6 Signs You’ve Outgrown Off-The-Shelf ERP & Need Custom Software

Off-the-shelf ERP systems are useful – but they come with a shelf-life. While they serve a broad range of businesses, expecting them to deliver long-term value – especially if your business is growing – is rather unwise. Your business will feel growing pains if you force it to fit within the constraints of the “one-size-fits-all” approach. The result? Your company’s rapid evolution will come to an unexpected halt. 

 

Hence, recognizing signs that you have outgrown your current ERP is critical. It can save you from chaotic data, inefficiencies, and customer dissatisfaction. Especially if you catch the signs early on. Here are red flags that indicate it is time to think about a custom ERP system. 

 

Signs To Switch From A Generic To A Custom ERP System

 

1. Your team resorts to workarounds

 

Caught your team using spreadsheets again? Or perhaps they are using email chains and third-party tools to perform everyday tasks that ideally your ERP system should handle flawlessly. Consider this a major red flag. Any type of workaround, including manual ones, means your current system is failing. 

 

So do not ignore it as a sign of inefficiency. Instead, double check the performance of your existing software. Because if your team continues with their workarounds, errors and data silos will increase. So how do you reduce inefficiencies and restore flexibility? Custom ERP software is the answer. 

 

2. Your ERP system fails to keep up

 

Your business functions on distinct workflows. Expecting to change them just so your internal processes can suit your ERP is indicative of the failure of the system itself. If you find, after thorough evaluation, that your existing system no longer aligns with your business goals, you need to switch to something more efficient. Remember, your off-the-shelf system should not dictate your operations. 

 

3. Your reporting system is still manual

 

The most obvious red flag of the lot – if you are paying for a software and it is not doing its job, it is not a worthy investment. Your ERP system is supposed to offer you meaningful insights in real-time – insights that can be automatically compiled into a report your team can edit in a stakeholder-friendly format. But if your dashboard is missing key KPIS, you might want to jump over to a custom software. 

 

4. Your system’s cost is not justified

 

The classic “paying more, getting less” conundrum is a definitive indicator that you need a custom ERP system in your organization. The costs of maintaining off-the-shelf software can balloon over time to include expenses such as licensing fee, upgrade costs, and custom plug-in maintenance, thus straining your company’s finances. So if your expense reports show rising ERP costs without equivalent gains in usability and efficiency, you have a system on your hands that is failing to meet its ROI. 

 

5. Your team is frustrated with the system

 

Listen to your staff’s complaints when it comes to your software. An outdated, confusing, or difficult-to-navigate system is a problem in itself – not a sign of your team’s resistance against change, which can be managed effectively with the right strategies. That said, plummeting adoption rates mean your system is a liability, and a switch to custom software is in order. 

 

6. New systems fail to integrate 

 

Introducing a new e-commerce system because your operations are expanding? It is a good move. So is implementing a custom quoting system if that is on the cards. The only thorn in your path of growth would be if your ERP system cannot support your business’s evolving needs and  models. That means it is holding back your company’s innovations and progress. 

 

Conclusion

 

With custom ERP software, you can eliminate all of these red flags in one clean sweep. Designed around your operations, it will not force your business processes into a preset mold. Especially if you get a custom ERP system built by  Vestra Inet. We build software that is meant to scale and adapt to your business’ evolving needs while guaranteeing seamless integration. Contact us if you want custom software that drives smarter, evolving, and robust businesses.