Purchasing ERP software suite for an organization can be tricky. Customers basically expect extreme industry expertise for the ERP system to gain the best end-to-end process automation and integrated application environment. As a result many ERP solutions are being customized as per the client requirement to supplement the core ERP. Such an alternative approach results in disparate usability, integration challenges, and variable moving parts.

What Mega Suppliers are looking at?

ERP mega-suppliers like Oracle, SAP, and BANN always add vertical breadth and depth. They tend to invest heavily in industrial solutions through experimenting with 20 or more vertical categories. Most of these mega-suppliers prefer using services extensively to add those vertical flavors that even include partners. In order to gain the top spot in the industry, these suppliers have polarized to a certain extent. Nevertheless, the competition continues in regards to providing solutions in industries like government, retail, banking, and manufacturing.

Mid sized suppliers

Speaking of mid-sized suppliers, they have a more granular approach. They prefer to target deeper into the industry specific functionality while exploiting white spaces. They mostly target specific industries like fashion, healthcare, and food. Some of the suppliers can further down market themselves to elude the mega suppliers in these targeted industries. This is done through specialized partnership programs.

The Market Scenario

Specialists primarily focus on single verticals, at times fewer also. Those suppliers who serve primarily some particular industries may not consider for a scope within the ERP scenario when such a thing happens. Providing the core accounting functionality is a must since it is often considered to be the major portion of an ERP system. However, these type of situation often attract attention of both ERP suppliers and customers. There are specialist firms that offer comprehensive suites to some reputed verticals like Black baud (Not-For-Profit), Deltek(Project-Based Businesses), Mincom (Mining and Asset-Intensive Businesses), IBS (distribution), and QAD (manufacturing). ERP suppliers often face tough competition from the CGI Group when it comes to serving government sectors including the local and state governments as well the US Federal Bureau. Some of the major ERP vendors that dominate the healthcare market are Eclipsys, McKesson, Siemens, Cerner, and Epic Systems.

Taking into consideration the present market scenario as well the market condition 10 years back, companies like Infor, Oracle, and Sage continues dominating the industry. One may find Microsoft being inactive for a certain period but it definitely has the financial strength to take momentum at any stage.