ERP Reports

Current enterprise ERP systems come loaded with pre-written ERP reports, but the list never covers all user needs. These systems mainly just come with the preferred report as advertised for the end-user. Ultra has found it often takes users weeks or months to master these report-writing tools to extract data.

What is ERP Reporting?

ERP reporting is the process of analyzing and transforming data from various business functions within an organization into meaningful and actionable insights. This reporting utilizes data captured by an ERP system, which integrates core business processes and information into a single centralized database. By leveraging this system, businesses can generate reports that summarize and present data in a way that supports decision-making across departments.

Ultra's Approach to a Successful ERP Reporting Strategy

The development of ERP reports and forms is a significant task that cannot be taken lightly. Oftentimes it is access to information that is a key driver of the new ERP project. During the Business Process Improvement (BPI) phase of the project, the project team should be sure to document forms and reports used in the business process. In addition, the team should gather key performance indicators used to manage the business.In the development of the future state, the team will define the reporting strategy. The strategy will document the following reporting needs:

Key performance metrics
Transactions and dimensions
Information needs
Analysis needs

In the education phase, the team will understand the many types of reporting tools and the critical information they provide:

Transaction grid queries
Dashboards
Scorecards
Published reports
Ad hoc reports

The reporting strategy will define how all these reporting tools in the new ERP system are used to improve access to information.

What our customers are saying...

"Ultra prepared us very well for the ERP selection and implementation of the ERP project, from a current state, education, and future state standpoint. It was well worth our investment in Ultra, in their content and processes, for the long-term.”

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The Benefit - We're with you all the way.

ERP reporting is a powerful tool that empowers businesses to harness the full potential of their data. By leveraging insights from ERP systems, your organization can make informed decisions, optimize operations, and drive growth. Whether you’re a small business or an enterprise, ERP reporting can be a game-changer in today’s competitive landscape. Let the Ultra team ensure you’re seeing valuable insights from your ERP system.

DIRECT CONNECTION

Our experience combined with the hard work we do in the business process optimization phase will show a positive effect on your ERP software implementation. We bring efficiency, project timeframe benchmarks, and time-to-benefit—implementing solutions that drive true business transformation.

CRITICAL STRUCTURE

Ultra’s implementation management methodology is designed to maximize the integration of your team, your software vendor, your implementation partner and our consultants.

IMPORTANT CONTINUITY

With our business process consultants involved in your implementation, you ensure your solution is implemented and configured to achieve your future state business operations goals.

MEASURABLE RESULTS

Well-managed ERP system implementation lowers your business operational risks, improves speed-to-value, minimizes project scope creeps, and reduces delays caused by error or rework.

The Benefits of ERP Reporting

Partnering with ERP software implementation consultants offers several advantages for your business when embarking on an Enterprise Resource Planning implementation journey.

1. Enhanced Visibility and Control

ERP reporting enables businesses to gain real-time visibility into their critical processes, such as sales, finance, inventory, and production. With accurate and up-to-date information at their fingertips, decision-makers can make informed choices, identify bottlenecks, and drive operational efficiency.

2. Improved Decision-making

By using ERP reporting tools, organizations can analyze historical and current data to identify trends, patterns, and anomalies. This helps in forecasting future demand, optimizing resource allocation, and identifying areas for improvement. With comprehensive insights, decision-makers can make data-driven decisions, reducing risks and maximizing opportunities.

3. Streamlined Workflow and Collaboration

ERP reporting fosters better communication and collaboration among departments by providing a common platform to share and access real-time information. This enables cross-functional teams to work together efficiently, aligning their efforts towards common goals. With ERP reporting, everyone is on the same page, ensuring seamless workflows and reducing redundancies.

4. Compliance and Risk Management

In industries with stringent regulatory requirements, ERP reporting plays a crucial role in ensuring compliance. By automating data collection and reporting processes, businesses can meet regulatory standards, avoid penalties, and maintain accurate records. An effective ERP reporting strategy also helps identify potential risks, enabling proactive measures to mitigate them before they become critical issues.

