Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is an evolving concept. As technology advances, so do the capabilities of ERP systems, with improved storage and management, alternative deployment models and expanded data access. However, there is always room to make improvements.

According to Brian Sommer of ZDNet, one of the most concerning issues surrounding enterprise resource planning software is vendors' lack of understanding regarding sustainability issues.

"ERP vendors don't get sustainability. They think it's about collecting all of a user's electric and gas bills to determine their carbon footprint. They think it's a reporting exercise. If they can develop a spreadsheet with more rows and columns than the next ERP vendor, then they have achieved some sort of market leading, product excellence crown of achievement," writes Sommer.

Yet, he believes that even asking suppliers to account for sustainability in ERP systems would be a drastic mistake. He states that adding sustainability modules to ERP would be "intrusive, disruptive and expensive," and would only make things more difficult for vendors.

Thomas Odenwald, Senior Vice President of Sustainability at SAP, doesn't quite agree, instead believing that accounting for business externalities in ERP should be an essential part of the next-gen movement. In an article at Sustainable Brands he states that future ERP systems must be able represent all resources a business uses, whether they are traditional capital or otherwise. A company's processes always depend on available assets. Considering how natural resources are included among their assets, organizations take an important step toward running a more accurate and efficient business. 

Odenwald believes that environmental depletion and unsustainable uses will eventually catch up to all industries, making it important to account for ecological circumstances by using business management software.

At Accent Software we have the acuity and experience to help companies implement ERP systems that are best suited to their needs. Contact us today!