Modules and Components of
Cloud ER (Cloud-based
Enterprise Resource Planning)
Systems
IS ELECTIVE – CLOUD ER
Modules and components of Cloud ER
systems
Cloud ER systems consist of various modules and
components that work together to support a wide
range of business processes and functions. These
modules and components are designed to
streamline operations, enhance decision-making,
and improve overall efficiency within an
organization.
Finance Module
• General Ledger: Manages financial data, including income, expenses,
and account balances.
• Accounts Payable: Handles vendor invoices, payments, and financial
liabilities.
• Accounts Receivable: Manages customer invoices, receipts, and
revenue collection.
• Asset Management: Tracks and manages the organization's physical
and financial assets.
• Budgeting and Forecasting: Supports financial planning, budget
creation, and financial forecasting.
Human Resources (HR) Module
• Employee Management: Manages employee records, payroll, and
benefits.
• Recruitment and Talent Management: Streamlines the hiring and
onboarding process.
• Performance Management: Tracks employee performance, goals, and
evaluations.
• Training and Development: Supports employee training and skill
development.
• Attendance and Leave Management: Manages attendance records
and employee leave requests.
Supply Chain Management (SCM) Module
• Inventory Management: Tracks and manages inventory levels, orders,
and stock movements.
• Procurement: Manages the procurement of goods and services,
including vendor relationships.
• Order Management: Supports order processing, fulfillment, and
delivery.
• Warehouse Management: Optimizes warehouse operations,
including storage and logistics.
Manufacturing Module
• Bill of Materials (BOM): Defines the components and materials
required for production.
• Production Planning and Scheduling: Plans and schedules production
activities.
• Quality Control: Monitors and ensures product quality and
compliance.
• Work Order Management: Manages work orders and shop floor
operations.
Sales and Customer Relationship Management
(CRM) Module
• Sales Order Management: Processes and tracks sales orders, quotes,
and invoices.
• Customer Management: Manages customer data, communication,
and relationships.
• Marketing Automation: Supports marketing campaigns, lead
generation, and customer engagement.
• Service and Support: Provides customer service, ticketing, and issue
resolution.
Reporting and Business Intelligence (BI)
Module
• Data Analytics: Analyzes data from various modules to generate
insights and reports.
• Dashboards: Displays key performance indicators (KPIs) and real-time
data visualizations.
• Report Generation: Allows users to create custom reports and
queries.
Integration Layer
• APIs: Facilitates integration with external systems, applications, and
services.
• Middleware: Supports data transformation and routing between
different components.
• Data Integration: Ensures data consistency and synchronization
across modules.
Security and Access Control
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Defines user roles and
permissions for data access.
• Authentication and Authorization: Ensures secure access to the
system.
• Data Encryption: Protects sensitive data during transmission and
storage
Mobile Access and User Interfaces
• Web-Based Interfaces: Allows users to access Cloud ER modules
through web browsers.
• Mobile Apps: Provides mobile access for on-the-go users.
Database Management
• Relational and NoSQL Databases: Stores and manages data
efficiently.
Workflow and Automation
• Workflow Management: Automates business processes and
approvals.
• Notification and Alerts: Sends notifications and alerts for critical
events.
E-commerce Integration
• Integration with E-commerce Platforms: Facilitates online sales,
order processing, and customer interactions.
These modules and components can be
customized and configured to meet the
specific needs of an organization, enabling
businesses to optimize their operations,
improve data visibility, and make data-driven
decisions efficiently.
Integration of Cloud ER with other systems
Integration of Cloud ER with other systems
Integrating a Cloud-based Enterprise
Resource Planning (Cloud ER) system with
other systems is crucial for achieving a
seamless flow of data and processes within
an organization. Such integrations enhance
efficiency, data accuracy, and decisionmaking capabilities.
Integration of Cloud ER with other systems
ERP integration is not a new concept, so
why has it recently become such a hot
topic? It has to do with evolution. Cloud
ERPs have evolved past their traditional
role of finance and core process
management systems.
Integration of Cloud ER with other systems
Driven by AI and powerful databases,
modern ERP systems are becoming the
central hub of all operational processes,
across a business. And just as ERPs
evolved, so have other business software
applications – growing daily in
sophistication and numbers.
