Bespoke ERP, as the name suggests refers to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software that is made to order. That businesses and companies are becoming more and more unique is a well-known fact. With startups mushrooming every now and then, aiming to solve a unique problem, it is only reasonable that businesses get diverse. In such situations, it is not a prudent decision to depend on ERP systems off-the-shelves.

There are quite a few reasons as to why a stock software, especially ERP, would not help to improve the business :

• The stock software is built on standard business assumptions which may or may not be applicable to a particular company. For example, in a service-based company, the module of manufacturing or inventory does not make sense, since there is no manufacturing involved, per se. Including that module which is not necessary for a software makes the company spend on something that they might never use. It also bloats the computers in the company, significantly slowing down the entire workflow.
• Also, there is always the point of having a competitive edge over other players in the industry. Every company would like to take advantage of the uniqueness of their information systems capabilities and grow. Imagine a situation where all the companies in the same industry use the same software with the same functionalities. It would defuse competition and would prove to be detrimental to the companies and the customers equally.
• Manage your workforce real-time to provide exceptional service
• It help in addressing all the above issues. ERPs integrate the various departments and functions in a company, providing ease of workflow and inter-usability of data between the departments. It is hence possible to use the same Master data to work on two different activities at the same time, without manipulating the data.
• They are custom-made for each and every customer. It is made to suit the operations of the business, thereby eliminating unnecessary functionalities in a software and giving only whatever is needed for the business to function in its optimum capacity. It also helps integrate different modules to provide a seamless computing and operating experience for the user.
• One can always ask for specific inputs in a bespoke ERP. For example, if the business is unique and there is no precedent for software used in such businesses, it can be the saviors of the day.
• Regarding competitive advantage, well, who doesn’t like an edge over others? Having one’s own ERP, that caters to one’s specific needs can help them focus their energy on productive tasks rather than waste it on mundane and redundant tasks.
• This would also help reduce the cost for the company since they pay for whatever they actually use. There are no frill costs or hidden costs. The computer systems will not hang due to malware and software bloating, which in turn reduces the maintenance costs for the systems.

Moreover, since it is custom-made software, staff training is easier in comparison to training the staff to use the stock-built ERPs.

Now to the specific advantages of Bespoke ERPs over proprietary ERPs :

• Bespoke ERPs are designed to suit that business in particular. They have absolutely no unwanted modules which could lead to integration complications and/or duplication of data.
• Training the staff to use bespoke ERPs are easier since the business owner knows exactly what the software is made of. More often than not, training takes lesser time when compared to training staff to use off-the-shelf ERPs.
• Cost is a big advantage since the owner pays only for whatever modules he uses. Off-the-shelf ERPs have unnecessary modules which might not be used by the owner, for which he must pay, since it comes as a package.
• One can always be creative in designing their own ERPs. Say the business is unique and one needs to design the ERP to support that business, bespoke ERPs mechanism come in handy.

Customization has become the order of the day. We seek it in almost everything we use. So why not in ERPs, which supports the business in ways that one cannot imagine.