and frequent reporting delivered on time. It’s quite a challenge for most early-stage startups. Even trying to find accounting software for building reports might be hard and time-consuming as most basic systems are not designed for these demands. An ERP system will streamline the data flow and help with building custom detailed reports delivered on time.

If you’re running an early-stage startup and face the same challenges described above, it’s time to consider implementing an ERP solution. If you need any assistance with choosing, customizing the right one for your business, or consider building a custom solution – the Bilsoft team is here to help. Talk to our expert today and we’ll provide a comprehensive consultation for free.

ERP systems play a significant role in the performance of any distribution or manufacturing business. It’s also vital for companies in many other industries – from finance and accounting to risk management no matter which vertical, size, or target audience your business is in. Making an ERP your core tool is more than important not only for large enterprises but for small businesses and ambitious startups as well.

Keeping in mind the importance of an ERP system, it’s essential to find the one which meets your specific needs and goals. While established companies strive for micromanaging each small process, startups often look for affordable, scalable, and easy-to-use solutions. Most startups don’t have weeks to spend learning what makes their solution tick. They need a hands-on system that offers a wide range of opportunities to improve and scale when needed.

Here at Bilsoft, we work with any type of business and know exactly how to choose the best option for your growing business or startup. Our team has prepared a list of best-fitting ERPs for small businesses. We’ve listed the solutions in alphabetical order.

1. Acumatica



Founded over 10 years ago, Acumatica provides cloud and browser-based business management software developed for small and mid-sized businesses. ERP solution is made up of fully-integrated apps powered by a flexible and scalable platform. In Acumatica’s modules suite, you’ll find financials, distribution, project accounting, and CRM. The solution also provides flexible workflows and adjusts to business processes – not the other way around.

2. Aquilon Software



Founded in 2006, for over 14 years has been developing, implementing, and supporting ERP systems. Its ERP modules for manufacturing management are perfect for SMEs and growing manufacturers. These modules flawlessly integrate processes and departments from A to Z. Offering MRP, financial management, CRM, and many more, Aquilon’s manufacturing modules offer a comprehensive solution to support your business and make it more efficient, competitive, and responsive to your customers’ needs.

3. Brahmin Solutions



A suite of modules components offering its users a solid operations management platform for both B2C and B2B manufacturers. The system is designed for growing businesses and startups that sell directly to consumers and businesses. The ERP is adaptable, simple to use, and offers a range of process automation opportunities. In Brahmin Solutions’ product line you’ll find inventory control, order management, multichannel inventory management, wholesale, warehouse management, batch expiry tracking, manufacturing, and sales reports. There is also a special Brahmin Growth Solutions package for startups which offers a discount on payment rate.

4. Deltek’s ERP solution



Deltek provides a wide product line of ERP solutions to meet the specific clients’ needs. ERP solutions are available as cloud-based and on-premise systems with per employee per month pricing model. Deltek is often used by companies with over 20 employees in the system and over ten users who need access to the software. The solution fits many industries including aerospace and defense, healthcare, non-profits, and education.

5. Epicor Software Corporation



With industry-specific needs in mind, Epicor offers software covering retail, and services organizations business needs. ERP is available as a cloud or on-premises solution and is known by its unique features to meet individual business requirements. Epicor is a global ERP that provides flexibility and agility to empower growth and opportunity. The solution is IoT ready, available in the cloud or on-premise, and provides a scalable solution.

6. ERP Gold



A full-stack ERP solution that covers most business operations including marketing, lead generation, CRM, inventory, purchases, payroll, project management, and accounting. It’s a cloud-based system offering a secure SSL connection for simple, encrypted access from anywhere in the world. ERP Gold has a heavy focus on the marketing, sales, and client relationship side of the business. It also provides an opportunity to integrate third-party APIs so you can manage all your solutions in one location.

7. Intact Software



Founded in 1992, Intact Software is known for providing its agile Intact iQ, ERP solution created for startups and SMEs. ERP is a tool to see and manage all business processes from one place. Intact iQ is accessible across multiple mobile devices and has a built-in email and SMS messaging functionality as well.

8. Odoo



An open-source ERP solution for businesses of all sizes across many industries. Odoo has an “On-premise” offer and it is the most installed business software in the world. Over 3.700.000 users worldwide ranging from startup companies (1 user) to large enterprises (300,000+ users) use the platform on a day-to-day basis. With its module structure, Odoo covers every business process from warehousing, manufacturing, and sales channels, to timesheets, websites, purchasing, and more. Deep app and pricing customization make Odoo perfect for startups that are looking for scalable and agile solutions.

9. OnCloudERP



An easy-to-use and powerful ERP for distribution, wholesale, retail, and services. It’s a multiregional cloud platform that works across a variety of devices. The advantage of OnCloudERP is its simplicity in implementation without requiring any advanced technical knowledge. The functionality set covers accounting, sales, purchase, inventory, and production, there is also an option to integrate additional modules such as payroll and CRM. You may choose the best pricing option from a variety of ones.

10. Sage



With over 30 years of market experience, Sage offers ERP designed for small and medium-sized companies. Sage’s ERP is available in three products; X3 for enterprises, 100 for SMEs, and 300 for small and mid-sized companies with multiple locations. Sage 100 includes modules for core accounting, distribution, manufacturing, business intelligence, customer relationship management, and human resources. X3 is cloud-based and browser agnostic and is responsive on mobile devices. It is also adaptable to company requirements, user roles, and preferences.

11. ZapERP



A tool offers a multichannel inventory solution with efficient stock management and order fulfillment. ZapERP was created to help in product sales and distribution along with the management of the different branches of your business.

It’s agile and simple in use solution which fits businesses of any sizes and types from wholesalers and retailers to the service industry and eCommerce. Due to its flexibility, ZapERP can be tailored for specific business needs and requirements. It also offers several pricing plans which can be customized according to the functionality set.

Final Word

With a vast variety of ready-made ERP solutions on the market, choosing a one for your specific business can be a hard task to do. A unique or customized business process may need a custom approach.

When choosing an ERP it’s important to define if such a solution may require further customization and scale. In most cases expanding the functionality of an out-of-the-box solution takes additional spendings apart from pricing packages. Thus, turning to a custom-developed solution designed after thorough business analysis and meeting all specific requirements may be a good idea.

At Bilsoft we focus on your business success and create tools that can take your ERP processes to a new level. With unrestricted opportunities for custom integrations, automation, and functionality your unique ERP will become an efficient partner in your business growth.

Ready to discuss your project idea or what to know more about custom ERP development? Feel free to fill in the contact form and we’ll be in touch soon.