While legacy ERP software is better than spreadsheets, it’s not nearly as good as ERP software that is still getting updated. As technology continues to advance, having unsupported ERP software means that your shop is falling behind. You could also lose some of the functionality that you already have. Far from helping your shop, legacy ERP software could actually be holding your shop back.
No Security Patches
One of the underrated aspects of software updates is security patches. Hackers are constantly coming up with new ways to access computer data and 2020 has proven that even small businesses can be big targets for them. It’s important to get new security patches to keep hackers out. If your ERP software isn’t updating anymore, that means there’s a vulnerability that could potentially be exploited by hackers.
Harder to Fix Problems
If your ERP software is supported and you have a problem, you just contact support to get it fixed. If your ERP software isn’t supported anymore, that means you must figure out how to fix that problem yourself. Sometimes, it’s an easy fix or something that you can learn how to do, but other times it isn’t. The solution might require something from the vendor’s end, and the vendor can’t do that anymore if the software isn’t supported. Your shop may have to hire an IT tech to fix the software for you. Their solution might not work as well, and it will almost certainly be more expensive than getting support from the original vendor.
Nothing New
Another issue with unsupported ERP software is that you won’t get anything new anymore. Technology will keep advancing and coming up with new and easier ways to do things and you won’t get any of these features and enhancements. Your software is frozen in time while others in your industry are improving their productivity or efficiency. If you want to continue to make your shop better and keep up with the industry, you need software that keeps up too.
Integrations Might Stop Working
If you integrate your ERP software with other applications, like QuickBooks, that integration might stop working once your software isn’t supported anymore. If anything changes in the software you’re integrating with, it might make your ERP software unable to communicate. That means that not only is your software not getting new features, but it isn’t even keeping the features you need. This also means you won’t get the benefit of new features in whatever software you’re integrating with, putting your shop further behind.
Keeping your ERP software up to date helps your shop succeed in so many ways. Your shop bought its ERP software to become more efficient and productive. If your ERP software isn’t supported anymore, you aren’t getting as much benefit out of it as you could. Take a look at current ERP software to see what you’re missing out on and think about how making a change could help your shop.
Interested in what E2’s ERP software can do for your shop?