Integration of Cloud ER with other systems
At the same time, employees and team
leaders continue to download and use
business-specific software applications
without telling their IT team. These apps
are not integrated with the ERP nor are
they properly secured and monitored.
Integration of Cloud ER with other systems
Traditional application integration methods
are slow and require the writing of a lot of
error-prone custom code. This presents a
challenge for modern businesses who want
the security and visibility that comes with
app and ERP integration, yet don’t want to
lose their competitive edge by getting mired
down in time-consuming, manual processes.
Integration of Cloud ER with other systems
The good news is that the best cloud ERP systems
come out of the box with pre-built integrations that
ensure a fast and easy connection between some of
the most common business applications – and are
maintained by the software provider. And as your
company’s software and application landscape
becomes more complex, integration platform as a
service (iPaaS) solutions are ready to go – custombuilt to fit with the best cloud ERPs.
What is ERP integration?
ERP integration is the method by which a
company connects its ERP software with
other, specialized applications and
processes – across your entire business.
What is ERP integration?
In a recent Deloitte survey of senior procurement
executives, “poor integration across applications” was
cited by almost half the respondents as one of the
“top three issues” they were facing today. ERP and
cloud-based app integration solutions help to tackle
this problem with a powerful, unified approach –
combining the operational capabilities of a smart ERP
with integration software, specifically built to
automate, streamline, and scale these essential
activities.
Cloud ERP integration and API management
A few years ago, when there were only a
handful of essential business apps, it was
feasible to manually implement an
application programming interface or API –
software that allows systems to talk with one
another – to connect applications with a
legacy ERP system.
Cloud ERP integration and API management
But as the number of essential apps took off,
manual API management methods led to
exponentially complicated systems and “code
spaghetti” that became difficult to manage
and unravel.
Cloud ERP integration and API management
In response to the growing need for simplified
integration, today’s best ERPs now come
equipped with a number of pre-built connectors,
APIs, and integration tools. Typically, the prebuilt
APIs in a modern cloud ERP are sufficient to
manage several applications, but without
dedicated integration software, you’re still in a
position of relying heavily on IT teams to
manage custom APIs, mapping and coding.
Typical priority areas for ERP system
integration
As ERPs and SaaS solutions evolve, new
opportunities for enterprise integration
will emerge. But for most business, the
examples below represent some of the
commonly integrated operational areas.
CRM
CRM is one of the go-to tools for sales and
marketing teams because it gives them
access to information and history about
individual leads. This allows them to
personalize their interactions with customers
to deliver a better experience and increase
the opportunity for conversion.
CRM
A CRM/ERP integration augments this
process by providing real time market intel,
demand metrics, and data analysis. With
more accurate and relevant information,
marketing messaging is more targeted and
on point, and sales teams can better nurture
leads.
Business Intelligence
Business intelligence (BI) software is all about
understanding data. It starts by curating and
collecting it from the best sources. BI tools
then use AI-powered technologies to
perform specific analyses on that data with
the end goal of providing highly actionable
insights.
Business Intelligence
Often BI solutions lead to the
implementation of new processes or
workflows – and sometimes entirely new
business opportunities. With cloud BI/ERP
integrations, these insights can be centralized
and more quickly shared with the people
best positioned to act on them.
Human Resources
The complexities of HR and human capital
management (HCM) have been
compounding at a fast pace. Aside from the
almost overnight disruption that the
pandemic brought to HR operations, further
pressure is on these teams to be data-driven
profit centers.
Human Resources
With HCM/ERP integrations businesses can
continue to benefit from a range of built-forpurpose HR applications and systems and they
can augment those systems with the functionality
of cloud ERP. From recruitment to retention to
retirement, ERP system integration helps to
inform and automate activities in this demanding
and fast-changing department.
Project Management
Clichés last because they’re usually true –
and none more so than the old saying: “You
don’t plan to fail, you fail to plan.” Yet despite
planning tools being so important, project
management solutions are often one of the
most operationally siloed.
