Brightpearl
Brightpearl is a software platform, which allows retailers to track their operations within one ecosystem. According to the website of the software product, one of the key benefits that differentiate this software from others is the support, which is provided three times faster than in traditional enterprise resource planning ERP. There are numerous features that allow users to grow their business and achieve their peak in trading. For example, Brightpearl allows for inventory planning and management, sales order management, shipping & fulfillment, warehouse management, retail accounting, purchasing & supplier management, workflow automation, reporting, payments, and analytics.
Another aspect that provides Brightpearl with a competitive advantage is that is designed specifically to meet the needs of the retail industry and small businesses. This means that the software updates regularly to stay relevant within the field of retail innovations and trends. Moreover, the integration of Brightpearl with other instruments needed for running a retail business makes the software more comfortable to use. For example, Brightpearl is integrated with e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, BigCommerce, Aithorize.Net, ShipStation, Xero, QuickBooks Online, PayPal, eBay, Amazon, Alibaba, Rakuten, and many others.
However, there are limitations to the Brightpearl system. As such, some of the users complained about communication problems between the website of their company and Brightpearl. Namely, clients reported the issue with payments collection from the Magento platform, which is not included in the integrated e-commerce company list. Hence, workers of the client’s company had to collect payments by themselves. In conclusion, Brightpearl is a reliable software for retailers that provide companies with automation of many processes and opportunities for the supply chain management.
Microsoft Dynamics 365
Microsoft Dynamics 365 software package is an almost all-inclusive platform that helps businesses of various spheres. Due to the vast budgets for development and some of the best experts involved in software giant such as Microsoft, Microsoft Dynamics 365 is one of the most commonly used packages for planning, organizing finances and operations, and automation of the workflow. In terms of supply chain management and enterprise resource planning (ERP, the package offers optimization opportunities.
The development of an automated supply chain via Microsoft Dynamics 365 is based on gaining planning agility. The software allows to predict demand and therefore, plan supply and production in the nearest future, hence, making resource management sustainable and efficient. In addition, such demand predictions allow buying the right amount of inventory to avoid shortages. This supply chain agility is achieved through three optimization processes.
Firstly, the software package applies Artificial Intelligence to forecast future demand and operations planning so that the delivery of the product happens promptly. Secondly, in-memory services allow Microsoft Dynamics 365 to plan production and distribution within near-real time. This way the inventory process is optimized ensuring that the necessary equipment can be utilized on-demand. Finally, the software allows automating such processes as streamline production scheduling and resource allocation, hence reducing excessive equipment utilization.
Although the Microsoft Dynamic 365 is easily integrated with other Microsoft products, users reported that the interface is confusing to end their user experience is not always as easy as they would like it to be. Nevertheless, this software package ensures that state-of-the-art technologies of artificial intelligence are applied in order to optimize enterprise resource planning and other processes.
Monday.com
Another leader in software packages for businesses is Monday.com. It provides a platform, which is easy to apply to different types of businesses and is commonly used by companies of different scales. Its most famous users are Deezer, Coca-Cola, Adobe, BBC Studios, Hulu, and others. Its popularity is easy to explain – the software is easy to use, the tech support is provided quickly and thoroughly, it is user-friendly, and allows a 14-day free trial. In addition, it provides one of the most versatile lists of features that help businesses grow.
In project management, the Monday.com feature includes task management, resource management, Gantt Charts, scheduling, workflow automation, team collaboration, support for agile methodology, document management, email integration, mobile access, timesheet tracking, case management, and budget and expense management. This includes two areas of our focus, namely expense management and resource management. Mainly this software is designed for digital-oriented companies, that run its operations remotely or online. Therefore, it was hard to find a supply chain management part, which deals with enterprise resource planning. Monday.com can provide demand forecasting, which can be used for resource planning and inventory optimization.
Its simplistic design may act as a disadvantage to some of the users, who would like to utilize more functions to build complex graphical visualizations. Overall, Monday.com is a modern platform, which is easy to use and navigate and provides a broad scope of features. In terms of ERP, the software package may not suit every type of business, because it lacks supply chain management tools.
References
Brightpearl (2021).
Microsoft Dynamics 365 (2021).
Manday.cm (2021).