About 10 years ago, our daily newspaper wrote an article [Virginian-Pilot: Granby Street's hipness is luring high-tech workers] about our CEO Ned Lilly. A few days after it was published, his friends commented that they still don't know what he does.
Yeah, it can be complicated.
Most people are comfortable with word-processing and spreadsheet programs, and while there are some great features (linking sheets, etc), it's not a replacement for enterprise resource planning (ERP) software.
But what is ERP?
ERP is a set of software tools to facilitate the flow of information between all departments or functions within a business.
ERP uses a single relational database — where you store all of your data — utilized for the entire application and any add-ons or integrations. There are multiple points of entry for the data. Your database administrator, your accountant and your VP of sales will all look at and use the data in different ways.
Really, ERP is just a way to organize your data and have the ability to retrieve it easily, as needed.
Think about how your kitchen is organized. Utensils are stored together, as are plates, glasses, etc. You know exactly where to go to get what you need when you need it.
That's a pretty basic overview of how ERP works. Items are stored in one location (a table) and called as needed. The same is true of Customers, Vendors, etc.
While it can seem complicated, there is a definite logic behind ERP, and learning how the features and functionality work will arm you with the knowledge necessary to get the most out of your ERP. It's no longer a nice-to-have; it's a requirement in this competitive world.
How do you learn what you need to know?
Glad you asked! Here's a link to all of our upcoming xTuple training classes, and we can always customize a training especially for you and our business needs.
Photo credit: "It's (not) complicated" by Bob Villalobos on Flickr
Carolyn Clark
Carolyn is an integral part of the Customer Service Team. She acts as a liaison between customers and xTuple's sales, development and operations departments, making sure that the lines of communication always remain open. Customer Service is a key component of xTuple's customer value proposition, and implemented feedback loops allow us to capture feedback to improve customer service and ensure that quality and service exceed customer expectations. Carolyn strives to build trust and strong long-term relationships with xTuple customers. Based at xTuple headquarters, Carolyn lives on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay of Virginia, the largest estuary in the contiguous United States.