Latest updates and insights from Kerridge Commercial Systems

Sustainability: it became the topic of 2021 and is set to continue in 2022, as it is a subject the industry has embraced. We recognise that it doesn’t have to be a choice between being profitable or sustainable, we believe they go hand in hand. Marginal gains taken now can make a real difference and investing in technology is a simple way to start the sustainable journey.

From reducing risk to identifying new initiatives that will save you time and money, your business is constantly moving forwards – but are you taking the right steps to ensure your ERP solution keeps pace? Look after your system, and it will look after your business. Here are our 5 reasons why you simply can’t afford to run an outdated software solution.

The past 12 months have proved just how essential it is for businesses to prepare for disruption. One term you might have encountered recently is ‘circular economy’ - and it’s considered one of the core ways in which companies can build resilience, while enhancing their environmental credentials.

But what exactly is a circular economy? And how can ERP software help businesses like yours prepare for a more sustainable future?

The need for flexible, forward-thinking ERP software has never been greater for businesses. Companies have had to adapt to changing circumstances over the past year - and in many cases, their ERP solution has been integral to making this happen.

Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) provides software that has helped companies trade in different, smarter ways. There are several key features of its ERP solutions that have made this possible, by equipping users with the functionality they need to future-proof their operations.

Kerridge Commercial Systems has been developing innovative software applications for over 40 years, utilising expertise and experience to deliver you a powerful management solution you can trust to achieve your New Year resolutions and take your business forward in 2021.

Having good data at the heart of your ERP solution is just the beginning - you also need to be able to easily interpret and extract information so it brings value to your business.

It's fair to say that 2020 has created some unusual trading conditions for businesses. However, companies using SaaS have weathered the storm better than most - is it time you joined them?

As a food wholesaler you will know that your largest costs lie with stock inventory. Keeping costs tight means striking a perfect balance between stock, storage and demand while maintaining a keen overview. So how can you tread the fine line needed for advanced inventory control?

As factories and processes become increasingly digitalized, the threat of a cyberattack is growing. With hacking regularly making the headlines — think back to 2017’s WannaCry ransomware attack — you would assume that manufacturers had put safeguarding measures in place to prevent a similar threat from disrupting their operations. However, government research has found that this isn’t exactly the case.

Change isn’t for everyone. In long-standing businesses who have enjoyed many years of success becoming masters of their trade, there is a reluctance to move away from familiar ways of working and embrace new systems. The rationale is, if it’s worked for us for this long, why would it stop now?

According to experts, manufacturers are leading the way with Software as a Service (SaaS) adoption. Despite this, there is still some confusion about SaaS deployment options.

So how does SaaS ERP measure up to the more traditional ‘on-premise’ model? And what exactly are the benefits for your manufacturing business? Here’s a rundown:

Tony Pey, Head of Sales Engineering at Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS), defines the advantages of SaaS and explains how it could work for your merchant business.

When implementing ERP software, one of the most important questions to answer is where you would like your system to be hosted.

Even five years ago, most businesses looked doubtfully at Cloud ERP. Too risky, they judged. Too much of a leap in the dark, technology-wise. Great for startups wanting a low-cost ERP solution from day one—but not appropriate for established businesses.

Any interruption of trading for your business is a disaster whichever way you look at it. Because of this, you will need a plan of action to hand to ensure that you are well prepared if the worst does happen.

‘Software as a Service’ or ‘SaaS’ is a way of accessing software applications over the internet, instead of buying and installing the software on computers in your premises.

It’s not difficult to see why it’s vital to have a Business Continuity Plan. Simply put, IT disruption severe enough to affect your business’s trading is surprisingly likely, with statistics suggesting that the typical small to medium business runs a one-in-five chance of experiencing such a failure over a five year period. What’s more, 40% of such businesses will then collapse, as a result.

It is vital that businesses defend themselves against modern technological risks.

Operations-centric businesses generally aren’t technology ‘early adopters’. Manufacturers and field service businesses alike prefer to take a conservative view of new technologies, embracing them only when the advantages (and risks) of doing so are well understood. But today, cloud computing has reached that tipping point.

Developments such as cloud computing software, as well as the adoption of more flexible working practices that stray some distance from the usual weekday ‘9 to 5’, have made clear many of the ways in which a wide range of industries can be more competitive. Companies have increasingly sought to outsource certain tasks, and the K8 software and K-Cloud system-hosting services offered by Kerridge Commercial Systems have played their part in this change.

What are the benefits of switching to the cloud?

Cloud computing is fast becoming the technology of choice for many businesses, of every shape and size, and across every sector. Replacing the traditional, in-house or on premise server approach, cloud or hosted systems are being recognised as a more cost-effective, highly secure and resilient alternative. Although some large businesses prefer to manage their own system infrastructures, there are significant operational benefits by making the switch at any level. For one thing, the need to focus more on core business priorities, and much less on IT issues, is not just highly desirable but increasingly important. Put simply, in these ever more competitive times, it’s a choice between having the responsibilities of running your own IT ‘generators’ or plugging into a secure, fully supported, ‘national grid’. Which, given that communications and network capabilities have become much faster and more reliable, strengthens the case for cloud computing.

You will undoubtedly have heard mention of cloud computing software over the last few years. This is a proven and highly effective method of off-site data storage, maintenance and protection. The technological experts at Kerridge Commercial Systems have provided our specialist K-Cloud service to a variety of businesses. We've received a number of positive reports from customers who've enjoyed the benefits outlined below.

Leading distributor software provider Kerridge Commercial Systems introduces its Software as a Service (SaaS) hosting platform and application K-Cloud. K-Cloud delivers superior hosting capabilities through a complete range of managed hosting solutions.