5. Scalability and Customization:

ERP reporting is highly customizable, allowing businesses to tailor reports to their specific needs. Whether it’s creating dashboards, generating financial statements, or tracking performance metrics, ERP reporting can be adapted to fit the unique requirements of different departments or industries. This flexibility ensures that businesses can scale their reporting capabilities as they grow and evolve.

Standard ERP Reports and Report Writing

The importance of report writing is often overlooked as a critical step in an enterprise ERP software implementation. Information is the goal of the ERP implementation, and both ERP reporting strategy and capable resources are required to achieve this goal.

Report writing needs to fall into the following categories:

Forms such as invoices, order acknowledgments, purchase orders, receivables statements, payables checks, etc.
Managed reports produced on a recurring basis
Ad hoc reports that are usually one-time, “I need this information now” reports
Analytical reports that show usable data and help analyze what is happening
Executive ERP dashboards that provide a snapshot of business performance against the company’s key performance indicators (KPIs)

All of these items need to be considered in a comprehensive report writing strategy that identifies needs at all levels, report-writing tools, data deployment (data warehouse versus data marts), and report deployment methods.

ERP Reporting FAQs

How does ERP reporting differ from regular reporting?

While regular reporting primarily focuses on individual departments or functions, ERP reporting takes a holistic approach by integrating data from multiple departments into one centralized system. The common database of a new ERP system eliminates silos and enables a comprehensive overview of the entire organization across business units, facilitating better coordination and collaboration between teams through real-time reporting.

What does ERP report on?

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems generate various reports that provide insights into different aspects of a business. Some common types of ERP reports include:

1. Financial Reports: These financial analysis reports provide an overview of the company’s financial performance, including balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, and financial ratios.
2. Sales Reports: These reports track sales activities, such as sales orders, invoices, sales forecasts, and customer purchase history. They help analyze sales trends, identify top-selling products, and monitor sales team performance.
3. Inventory Reports: These reports provide information on inventory levels, stock movements, reorder points, and stock valuation. They help optimize inventory management, identify slow-moving or obsolete items, and ensure efficient supply chain operations.
4. Production Reports: These reports track production activities, including work orders, production schedules, production costs, and resource utilization with manufacturing resource planning. They help monitor production efficiency, identify bottlenecks, and optimize manufacturing processes.
5. HR Reports: These human resources reports cover employee-related data, such as payroll, attendance, performance evaluations, and training records. They help manage workforce planning, track employee productivity, and ensure compliance with labor regulations.
6. Procurement Reports: These supply chain management reports provide insights into procurement activities, including purchase orders, supplier performance, purchase requisitions, and vendor contracts. They help optimize procurement processes, track supplier quality, and control costs.
7. Customer Reports: These reports analyze customer data, such as customer profiles, buying behavior, customer satisfaction, and customer support tickets. They aide in customer relationship management by helping identify customer preferences, improving customer service, and enhancing customer retention strategies.
8. Project Reports: These project management reports track project progress, resource allocation, project costs, and timelines. They help monitor project performance, identify potential risks, and ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget.
  These are just a few examples of the types of reports that ERP systems can generate. The specific reports available may vary depending on the ERP software and the customization options chosen by the organization.

What are the benefits of implementing ERP reporting?

Implementing ERP reporting can bring forth a multitude of benefits for businesses. Firstly, it enhances data accuracy and integrity, as all information is centralized and updated in real-time. This eliminates the need for manual creation of data and reduces the risk of errors from manual reporting. Secondly, it improves operational efficiency by streamlining processes and automating routine data tasks. This allows employees to focus on more strategic initiatives instead of spending time on repetitive administrative work. Lastly, ERP reporting provides actionable insights through business intelligence that helps managers make data-driven decisions, leading to improved performance, cost savings, and increased competitiveness.

Is ERP reporting a complex system to implement?

Implementing an ERP reporting system can be a complex endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be daunting. It’s recommended to work with an experienced ERP consultant who can guide you through the process and ensure a smooth transition. They will assist with system configuration, data migration, user training, and ongoing support. Remember, the benefits of ERP reporting far outweigh the challenges of implementation.

Industry Insights

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