Project Management
They can be complex to learn and once
they’re embedded, teams are reluctant to
give them up. But the good news is that a
project management/ERP integration means
that the best project management systems
can be separately integrated with a
centralized ERP.
Project Management
So teams get to carry on with tools they’re
familiar with, yet there can still be a unified
view of every project and team – including
consistent reporting templates and
information exchanges within a single
database.
E-commerce
E-commerce applications are typically one of
the first to be integrated in any company. But
today’s e-commerce is about much more
than just paying for stuff. Right now, the most
competitive opportunities come with the
ability to leverage point-of-sale data.
E-commerce
Smart shelves and carts can instantly connect
with warehouses – and ultimately supply
chains – to streamline supply and demand.
Marketing and sales teams can also benefit
from real-time omnichannel purchasing data
and reports.
E-commerce
E-commerce/ERP integrations can help plug
your e-commerce applications and processes
into the greater and more powerful data
ecosystem.
Enterprise asset management (EAM)
Businesses that use any kind of machinery,
heavy equipment, or fleets in their
operations were among the first to realize
the full potential of EAM and IoT
technologies. But with ERP system
integration, IoT data can work even harder.
Enterprise asset management (EAM)
It’s great when your assets can tell you when
they need servicing, but what if they could
tell you how to build workflows that would
help them run cooler and more efficiently?
What if your IoT data could help you change
your product design so that manufacturing
processes were leaner and more ergonomic?
Enterprise asset management (EAM)
What if your delivery fleet could
automatically optimize loads and routes to
minimize fuel and wear and tear? EAM/ERP
integrations help to bring together the
smartest supply chain and manufacturing
solutions, with the analytical power of cloud
ERP.
Customer service
We hear about omnichannel shopping and
how today’s consumers expect a seamless
experience across whatever online or offline
channels they choose to shop or buy.
Customer service
Well, along with that goes an increased
expectation for omnichannel service. At the
moment, in both the B2C and B2B arenas,
customer demands are high, loyalty is fickle,
and competition is fierce.
Customer service
AI-powered technologies such as natural
language chatbots and recommendation
engines are helping businesses to keep a
personalized touch in their automated
activities.
Customer service
But really outstanding customer service
requires the ability for different departments
to work together in real time. Whether a
service and repairs request, a quality
complaint, or a billing question, customer
service/ERP integrations can help to unify a
variety of applications and centralize a source
of customer data across operational areas.
Customer service
But really outstanding customer service
requires the ability for different departments
to work together in real time. Whether a
service and repairs request, a quality
complaint, or a billing question, customer
service/ERP integrations can help to unify a
variety of applications and centralize a source
of customer data across operational areas.
Benefits of seamless cloud ERP integration
The benefits of cloud ERP are already longestablished in several business areas – including
better productivity, improved visibility, and a
centralized source of truth across the
organization. Essentially, ERP integration means
that companies can deliver all those benefits
across a greater breadth and depth of operations
throughout their entire business.
Benefits of seamless cloud ERP integration
Real-time data. The ability to capture and manage
complex information and Big Data is an essential
feature of all modern business systems. But the real
value in data can’t be realized unless you can
understand and act upon it – quickly. Real-time data
analytics and reporting gives businesses a competitive
edge with the ability to make confident, informed
decisions in the moment.
Benefits of seamless cloud ERP integration
Single source of information. Silos are at the heart of
some of the worst operational inefficiencies. A single,
cloud-accessible source of truth and information not
only helps optimize operations, it helps to reduce
security risks and human error.
Benefits of seamless cloud ERP integration
Regulatory compliance. The past couple of years have
seen record-setting legal settlements around HR
compliance alone. Integrating the power of cloud ERP
into all your regulatory processes helps to ensure
business-wide compliance across your operations.
Benefits of seamless cloud ERP integration
Agility and faster decision-making. Rapidly changing
business and customer demands mean that companies
must be able to to pivot quickly and responsively.
When people and processes are integrated across your
entire organization – you get the speed and agility you
need to make informed decisions and rapid operational
optimizations.
