EXPERT SPEAK
HOW ERP CHANNEL PARTNERS CAN SUCCEED IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY
Vibhu Kapoor at Epicor takes us through the market dynamics of ERP business applications and links it to challenges faced by channel partners , offering tips for them to succeed .
According to Strategic Market Research , the global ERP software segment was worth US $ 50.84 billion in 2021 and will reach US $ 117.68 billion by 2030 . In the Middle East , enterprise planning is now essential to manufacturers , and heavy industry sectors that are in turn critical to governments ’ economic diversification programmes . In the oil-rich Arab Gulf , channel partners who operate in the ERP space are going to see significant opportunities . But capitalising on them will require a little guile .
The first problem is scarcity . ERP rollouts are high-value projects , but not every business uses the technology , so ERP customers are going to be rarer to come by . And when we look at the market from a technology standpoint , we find a divided space with some providers focusing on SMEs and others on larger enterprises . Scalability of ERP , it seems , is a rare capability .
So , ERP providers that are looking to get famous and become the go-to channel champion in this growing segment need ways to stand apart and get noticed . There are two ways of doing so in the current market .
Vibhu Kapoor , Regional Vice President , Middle East , Africa and India , Epico
Integration
Since the computing revolution of the 1990s , IT decision makers have faced the procurement quandary of requirement fit vs limited resources . To find something that fits every business use case takes too long and costs too much . Today , many vendors provide customisation options that make plugging these gaps easier , and this is big business in the ERP space . ERP , by its very nature , has a vast set of functions and caters to a wide array of industries .
But the specificity of individual businesses – especially those that are doing something out of the ordinary to differentiate themselves in their own markets – cannot be entirely covered . Unique workflows and data requirements , influenced by factors such as regulations or customer needs , call for expertise in implementation .
The channel player that enables an enterprise to integrate new technologies into its ERP system is the player that ensures that their customer remains competitive . That is a fine foundation for a lasting and meaningful business relationship . Each customer that the channel partner can help in this way will become a staunch ambassador for the channel partner ’ s brand .
Seamless integration is not without its challenges . It can be time-consuming and expensive in terms of cash reserves and resources . But these obstacles just present further opportunities for the channel partner that can manage an ERP project end-to-end and overcome traditional roadblocks .
Configuration
In conjunction with integration , and to address the rarity of projects , partners
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