Satisfaction with ERP systems remains at a high level

In many companies, ERP systems are the central instrument for effectively managing the most important business processes. Because their use extends to a wide range of operational tasks, ERP software also makes a significant contribution to the digitalization of business processes.

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Users give the rating “good”

The market analysts of Trovarit AG examine the satisfaction of companies with their ERP systems every two years, as it is an important indicator of the benefits and profitability of the ERP system. In this year’s survey “ERP in Practice 2020/2021”, users are satisfied with their ERP software and give it the overall rating “good”. The respondents see potential for optimization above all in mobile use, documentation, forms and evaluations as well as in release capability.

Expectations and benefits are important factors

It is understandable that user satisfaction is closely related to their expectations of the ERP system and the benefits that the software brings them in their daily work. The study also asks about future trends and developments in the ERP environment. For example, users assume that the central position that ERP systems already occupy in the flow of data and information in companies will become even more pronounced in the future.

Companies also have high expectations of the contribution of ERP software to the integration of the system landscape and the automation of business processes. The most frequent mentions regarding the benefits of ERP systems are the simplification and acceleration of processes (59%) and the fast and easy provision of information (56%). While smaller companies tend to emphasize the aspects of process efficiency and transparency, larger companies focus primarily on process automation and the reduction of process costs.

The benefits of ERP systems face certain challenges. Among the biggest problem areas are the response times of supplier support (16%), operating costs (14%), the performance of the ERP software (13%) and the cost of data maintenance (13%). After all, one fifth of the companies state that they have no problems whatsoever with ERP operations.

Security and compliance as dominant trends

Currently, the most important topics in the ERP environment include data and information security (60 %) and the fulfillment of legal and compliance requirements (51 %). The study also identifies the real-time transmission of mobile data (41%) as a further trend. Users hope to be able to process status and control data in real time during order processing. Augmented and virtual reality, robotic process automation and artificial intelligence are at the bottom of the list of relevant trends.

Average ERP age decreases slightly

The study also examined how long companies have been using their ERP system. The average age of ERP installations has decreased slightly compared to 2018. While the systems were in operation for an average of 11.7 years two years ago, the average age is currently 11.3 years. This indicates that companies have invested more in their ERP systems in recent years.

As far as release cycles are concerned, the majority of users follow the ERP vendors’ specifications. In around 50% of ERP installations, the age of the release in use is less than one year. About 30% of the installations have a release status of three years or more.

For the study “ERP in Practice 2020/2021” more than 2,000 companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland were surveyed. The survey covers almost all industries and company sizes. The participants are mainly from the IT, management, operational areas as well as from finance and controlling. It is the largest independent user study on ERP deployment in Europe.