Research shows that the main cause of company dissatisfaction with ERP systems is the program’s inadequate adaptation to the company’s needs. Therefore, according to a 2023 Panorama Consulting report, over 65% of ERP system implementations involved modifications and customization, including over 20% involving significant modifications to the ERP program.
Operational efficiency: customizing the system to a company’s specific business processes maximizes operational efficiency. This allows for the elimination of unnecessary steps, minimizing manual work, and automating repetitive tasks. This personalized system better supports daily operations, shortening process execution times and reducing errors, ultimately leading to resource savings and reduced operating costs.
Improved user experience (UX): personalization of interfaces and features increases convenience and intuitiveness. This translates into higher productivity. Users find the tools and information they need faster. Training and implementation time is reduced, which increases overall system satisfaction.
Increased competitiveness: through customization and personalization, companies can introduce innovative features that differentiate them from the competition. This allows them to quickly bring new products and services to market and adapt to specific customer needs, which can attract new customers and retain existing ones, strengthening the company’s market position.
Business software such as ERP is tailored to requirements in two ways – personalization and modification.
Personalization is the process of adapting the user interface or configuration of an ERP system to individual user preferences. The scope of personalization depends on the flexibility of the ERP system and does not require changing the system code and is less invasive than modification.
Modification is the process of changing or extending an ERP system by modifying its source code or adding additional programming libraries (plugins). Customizing software through modifications or code creation is more complex and may impact future system updates.
Dashboard customization allows users to tailor the ERP system interface to their needs. Users can add, remove, or modify widgets, shortcuts, and reports. This provides quick access to key information and functions, increasing work efficiency. A personalized dashboard enables better time management because key data is readily available, speeding up daily tasks.
Users can add custom fields to ERP system forms and databases. This allows for the storage of additional company-specific information. This allows the ERP system to better reflect unique business processes. Field customization allows the system to be better tailored to the specific requirements of the company, increasing the accuracy and precision of the stored data.
Customizing columns in lists in an ERP system allows users to choose which columns they want to see and in what order. This allows list views to be tailored to specific user needs. This simplifies data viewing and analysis because the displayed information is more relevant to the user’s current tasks and preferences, increasing workflow convenience.
Users can modify the layout and content of forms in the ERP system. They can add or remove fields and sections, and even rearrange them. This makes forms more intuitive and better tailored to specific company processes. Personalized forms simplify data entry, reducing processing time and reducing the risk of errors.
ERP report and summary personalization allows users to create custom reports tailored to their individual needs. They can define which data to include, which filters to apply, and how to format the results. Similarly, print customization allows users to customize document templates, such as invoices or orders, by changing the layout, adding logos, and modifying the content.
Personalization of business processes in an ERP system using BPMN-based tools enables workflows to be tailored to specific company requirements. This makes processes more efficient and better reflects actual business operations. BPMN personalization allows for process optimization, leading to increased operational efficiency and better resource management.
ERP modifications, i.e. changes in the source code or expansion of the system using programming tools, are made in order to:
For example, if a manufacturing company chose an ERP system based on its reputation and functionalities in accounting and sales, it may turn out that production aspects are not adequately supported. Therefore, the system requires expansion with appropriate modules that will support specific production processes. An alternative might be to purchase an external production application and program its integration with the ERP system.
Customization, in the context of no-code and low-code, refers to tailoring an application to the specific needs of a user or company. This requires minimal (low-code) or zero (no-code) programming involvement. Here’s what personalization means in both cases:
More and more modern systems are being designed to be easily customized. No-code and low-code customization allows companies to quickly and efficiently tailor applications to their requirements. This requires no in-depth technical knowledge (no-code) or minimal programming (low-code). This allows companies to quickly respond to changing market and operational requirements.