Benefits of seamless cloud ERP integration
Supply chain optimization. From raw materials and
manufacturing processes to your customers’ front door
– every element of supply chain management can be
optimized with the greater end-to-end visibility and
analytical capability that cloud ERP solutions are built
to drive and support.
Benefits of seamless cloud ERP integration
Faster return on investment. Understanding ROI, value,
and profit margins is very dependent upon capturing
and analyzing the right data and delivering fast and
flexible reports. This goes to the heart of cloud ERP –
such that you can even use your cloud ERP’s
functionality to assess the ROI of your own ERP system
integration initiatives.
Benefits of seamless cloud ERP integration
Visual workflows. To optimize and automate
workflows, you must first be able to see them and map
them from a centralized viewpoint. ERP integration
helps to deliver these views quickly, in flexible and
actionable ways.
Benefits of seamless cloud ERP integration
Mobile access. Since the pandemic, the stats around
hybrid and remote work show an unsurprising upward
trend. The best cloud ERP systems support mobility
with device-agnostic usability that supports workers
equally well in the office, at home, or on the move.
ERP integration and 4 methods of managing
APIs
The integration landscape is a complicated
one. There are over 800 different integration
tools and systems out there, ranging from
free open-source API management tools to
sophisticated iPaaS solutions.
ERP integration and 4 methods of managing
APIs
The point-to-point (P2P) and enterprise
service bus (ESB) models are older methods
and while some companies still rely on API
integrations, cloud-based, scalable iPaaS
integration solutions have become the
current gold standard.
Here’s some of the more common methods
of ERP integration and their pros and cons.
Here’s some of the more common methods
of ERP integration and their pros and cons.
What is iPaaS – and how does it work?
Integration platform as a service (iPaaS)
solutions use pre-built connectors and
business rules to define interactions in multitenant environments. In other words, they
are purpose-built to streamline and speed up
the development of integration flows across
a disparate range of business operations.
What is iPaaS – and how does it work?
Today, this is especially relevant for businesses
whose essential applications live in the cloud. A
modern cloud ERP will come with a variety of
standard APIs and basic integration functionality.
These out-of-the-box API management tools can
be sufficient for businesses that only needs a
handful of core apps and APIs.
What is iPaaS – and how does it work?
However, most modern businesses have a
much more complex application landscape
and will require the power of an integrated
iPaaS platform to help them streamline and
smoothly manage their more complex
application integration needs.
What is iPaaS – and how does it work?
This means that users can specify the types
of application they need to use, and a cloud
integration solution will manage the
underlying API configuration, protocols, and
prebuilt code that is needed to rapidly
integrate the app with the ERP, and make
sure it’s running smoothly and safely.
Your ERP integration journey: A checklist
Your business processes aren’t going to get
less complex. Your customers’ expectations
aren’t going suddenly stop changing. To get
the best value from your enterprise software,
choose solutions that are built to grow and
scale with your needs.
Your ERP integration journey: A checklist
A cloud ERP is at the core of your company’s
operations. So when enterprise integration
becomes a priority, you’ll want to invest in a
cloud-native iPaaS solution that is backed by
the support and service you expect, and is
specifically built to integrate with your cloud
ERP.
Your ERP integration journey: A checklist
Every business has unique goals and
challenges but as you start your ERP
integration journey, here is a checklist of
initial items you’ll want to review with your
software vendor.
To start your ERP integration journey, look for
solutions that:
•Integrate disparate systems and applications with the
latest security protocols, with security patches that can
be automatically updated in the cloud
•Streamline critical business processes and crossbusiness ERP functions
•Connect multiple applications and data silos
•Simplify integration across third-party apps and data
sources
To start your ERP integration journey, look for
solutions that:
•Offer a robust array of prebuilt integrations
•Allow the ability to design, publish, and manage APIs
•Facilitate the development, availability, and lifecycle
management of APIs
•Use prebuilt integrations to reduce integration
implementation and maintenance effort
To start your ERP integration journey, look for
solutions that:
•Have an AI-assisted interface and low-code-no-code
capabilities, to power API development
•Have AI-enabled cloud and hybrid integration
development environment to reduce complexity, get
smarter recommendations
•Support multiple business partners and B2B integration
with multiple trading partners