This article outlines the differences between Best of Breed solutions and an ERP implementation. We shine a light on what we believe to be the more effective approach.
Best of breed solutions or an ERP implementation? It’s the age old argument that divides the retail industry. In previous years, an ERP system was seen as the more effective choice. Now that the rest of the industry has modernised, ERPs now seem restraining and inflexible in comparison.
As a result, many retailers now turn to a combination of various pieces of software, each specialising in its own area. Otherwise known as ‘Best of Breed’.
Do ERPs still have a place within the advanced retail industry? Or should businesses migrate to their own choice of best of breed solutions?
How do best of breed solutions compare to ERPs?
Specialism
While an ERP usually has great expanse, its depth is usually fairly limited. They do everything, but to a restricted degree. In contrast, best of breed solutions are smaller but extremely specialised.
Consider inventory management as an example. Rather than having simple inventory management features available within your ERP, you could opt for specialised stock management software offering significantly enhanced functionality.
Implementation
Implementation times differ hugely when it comes to ERP systems vs specialised solutions. ERPs take months or sometimes even years of implementation. This is due to how big they are and because they touch every single area of a retailer’s business.
In contrast, best of breed solutions can sometimes be deployed within just a few weeks. They touch independent areas of a business and therefore have to integrate alongside fewer systems.
Of course, this approach means that the business gets the capabilities it needs quickly. ROI is also delivered at a much faster rate.
Growth
Fast growing software is essential in today’s retail environment. Best of breed solutions are often deployed in a modular approach. This means they can grow alongside your business and its needs. You can also deploy new solutions from new providers whenever you need to, and are not restricted by one singular solution provider.
In contrast, ERPs tend to be less flexible. Those who choose to deploy ERPs often find themselves restrained by the provider they chose – if they don’t happen to have a module that suits a particular business need, there’s not much that can be done.
What is the smarter choice?
To us, it’s clear that a best of breed approach is a much smarter choice when it comes to today’s retail environment. Customers have high expectations, and the only way to meet them is by working in an agile way, using specialised solutions.
Retail247 have our own set of Best of Breed solutions: Origin, our PIM Solution and Archean, our Stock Management Platform. Many retailers have deployed the solutions, including Crew Clothing.
Crew Clothing’s story
As Crew Clothing continued to expand, it became clear that their legacy ERP system couldn’t keep up with Crew Clothing’s rate of growth and need for a more agile technology landscape. It was inhibiting business growth and represented wasted cost rather than the generation of business benefit.
Crew Clothing looked to Retail247 for help, and since our partnership with the business began, multiple initiatives around the deployment of Origin and Archean have been successfully implemented. Retail247 have become an integral part of the Crew Clothing technology journey.
“With Retail247’s diverse breadth of retail knowledge and having a strong understanding of business needs, we have been able to collaboratively arrive at the most impactful solution.” – Matthew Taylor, Project Manager at Crew Clothing
The combination of both of our solutions, as well as our wraparound consultancy services means that Crew Clothing truly experiences the Best of Breed when it comes to their technology landscape.
To learn more, get in touch by emailing info@retail247.com.
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Crew Clothing: a Retail247 Case Study
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Archean Stock Solution from Retail247 Deployed in Crew Clothing Stores
Marketing Executive
Lucy recently graduated with a degree in Fashion Management and Marketing. With Retail experience under her belt, Lucy has a great understanding of the retail and fashion industries.