Top trends and forecasts of development of the world market of ERP systems for trade

Three ways of creation of ERP systems for trade

Today at the technology level it is possible to select the following trends in development of "trade" ERP:

• Implementation of missing "trade" functions in universal ERP systems;
• Implementation accounting and optimization in specialized solutions for trade automation; and
• Integration of universal ERP systems into specialized solutions.

Specialization of universal solutions

On the first of the listed ways as it is simple to guess, the known drawing systems develop. In this case a "trade" ERP system is based as industry solution on the platform of a universal system. Basic functional units in the course of its creation are configured in compliance with the requirements specific to target segment and also complemented with the modules implementing the opportunities for support of a trading activity which are absent in major version. 

The specified completion can be executed by both forces of the supplier of ERP systems, and independent developers from among his partners. As at the same time the tools which are built in a system are used, in both cases the industry solution turns out monolithic in sense of the used data and metadata, DBMS, the user interface, data transfer protocols, file formats, etc. The similar effect is reached if the vendor distributes own platform based on software of intermediate level (SAP NetWeaver, Oracle Fusion Middleware, Microsoft .NET), or uses "others" (IBM WebSphere, Progress OpenEdge, etc.) for ERP system creation. At the same time partners have a possibility of development of the specialized solutions which are not relying on the ERP system, but compatible to it.

"Operational development" to ERP

The second trend was shown with development of specialized solutions for trade to this level. "Having closed" practically all specific customers needs in the segment, developers of these systems started implementation of the "back office" functionality inherent to ERP systems (financial accounting and planning, personnel management, consolidation of data, etc.). Obviously, such expansion of functions of the "trade" systems was reaction of developers to the existing demand from the consolidated trade business. As a result also monolithic systems but constructed "from requirements" the companies of the industry and having potential of corporate systems are offered customers. In this sense at the level of "back office" only really necessary minimum of functions, but not the set "for all occasions" offered by universal ERP systems is implemented.

Creation of "composite" solutions

The third method of creation of ERP systems for trade (and not only) – designing of industry solution by means of integration of universal and specialized solutions of different suppliers. Similar composite solutions appeared as a result of "meeting" of the ERP systems which came to the trading companies "on top" and the special automation systems of trade which developed "from below". The popularity and broad popularity of a number of the "trade" systems, together with incomplete "covering" ERP systems of all functions necessary for the companies which are engaged in trade in some cases created optimal conditions for their sharing. It is possible to assume that emergence of this direction is obliged more to the customers of ERP systems who implemented at themselves integration projects and stimulating cooperation of different developers.

Such common decision inevitably turns out heterogeneous and for problem solving of joint work by suppliers of systems making it (or their partners) specially develop the program gateways providing a possibility of mutual data exchange, synchronization of bases and also containing "adapters" for different file formats and packets of data exchange. When such opportunity is provided at the level of development of systems, the "scrappy" solution works almost also effectively, as well as monolithic. At the same time, each of participants executes that part of work of which it is most competent: the supplier of the ERP system improves basic functions of corporate accounting and management, and the developer of the specialized solution is engaged in improvement of implementation of those functions in the field of which he is an expert. Often developers of a specialized "trade" system develop "gateways" for its connection to ERP systems of different suppliers

Technical trends

At technological level complete solutions for trade are developed in the same direction, as all other ERP systems, as for industry specifics, it dictates need of the most full support of modern organizational forms of a trading activity and also the latest specialized equipment. More it is specifically possible to note: transition of these solutions to service-oriented architecture, use of open standards and punctures, use of industry standards for standardization of interfaces with POS systems and also data exchange within a supply chain, support of radio frequency identification of goods (RFID) in warehouses and in trading floors, gain of functionality on support mobile and online trade, such innovations as "shop without seller/self checkout", "the smart cart", "a smart show-window / the information booth", etc., the movement in the direction of quality management systems and prevention of thefts and fraud. A considerable part of these changes is necessary just for support of compliance of proposed solutions to objectively developed requirements from customers and provides to the trading companies not so much competitive advantage, how many standard infrastructure for business management.

Market development

At the market level in development of ERP systems for the trade industry it is possible to select the trend which is not differing in uniqueness to consolidation by merges and absorption. In the world market last year it was shown fully. The largest merges and absorption were: the transaction of JDA and Manugistics (the united company will reserve the name JDA), GERS and Ecometry (the Escalate Retail company was as a result created), Datavantage and Commercialware (the name Datavantage will be used further), merger of CRS by Epicor company and also merger of Blue Cube by Red Prairie company. Oracle which absorbed Retek company in 2005 became one of "ancestors" of this process.