10 Hot ERP Platforms For The Midmarket
There are a lot of ERP platforms. Which ones are a good fit for midsize organizations?
Enterprise resource planning has long been a key software platform for business success. ERP brings together just about every aspect of day-to-day business operations, including financials, human resources, procurement, CRM, inventory and more into one unified platform. These platforms are now mostly cloud-based with user-friendly interfaces.
ERP market share reveals just how valued this software is by businesses. The worldwide ERP software market grew by 13 percent to a market value of $51 billion in 2023, according to a 2024 Gartner report.
While the ERP market is dominated by global tech titans like Oracle, Sage, Microsoft, and SAP, there are also other players in the space with their own unique and innovative ERP platforms.
The midmarket has special ERP requirements. There are platforms that may be too big, too expensive, and may require too much time to implement and manage. Then there are ERP platforms targeted at small businesses—these may offer too much of a turnkey software solution without a lot of customization options that a midsize organization may need.
David Misakian, Director, Delivery, at SIS – a midmarket and enterprise provider, said that when it comes to selecting an ERP system, there are several considerations to keep in mind, especially for midsize businesses.
One is the implementation partner. "Do they have a strategy?" he said.
"What is the partner ecosystem available with specific industry solutions?" he added. "We at SIS have IP that is specific to the construction industry. Other folks may be looking to plug into third-party logistics networks to distribute products."
Misakian said it is also important when considering an ERP solution to ask, "Does your business process support the software?” He advised considering any current customizations that may already have been implemented in the company’s business software. "Would [the ERP platform] support my business going forward?" is a question that should be asked, he said, ensuring that whatever ERP being implemented is not going to break any existing customizations.
A third consideration is to know the scalability, he said. Cloud-based ERP platforms are favorable because they can lower IT costs, provide failover and data dedupe, support mobile devices, and offer real-time reporting and analytics.
Lastly, Misakian advised looking into the ERP company's support and upgrade model. Is the ERP company improving its features and, if so, is that going to mean an additional cost?
There are also some general commonalities that make for a good ERP platform for the midmarket. Gary Yu, deputy CIO at Blue Mantis, an IT managed service provider, weighed in on what makes a good ERP solution for the midmarket.
"Scalability. An ERP system needs to support an organization's current business model and planned growth, whether through organic growth or M&A activities. It must accommodate increased data, reporting, and user loads without compromising performance. Integration. ERP systems are cornerstone platforms for all mid-sized organizations. As their data becomes increasingly interconnected across systems and business functions, ERPs must seamlessly integrate with those systems and software, ensuring smooth and integral data flow.
Customization. The ability to tailor ERP systems to fit an organization's needs and processes better is a crucial feature. Product Family Platform. ERP systems are often bundled with a suite of integrated products that provide comprehensive business solutions. Getting to market faster and being able to take advantage of key synergies within related data from systems such as Customer Relationship Management and Business Intelligence systems can give an organization a key differentiator.
Real-time analytics. ERPs must provide up-to-date and accurate insight that positions organizations to make informed decisions quickly and efficiently.
Security. ERP systems house a wealth of sensitive information, including financial records, customer information and proprietary business processes. Data security, operational continuity, risk and regulatory compliance are all key components of a solution's platform.”
Taking all the above considerations in account, here are 10 solid ERP offerings for midmarket organizations
10 Hot ERP Platforms For The Midmarket
CEO: John Case
Headquarters: Bellevue, Wash.
Acumatica is laser-focused on the midmarket. So much so the company made the 2024 MES Midmarket 100 list of vendors and MSPs that understand the needs of midmarket organizations.
In addition to a robust partner program, Acumatica offers industry-specific features including financials, accounting, business intelligence, warehouse management, point-of-sale, reporting, a real-time dashboard and more.
"Enabling midmarket companies to achieve their growth ambitions is core to everything we do at Acumatica. To succeed in today’s ultra-competitive environment, businesses need the agility to quickly adapt to new opportunities. That’s why we’re focused on delivering cloud ERP solutions that drive scalability and empower people and teams to innovate, collaborate and anticipate what’s next—putting organizations in control of their own future," said Case in an emailed statement to MES Computing.
