Tiers of ERPs and Why Netsuite Tops Them All!

Ekwani Consulting
 
 

When you decide to scale your business, your focus will likely fall on two main things: streamlining and automation. And as most business owners will find, Enterprise Resource Planning systems (ERPs) are among the best ways (if not only) to do this. Their ability to manage and monitor critical departments of your business under one umbrella takes a great deal of the manual work off your plate. A lot of it!

 

But did you know that there are different tiers of ERPs? It’s true. There are generally three different tiers of ERPs, each geared toward serving your business and its model differently.

 

In this blog, we’ll discuss the different tiers of ERP, the strengths and cons, where NetSuite ranks among them, and why it’s considered the top-tier ERP for your business.

 

Tier 1 ERPs

Tier 1 ERPs are typically those created for big corporations operating in multiple locations–sometimes all around the world. As a result, you’ll find that many different features and benefits usually accompany tier 1 ERPs because they’re designed to answer and adapt to the complex needs of big organizations.
  

For example, you may have an inventory warehouse that needs certain functions and a business office that needs something completely different. With tier 1 ERPs, you can access advanced technology that cannot only house the needs of these various departments under the same umbrella but streamline workflows and automations that connect them so that they can communicate efficiently.

 

The con to Tier 1 ERPs? There are two. The price may be very high for such a complex and adaptable program. Additionally, they don’t typically have personalized customer support. You’re usually left to figure out problems through online tutorials, other forums, or certified third parties.

 

Tier 2 ERPs

Tier 2 ERPs aren’t widely different from that of tier 1 ERPs. In many ways, they provide some of the same functions and can also simultaneously support other departments. In fact, many big organizations still opt to use tier 2 ERPs because of their similarity to tier 1’s.
  

So what sets it apart? It’s mainly the price! While there are some light functions that tier 2 ERPs may not provide, the primary differentiating factor is their lower cost. Another bonus is that because it’s a *little* less robust than tier 1, you are more likely to get personal support from the developing company!

 

The con with Tier 2 ERPs? While Tier 1 may have had the capabilities to adapt to your business’s needs, Tier 2 ERPs may require your business to adapt to theirs. So it’s definitely something to keep in mind.

 

Tier 3 ERPs

If you were to do your own research, you’d find that tier 3 ERPs drastically differ from their tier 2 and tier 3 versions. That’s because tier 3 ERPs are much more “niche” in their approach. With tier 3 ERPs, their goal isn’t to help any and all businesses. Instead, these ERPs are designed to serve specific industries.
  

This comes with its own pros and cons, as we’re sure you can guess!

 

If you’re in the niched industry the ERP is designed for, then it may be a GREAT fit for your business because the systems may already be curated for what you need. Additionally, because these niched ERPs cut out all the fancy tech of their bigger counterparts, they can offer their systems at a MUCH lower price.

 

So if their systems fit in with your needs and won’t hinder you as you grow, tier 3 could be an excellent option for you! The con, however, is that if you choose it and it’s unable to accommodate your growth, you’d be stuck switching over to a bigger ERP later, which can cost a lot of time and money.

Netsuite: The Top Tier of ERPs

While every tier of ERP comes with its benefits, Netsuite (and all of us here at Ekwani) doesn’t think you should ever have to choose.

There are so many benefits to having the features and adaptability of tier 1 ERPs. They allow your business to scale to insane heights. We also love the budget-friendly benefits of tier 2 benefits because even as your business grows, it’s always important to be financially conscious. Finally, the unique touch of the tier 3 ERP isn’t something we necessarily think should be thrown away because every business owner deserves the support they need for their specific industry.

This is why NetSuite beats out all tiers of ERPs because it’s the only ERP that combines the benefits of them ALL.

 

With NetSuite, you get big-scale technology while getting specific industry guidelines, all at budget-friendly prices. As a result, NetSuite truly becomes top-tier by giving you everything your business needs now and the space to grow to where you want to be tomorrow.

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