Are you looking for a solution to digitise your entire project business? You are in good company, because especially for project-based companies, which are frequently confronted with changing requirements and variable resource deployments, the selection of the right Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP for short) is of crucial importance. In this blog post, we will take a closer look at the role of an ERP system for project-based companies and explain how and with what ZEP can cover all the necessary requirements.
Before we dive into the depths of the subject, it is important that we develop a clear understanding of what exactly an ERP actually is. Well, an ERP is not a simple software but a powerful and comprehensive solution that supports companies in many ways in their day-to-day business. It is an integrated system that acts as the heart of the company and is used to make your business processes more efficient, to guide them and to monitor them.
An ERP system is able to handle a wide range of tasks and activities by acting as a central database. Here, all relevant information from different business areas is collected and linked together - from merchandise management in manufacturing to complete project management in project-oriented companies. Here, a suitable ERP includes not only time recording, but also resource planning and other business processes such as efficient project management. The main goal of an ERP system for project-oriented companies is therefore to increase operational efficiency and simplify your processes. It enables you to optimally deploy and manage your resources. The result is transparent processes that increase productivity and reduce costs at the same time. It's not just about optimising current business processes, but also about creating a solid foundation for future growth. You can view an ERP system as a strategic tool that enables you to realise your business vision and succeed (and stay successful!) in an increasingly competitive business environment.
As a project-based company, you face unique challenges that require a specialised ERP solution and focus on your time management. Because: time is your most important resource. Using an ERP system is far more than an option in today's business world - it has become a necessity. Why? Project-oriented companies - such as management consultancies, engineering firms, IT service providers or even agencies - have recognised that an ERP system is a crucial tool for increasing efficiency. These industries are particularly characterised by their specific challenges, which range from complex order structures to variable resource deployments. For them in particular, the use of a fully comprehensive software as an ERP-like system can make all the difference. Why is that? Let's take a closer look at how an ERP can also help your company:
Project-oriented companies often have to deal with a large number of orders and projects at the same time. Resource planning becomes a demanding task here, as employees must be deployed in a targeted manner and according to their skills. An ERP system offers the necessary support here to allocate resources efficiently and avoid bottlenecks.
In project-oriented companies, monitoring project progress and adhering to budgets is of great importance. An ERP system makes it possible to track the status of each project in real time, detect budget deviations early on and take appropriate action to get the project back on track should deviations occur.
Narrow profit margins determine your project business? The Profitability of a project can determine the success or failure of your entire business. An ERP system supports you in accurately calculating costs, setting prices and identifying profitable projects!
The cooperation within the team and the transparency of project information are another crucial factor within your company. Only if your team can work well together and communicate all information transparently to the customer, the project will be a success. An ERP system creates the best conditions for this!
Project-based companies rely heavily on the recording of working and project times. This is a crucial factor in ensuring the profitability of a project. Tracking overtime ensures that the project stays on schedule and within budget and prevents your employees from being overworked.
As you can see, for you as a project-oriented company, it is worth taking a detailed look at the ERP systems market. Because: For you, it is crucial that an ERP is able to optimally support time recording, resource planning and project management in order to meet the requirements of your industry. Is there an "all-in-one" solution on the market? Yes!
What if you could cover all your ERP requirements with one software tool that is cloud-based? Nothing could be easier! ZEP stands for time recording for projects and is exactly THAT: Our customised solution integrates seamlessly into your company's project business and digitises almost all needs in the hectic daily project routine - from quotation to project controlling to invoicing.
Accurate tracking of labour/project hours is essential to increasing your profitability. This is where ZEP comes in. The Module Presence enables the display of recorded attendances during project time recording, the linking of smartphones or tablets as mobile time clocks, the individual activation of attendance recording for each employee and the automatic creation of project times. Pure time recording can be carried out conveniently via the web frontend, via an app for iOS and Android or via our ZEP terminal produced in-house take place. And what about absences? For that we have the Overtime, Absences & Holidays Module has been developed. With this, you manage all absences for your entire team - digitally and without manual paperwork. This way you always have an overview of when which team member is absent. Another plus point: an overtime account is automatically created for each employee.
A efficient resource planning is the key to avoiding bottlenecks and optimising your productivity. This is where ZEP once again shows its strengths, because with our Resource planning module plan your projects with foresight. So that you are always up to date on how your employees are utilised and what tasks need to be done next to make your project a complete success. Speaking of planning. How do you plan your projects in advance? Do you define hours and deliverables in advance? With the Module Planned Hours we support your project planning right from the start. Create fixed or dynamic planning figures? No problem! With ZEP you can easily design your projects according to your needs. And how do your employees know which tasks are coming up next? Quite simple: With our Module Tickets, Tasks & To-dos. With this, you can easily divide your projects into individual tasks for your employees. Incoming requests are directly stored as tickets in the respective project. Now you can link them to predefined planned hours and you are perfectly on time!
Now let's get to the heart of your project-based work: project management! ZEP supports you here with powerful functions so that you can optimise this area. Before starting a project, you probably write a proposal to your customers. With our Module offers you save valuable time when creating with practical templates and thus completely dispense with manual processes. A good basis for a clear project process - for future projects. As soon as the offer has been accepted, you can transfer the individual items to your project and your employees can start booking their project times on them. And with the Prices & Receipts Module ensure the profitability of your projects. How? Quite simply, you define your prices and compare planned turnover with all internal costs. External costs can be digitally recorded directly as receipts. In this way, you can promptly recognise budget deviations and initiate appropriate measures to deal with them. As soon as a project is finally completed and there are no more open tickets, you can start invoicing. What used to involve time-consuming checking of all the hours worked can now be done at the push of a button with ZEP. Because: With the Invoicing module you can invoice all the expenses recorded in ZEP directly and simply send them to your customer by e-mail. It could hardly be more sustainable and faster.
As you can see, you no longer need any other ERP when using ZEP. With ZEP, you have a strategic tool at hand to help you achieve your goals. Don't you think so? Then test ZEP free of charge and without obligation for at least 30 days. If you have any questions our support team gladly answer your questions. You don't feel like talking? Never mind! In our informative webinars and YouTube explainer videos our support colleagues talk and clarify frequently asked questions clearly and with a pinch of humour. Have fun with the zepen!
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