Busted!
Most lucrative footwear and apparel business owners will tell you their ERP software plays an integral role in their success. Apparel ERP software has the power to reduce operation costs while streamlining shipping, production and manufacturing, ordering and more. If this comes as a shock to you, you may be one of many who have fallen for some of the common myths surrounding ERP software. We want to clear up any misconceptions you may have, so you can start confidently shopping for the right apparel ERP software for your company, and begin your journey towards a more profitable and efficient future.
MYTH 1: ERP SOFTWARE IS WAY TOO COSTLY
A lot of misconceptions surrounding ERP software stem from outdated notions. When ERP software hit the market, it was geared towards companies that were already extremely profitable - companies that could afford thousands of dollars and feel comfortable waiting a few years to see their ROI.
Naturally, ERP software developers saw the huge market they were missing with smaller companies. Now, decades later, there are hundreds of ERP options on the market with a wide range of price points. If you are a shoe company serving a portion of the Northeast, you do not require the software needs of say, Nike. Modern ERP solutions are designed to fit your company - they are customizable. Functionality and pricing options are built for your specific needs.
MYTH 2: ERP SOFTWARE CREATES A SECURITY RISK
This is another example of an antiquated belief surrounding ERP software. Whether you choose a cloud, SaaS or on-premise option, your data is secure. Developers have spent years perfecting secure technology for these systems. When new threats come to fruition in the cyber world, we release updates. You will always have the best technology possible to protect your data.
Internally, your information is safe as well. You can pick and choose which employees have access to what information. All users will need secure login credentials to access your servers. You can easily add and remove access capabilities as you see fit.
MYTH 3: THE SETUP AND TRAINING IS TOO COMPLICATED
Think about all the software you use right now and the systems you are managing. You may have one to track shipping, one for accounting and invoice tracking, one to support the sales team, one to manage inventory, and so on. Onboarding a new hire often means a lengthy and complex training period due to the number of separate systems. When you think about the big picture, it quickly becomes clear that implementing a fully integrated apparel ERP software would help remove many repetitive and inefficient actions from your business model.
MYTH 4: THIS WILL OVERWHELM MY IT TEAM; WE’LL NEED TO HIRE MORE IT EMPLOYEES
ABS offers SaaS and Cloud-Based options, meaning we will take the responsibilities of hosting and maintaining your server. Even if you choose our on-premise option, our support team is experienced, highly skilled and capable of assisting your IT team when needed. Our team is always one chat, email or call away.
MYTH 5: ALL ERP SOFTWARE IS THE SAME - I MIGHT AS WELL JUST PICK AT RANDOM
If you follow this approach, you are selling yourself short. As a company in the apparel, footwear or sewn goods industry, it is important that you select an ERP provider with expertise in that area. This saves you money as you only pay for functionality and technology relevant to your business. It also gives you security and peace of mind. The people developing and supporting your software know your marketplace, the nitty gritty of its demands, picking/packing processes the importance of GTINS, and more. You have someone to rely on.
NEXT STEPS
We have one final myth to bust: “There’s no harm in waiting to find and implement Apparel ERP software.” This is synonymous with saying “We don’t mind running less efficiently than what’s possible. We might as well reduce our operation costs next year, and continue paying more now. Let’s run the risk of facing more accounting discrepancies as our employees struggle to transfer data sets between our many disconnected software systems.” Stop waiting to optimize your business. Schedule a demo today!
4325 Alexander Drive, Suite 100
Alpharetta, GA 30022-3740