Study: SMEs Invest Heavily in New ERP Systems
Outdated platforms and media breaks are driving modernization, according to a study by ERP manufacturer Planat. Support quality remains the problem area.
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Around two-thirds of medium-sized manufacturing companies in Germany have replaced their company-wide ERP system (Enterprise Resource Planning) in the past two years. This is shown by a survey conducted by Stuttgart-based ERP manufacturer Planat among 150 manufacturing companies.
The main reasons cited by respondents for the change were that the previous systems no longer met requirements (61 percent), too many media breaks occurred (48 percent), and outdated platforms were in use (46 percent). Another 42 percent complained about dissatisfaction with the provider's support, and 39 percent criticized the usability for employees.
When selecting a new ERP system, 82 percent of companies rely on the ERP experience of the provider, while 66 percent consider service and support to be crucial. Reference customers and their experiences play an important role for 54 percent. 94 percent of the surveyed SMEs are looking for a solution specifically tailored to their requirements – for 83 percent, this is a deal-breaker.
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Support Quality Remains Problematic
Despite the high importance of support, a clear problem emerges in practice: Only 49 percent of the surveyed companies are satisfied with the service and support offered by their ERP manufacturer. Merely 38 percent receive support directly from the provider; the rest have to rely on third-party service providers or help themselves. Similar problems with service quality had already been shown in 2024 in an earlier user satisfaction study.
Companies consider the integration of additional systems to be particularly important: 76 percent need a document management system (DMS), 57 percent a production planning system (PPS), and 54 percent a CRM system. Two-thirds of respondents value the seamless integration of these systems into the ERP. Furthermore, 74 percent of companies wish to use real-time data from machines and other systems.
The ERP system plays a central role in the digitalization strategy for SMEs: 74 percent of respondents rate it as "very important," and another 21 percent as "important." Further details about the study can be found at Planat.
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