Are You Looking for an ERP?

Start with a list of must-have features to help you streamline your operations.

Almost all janitorial and security contractors looking to grow their businesses reach a point where “the way we’ve always done it” just doesn’t cut it anymore. Your breaking point might be too many missed shifts, unhappy customers, uncontrolled labor costs or lack of visibility into your bottom line. Whatever it is, it’s enough to make you step back and realize it’s time to find a solution to help move your business forward. That’s where an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution comes in. An ERP can help you move away from multiple software applications, clumsy data imports and expensive custom interfaces by providing a holistic way to measure performance and automate daily financial, operations and workforce management. But, just like anything else, not all ERPs are created equal. That’s why we compiled a list of the key things to look for when evaluating an ERP.

Industry-Specific Focus

There are a lot of ERPs out there. In fact, if you do a quick search for an ERP, the results may overwhelm you. But, if you look for an ERP made specifically for the janitorial and security industries and the unique challenges you face, the list gets a lot shorter. Think of it this way: You don’t go to the dentist to get your tire changed, why would you use an ERP that wasn’t purpose-built for your industry?

Anytime, Anywhere Connection

In service industries with distributed workforces, your office ranges anywhere from your brick and mortar office to various sites out in the field and back again. Look for a solution that seamlessly integrates your job sites and timekeeping information with your back office so that you don’t miss anything. And, you want technology that offers different user roles to keep your information as accessible as possible to the right people at the right time. Your guards or cleaners need to know where to be and what to do but your site supervisors need to know who’s clocked in, who’s not and what’s going on at their sites while staying informed with everything in the back office.

Data-Driven Decision Making

You can have all the data in the world — and you probably do — but if you don’t know what it’s telling you about your business, it doesn’t do you any good. Look for an ERP that offers reporting and analytics solutions to help you reimagine the enormous amount of financial, operations and workforce data you have and mine it for proactive financial and operations insights. These are just three of the things you should consider when evaluating your ERP options. To get the full list, download our complete Must-Haves in an ERP Checklist.