It’s often hard to distinguish the difference between an ERP and Accounting Software as the roles of ERP systems and accounting software solutions have become increasingly blurred. While traditional standalone accounting solutions handle core accounting tasks such as accounts payable, receivables, transactions entry, and bank reconciliation, they lack the management capacity to track information from the earliest stages of a company’s lifecycle.
Over the last two decades, businesses of all sizes have adopted Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions in an effort to gain better control over the financial operations of their companies.
Given the amount of money that businesses invest in these solutions, many ask themselves the fundamental question: “What is the difference between an ERP and accounting software?”.
Choosing an ERP solution versus an accounting software is never an easy decision. In the early days of business, you might have been happy using a simple spreadsheet to track your finances and customer data. However, as companies get larger, you need solutions that can assist with efficiency and growth.
Even though both ERP and accounting software are used in the daily operations of a company, both of them differ in many important ways.
ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning. It’s an umbrella term that represents an entire system that is used to automate the most vital business processes of your company.
Accounting software, on the other hand, is often referred to as financial management software.
What is Accounting Software?
An accounting software solution is a tool for dealing with financial and cost accounting activities. It can help manage all sorts of administrative issues, from managing inventory to payroll. These functions are owned by and sit within the finance department.
What is an ERP system?
An ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system is software designed to deal with financial management, supply chain management, and customer relationship management. An ERP system contains the full suite of functions needed for a company to operate. These functions tend to be shared across an organization.
Difference Between an ERP and Accounting Software
ERP integrates your business processes, while accounting software is meant for maintaining your financial records. The former offers you a better grip on your overall business performance, while the latter lets you get rid of messy spreadsheets. Accounting software has its limitations, where ERP systems boast flexible functionalities that can be modified to suit your business needs.
The main difference between an ERP and Accounting Software is that ERP software is a single, integrated system designed to streamline not only the accounting process but also the management of a business.
Why is ERP better?
So, while accounting software works within the bounds of a company’s financial data, an ERP solution will integrate business operations into a single system. In other words, an ERP solution is capable of integrating external factors such as inventory and warehouse management, customer relationship management, supply chain management, etc., into the financial data that the accounting software provides.
Overall, an ERP system would save you both time and money. You’ll have one source of information that can be retrieved at your fingertips.
If you’re considering investing in ERP software, let’s have a free half hour where we can show you the Difference Between an ERP and Accounting Software and how our SAP Business One ERP software could help your business grow. Book your session here
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