Why Global ERP platforms are failing to help SMEs in Africa?

As a small business owner, you know firsthand the joys and struggles of running a company. From the thrill of signing a new client to the anxiety of managing finances and meeting regulations, it can be a rollercoaster of emotions. That's where modern cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) comes in. With its flexible, customizable, and user-friendly features, a cloud ERP solution is the key to thriving in today's digital economy.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), a small business is generally defined as one that employs fewer than 1,500 people and generates a maximum annual revenue of $41.5 million. But when you come to Africa this is different. A business making $10Million annually is not small. Last week , i was talking to one client in logistics sector. He failed to use one of global ERP platform in logistic sector because he have 4 employees and 35 trucks. Requirements to use that platform , you must have minimum 10 employees with a lot of conditions making it difficult for him. Everything in Africa is different. We managed to train him and started using EMA Fleet System which was developed for Africa. Whether you have 2 employees or 9 , we need an ERP that understand all those limitations. 

Let me mention various categories of Small businesses operating in Africa that need special attention :

• Retail businesses - These are small businesses that specialize in selling goods and services directly to consumers. Capital amounts for these businesses can range from $5000 to $50,000 and more.
• Food and beverage businesses - These businesses can include restaurants, cafes, and food trucks. Capital amounts for these businesses can range from $5,000 to $100,000 and more
• Professional services - These businesses provide specialized services such as accounting, consulting, or legal advice. Capital amounts for these businesses can range from $10,000 to $100,000 and more
• Manufacturing businesses - These businesses produce goods for sale and can include everything from clothing and textiles to electronics and furniture. Capital amounts for these businesses can range from $50,000 to $1million and more
• Construction businesses - These businesses provide construction and repair services for buildings and infrastructure. Capital amounts for these businesses can range from $50,000 to $1Million and more
• Agriculture businesses - These businesses produce crops or livestock for sale. Capital amounts for these businesses can range from $10,000 to $500,000 and more
• Real estate businesses - These businesses buy, sell, and manage real estate properties. Capital amounts for these businesses can range from $50,000 to $1Million and more
• Transportation businesses - These businesses provide transportation services such as taxi, trucking, or courier services. Capital amounts for these businesses can range from $100,000 to $5Million and more
• Marketing and advertising businesses - These businesses help companies promote their products or services. Capital amounts for these businesses can range from $5,000 to $100,000 and more.

If your business falls into this category, then you're one of the millions of small businesses operating in Africa today. But unfortunately, statistics show that only 55% of small businesses make it past their fifth year. This high failure rate is understandable given the complexity of managing a business, but it's also preventable with the right technology that understand Africa environment. And in this case, the right technology is cloud-based ERP for small businesses like EMA CLoud ERP. 

So, what is ERP for small businesses and what are its benefits? Essentially, it's the glue that holds your organization together, merging financials, sales, inventory, manufacturing, distribution, customer relationship management (CRM), and more in a centralized solution. It provides a "single source of truth" drawn from updated, accurate, company-wide data. Here are just a few  benefits of implementing a small business ERP system:

• Greater workforce collaboration: With a cloud ERP solution like EMA Cloud, your team members have access to the same accurate information at the same time, so they're always on the same page when working on business-wide projects. This eliminates the time wasted on verifying information from disparate systems and fosters seamless collaboration between all teams – front-office, back-office, field, and remote.
• Easier team and resource management: An ERP system enables managers to monitor their teams and resources from one solution, giving them critical information like inventory on hand and what team members are working on at their fingertips. Any necessary adjustments or changes can be made easily and quickly from a single dashboard.
• Improved accounting standards and regulatory compliance: Complying with constantly changing accounting regulations is a daunting challenge for businesses. But a cloud ERP system eases this complexity by providing the internal control, automatic updates, and automated data collection capabilities you need to stay current with evolving statutes and standards.
• Complete visibility across the organization: Before implementing a comprehensive cloud ERP solution, many small businesses rely on disconnected systems to manage their varying responsibilities. This leads to siloed data that is difficult to compile and often requires manual workarounds. With a small business ERP solution, you can gather all your data into a central repository, reducing human effort and providing a 360° view of your business. You and your teams will have access to innovative business intelligence tools that deliver actionable insights for strategic decision making.
• Increased adaptability and scalability: Cloud ERP solutions offer a level of adaptability and scalability not possible with disconnected, legacy solutions or on-premises business management systems. For example, if you experience sudden growth or need to pivot your business model, a cloud ERP solution can easily scale up or down with you.

EMA CLOUD ERP is a transformative cloud ERP solution that has recently hailed as a leader in its field. With a resource-based pricing model that allows small businesses to pay only for the resources they utilize, not the number of employees, EMA ERP offers advanced features and functionalities at an affordable price. This pricing model was a major factor in Temba Logistic's decision to choose EMA Cloud ERP. As controller and acting CFO Joel Jonas explains, "We were drawn to EMA's licensing model and were thrilled to find that it also offered a cloud-based platform with a wide range of third-party add-ons and the ability to customize it to fit our business needs. With EMA, everything is interconnected and streamlined, giving us a highly efficient way to manage our business."

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