“Valentine’s Day is here, are you in love with your ERP?” by Paul Schenck

Many people have their own unique wedding anniversary or other significant day (first date, first kiss, engagement, etc.) that is important in their relationship. It is their special day. However, there is one day shared among many couples, Valentine’s Day. People reflect on relationships, love, and feelings. Flower shops and chocolatiers and card companies reflect on the boom to business.  🙂

It is estimated that 250 million roses are grown for Valentine’s Day. 30% of all holiday transactions for florists occur on Valentine’s Day. How are all those transactions supported? Through an ERP. There is a significant supply chain to consider. Flowers must be grown, in bloom, on the shelves, into the water and vases, and delivered out to loved ones right on one single day. Then the payment and financial accounting piece must be tracked. AI and ML technology can be used to predict demand more accurately. Too many or too few roses could leave customers short on the 14th or the store heavy on roses on Feb. 15. Applications have a role to play in business everyday, including Valentine’s Day.

Today is a chance to reflect on your own ERP. How do you feel about it? Are you in love with it? Doubtful. At best it just gets the job done. At worst it is time to start over entirely. Perhaps that is through refreshing the relationship, upgrading to the latest ERP system with the same vendor. Another option is to look at different vendors. In either case, Gartner is here to help with the next steps. The ERP Team will soon be publishing the Magic Quadrant for Cloud ERP for Product-Centric Enterprises. In that research we take a close look at all the major cloud vendors who deliver ERP solutions for manufacturing and distribution organizations. When it comes out, give it a read, you might find an ERP you do love.