CEO: Steve Murphy
Headquarters: Austin, Texas
Epicor has been in the business software sector for 50 years. The company was named a leader in the 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Cloud ERP for Product-Centric Enterprises.
Although around for a half-century, the company continues to make nimble moves to keep its product offerings modern and relevant. Just this past June, Epicor revealed it had acquired KYKLO, a provider of product information management and content-driven lead generation software to accelerate "the company’s vision of providing AI-driven cognitive ERP," CRN reported.
Epicor offers very industry-specific ERP with offerings for the automotive industry, retail, manufacturing and other verticals.
CEO: Christian Klein
Headquarters: Walldorf, Germany
SAP is another huge company. According to a statement to MES Computing from SAP, some of its ERP platforms may be too big for midsize organizations but Grow with SAP hits that midmarket sweet spot.
Grow with SAP’s business platform option allows users to create and automate operations with low-code tools. The platform also has options for finance, manufacturing, supply chain and more.
Chairman, CEO: Satya Nadella
Headquarters: Redmond, Wash.
Microsoft Dynamics has a "stronghold" in the ERP space, according to the Greenwich Capital Group and it’s clear to see why. With a lion’s share of the desktop market, including business (one report has Microsoft OSes at 71.47 percent market share as of August 2024), implementing Dynamics into what is likely to be a business' already Microsoft-centric environment lends ease to deployment and management.
Dynamics offers several key features including forecasting, product change management, marketing, HR, financials and more.
CEO: Fabien Pinckaers
Headquarters: Grand-Rosière, Belgium
A smaller player perhaps than other ERP companies on the list, Odoo is all about ERP. This open-source ERP platform is one of the most affordable with all ERP apps available at $24.90 per user, per month. The apps are plentiful, including ones for CRM, productivity, help desk, financials, HR, marketing and more. It’s a good option for the smaller end of the midmarket.
EVP, Oracle NetSuite Global Business Unit: Evan Goldberg
Headquarters: Austin, Texas
Oracle NetSuite was named a leader in IDC’s MarketScape: Worldwide SaaS and Cloud-Enabled Midmarket Finance and Accounting Applications 2023–2024 Vendor Assessment. The research firm recognized the company for its “ability to adapt to both product-based and service-based businesses from its inception.”
Its ERP software includes financials, procurement, inventory and order management, supply chain and warehouse management, and more.
CEO: Richard Berger
Headquarters: San Ramon, Calif.
Rootstock offers an ERP platform that works with Salesforce. In addition, it offers features that include ERP for engineering, supply chain, production, financials and inventory management.
CEO: Steve Hare
Headquarters: Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Sage is one of the biggest players in the ERP and financial software industries. The company offers products targeted at mom-and-pop businesses and Fortune 500 companies. For the midmarket, Sage offers its ERP product, Intacct.
Intacct is very accounting- and finance-heavy, but it also offers modules for HR and payroll as well as intuitive, easy-to-use dashboards.
CEO: Brian Rainboth
Headquarters: Tustin, Calif.
Syspro specializes in providing financial, warehouse and inventory business insight for manufacturers and distributors. In a statement to MES Computing, Rainboth said:
"Syspro ERP has been specifically designed to meet the needs of midmarket manufacturers and distributors. As a result, customers see value much sooner than they would with generic ERP systems. Syspro also incorporates an array of innovative technologies into its platform such as AI, machine learning, predictive analysis, embedded analytics and IoT services, but Syspro customers aren’t limited to the modules we offer. Our flexible infrastructure makes it easy to incorporate pre-integrated solutions from our technology partners or integrate third-party software from other vendors.
Finally, Syspro is more than just a technology company. We pride ourselves on knowing our customers’ businesses and markets as deeply as we know the technology on which we’ve built our platform. That means we work with customers not just as an ERP vendor, but as a trusted advisor that helps them solve complex business problems."
CEO: Carl Eschenbach
Headquarters: Pleasanton, Calif.
Workday’s Enterprise Management Cloud marries finance and HR into a unified, AI-based platform.
Workday offers midsize businesses "Workday Launch," which is aimed at quick deployment. The company also offers its enterprise performance management software which provides the ability to build budgets, drill down on HR and finance activity, gain visibility into procurement, and other capabilities.