01
CRM
CRM helps answer who you are talking to, what has been agreed and what comes next. It connects marketing, sales and service around each customer.
Types of business systems
Types of business systems: different roles, one workflow
Systems rarely fit neatly into a single category. We identify the decisions and data that need to connect different parts of your organisation.
02
ERP
ERP connects transactions across departments through shared data. It brings the customer order, purchase, goods issue and financial settlement into one workflow.
03
MRP
MRP answers what is needed, how much and by when to fulfil the plan. It connects the product structure with inventory, delivery dates and demand.
04
WMS
WMS links the physical movement of goods to records in the system. It identifies the location and task, and confirming the operation updates the process status.
05
MES
MES shows what is happening in production: operations started, quantities completed, defects and reasons for stoppages. It connects the plan with shop-floor data.
06
BPM
BPM helps describe and improve workflows across people and systems. It shows who takes the next step and what is needed to make a decision.
01Types of business systems
Six areas does not mean six purchases
These functions can coexist in one product. An ERP may include CRM and MRP, while a custom system may handle a particular BPM workflow and some warehouse operations. The name helps describe responsibilities but does not define the complete scope.
We start with the process and the tools already in use. Only then do we decide which functions to develop, buy or connect through integration.
02Common flow
One order may involve several areas
Sales agrees on terms, planning checks requirements, the warehouse issues materials, and production reports completion. System names describe different responsibilities in this flow; they do not dictate how many applications are needed.
BPM helps define rules and decisions between stages. Integration transfers information between tools. In a simpler company, several roles can be performed by one system with well-separated modules.
- CRM
Client, arrangements and accepted offer.
- ERP/MRP
Documents, material needs and deadlines.
- WMS/MES
Material movement and actual execution.
- ERP/CRM
Settlement, status and follow-up.
Not every company needs production, a complex warehouse or all the areas described.
03Where to start?
Select a problem and then a solution class
The lack of call history indicates CRM needs. Uncertainty about where the goods are leads to WMS. Material shortages require a look at MRP planning, and unknown job progress requires a look at MES execution data.
Write down the last three difficult cases and see what data was missing to make a decision. This is a better starting point than comparing the number of features in the catalog. The guides below show the inputs, examples and boundaries of each area.
Comparison
Which area needs tidying up?
| Area | The main question | Sample data |
|---|---|---|
| CRM | What has been agreed with the client and what is the next step? | Contacts, offers, opportunities, applications. |
| ERP | How to link company operations and resources? | Orders, purchases, stock, documents. |
| MRP | What does production need, how much and when? | BOM, inventory, demand, delivery dates. |
| WMS | Where is the goods and how to make a move? | Locations, lots, dispositions, confirmations. |
| MES | What was actually done in the hall? | Operations, quantities, consumption, quality, downtime. |
| BPM | Who has the case and what determines the decision? | Roles, stages, forms, history. |
Let’s start with a conversation
Let's start with a decision that lacks data today.
Describe a specific difficulty. We will determine whether a new function is needed, a streamlining of the process or a combination of current tools.
Select the system area