Managing enterprises is like playing Jenga: one wrong move or an unstable foundation can cause the entire infrastructure to collapse. Running this business type has too many moving parts from employees and multiple worksites to warehousing, distribution and supply chains. However, enterprise software, an ERP software type, automates processes, saves money and diminishes mistakes.

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This article covers enterprise-level software characteristics, capabilities, benefits, purchasing considerations and top solutions.

Overview

There are different definitions and criteria for enterprises. In a nutshell, enterprise organizations have 1,000 or more employees and typically have several local, national or global locations.

Enterprise software solutions cater to these and other parameters with scalability, analytics, real-time monitoring and other tools.

Critical Features

Features and requirements vary from business to business. All enterprise application solutions are not the same but offer similar features and characteristics.

Flexibility and Scalability

Companies undergo planned and sudden changes constantly. You may have to lay off or fire several employees, close worksites/warehouses, open new worksites, form new partnerships or invest in new technology. Most systems offer flexibility and scalability to adapt to changes and integrations quickly.

Content Management

Obtaining a content management system (CMS) module or standalone system simplifies and expedites content writing, editing and publishing for websites and blogs. Instead of hiring an IT team for extensive coding, you can sign up for platforms to create your ideal web space to spread updates and connect with current and potential clients.

Analytics

Gauge and evaluate KPIs with in-depth analytics to make well-informed business decisions regarding employees, revenue, account payables and receivables, customer feedback and more. You can also consider investing in business analytics (BA) tools to conduct in-depth analyses.

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Primary Benefits

Enterprise solutions software garner diverse perks to guarantee your organization meets or exceeds expectations.

Reduces Human Errors

With automatic data inputting, you can simultaneously receive and allocate info to different departments, executives, stakeholders, etc., without mistakes. You can quickly rectify errors via real-time updating if they crop up unexpectedly.

Saves Money and Time

Automation not only diminishes mistakes but also saves time and money. While the system classifies information, you can focus on high-priority assignments and client-facing tasks, boosting productivity. You can also save money on overhead, inventory and other fees with specific modules that streamline practices.

Offers Centralization

Enterprise solutions software keeps everything centralized and your whole team on the same page. Messaging, real-time updates and other accessories keep everyone in the loop about changes, meetings, schedules, reports and more in one place instead of opening other platforms.

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Purchasing Considerations

Like buying a car, investing in a new solution can cost an arm and a leg. However, there are different considerations to mull over as you browse vendors that could affect a program’s total cost of ownership (TCO), such as deployment, company size, requirements and more.

Which Deployment Option Fits Your Needs?

Are you thinking about using a cloud system or on-premise?

On-premise, ideal for startups and small organizations, permits you to host the enterprise software and data on your company servers and hard drives. If you don’t require a lot of traveling or managing numerous worksites regionally or globally, this option is your best fit.

Cloud software, ideal for mid-sized and global enterprises, allows you to store and host the solution through a third-party server via the internet. You save room on your company servers and have mobile access for tablets, laptops and smartphones even when you’re away from the office. Cloud options also typically have affordable subscription plans.

Which Features are Most Suitable for Your Company?

You must consider which requirements are best for your departments and operations. The more specific you are in crafting a wishlist of requirements, the better your chances are of finding the ideal solution. Talking with department leaders will help you perceive what they need while avoiding unnecessary tools and add-ons.

Do You Need a New System or Additional Tools?

This concept is similar to your vehicle. If your service engine or low tire pressure light appears on the dashboard, you won’t throw away your car. You’d evaluate it with a mechanic and try to rectify the issues. Your solution could just need a tune-up instead of a total replacement.

For example, you may have the correct manufacturing, accounting and CRM features but lack real-time inventory management and SCM tools. In this case, you’d just search for ideal inventory and SCM applications and ensure with vendors that they can merge with your existing system.

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Top Enterprise Software

Enterprise software systems cover several departments and industries. As such, we’ve focused on non-ERP products that simplify tasks across project management, marketing automation (MA), business phone systems and more. Let’s review each system and how its features and benefits streamline practices.

ClickUp

ClickUp is a customizable project management solution that helps organizations plot, assort and cooperate on diverse assignments. It caters to all businesses sizes and serves all industries. Its top modules include, Gantt charts, dashboards, time tracking and to-do lists.

A preview of ClickUp’s interface.

Top Benefits

• Facilitates Workflows: Clarify protocols with easy-to-use tools, such as sales, planning and execution practices to boost efficiency.
• Diminishes Confusion: Formulate duties during a project’s preliminary stages to establish goals for improved productivity.
• Offers Practical Deadlines: Leverage machine learning to define realistic timelines and decrease inaccurate estimates. This tool ensures you meet your goals on time and increases efficiency.
• Gives Several Filters: Employ three different views to evaluate projects and tasks to get more done and increase revenue.
• Centralizes Workflows Manage projects and tasks on a single dashboard for better workflows and management. It also simplifies employee task allocations to better align particular skillsets.

Primary Features

• Gantt Charts: Plan, focus and supervise project dependencies on one timeline. Arrange and rank tasks according to urgency while hosting a teamwork environment via drag-and-drop tools.
• Dashboard: Craft several project dashboards while sharing digital workspaces. Implement widgets to receive activity and other applicable information. Sort resources and pinpoint asset utilization levels effectively.
• Time Tracking: Chronicle time through mobile devices, desktops or web browsers as you jump between assignments. Review thorough timesheets by day, week, month or personalized timeframes.
• To-Do Lists: Blueprint meticulous to-do lists to superintend work details from virtually any location. Work with link items, colors and formatting modules to transform lists into tasks. Reuse template lists as necessary.
• Kanban Board: Utilize these board types to obtain better project progress overviews with several statuses and placements in one centralized location. Build anything from simple ideas to multi-tiered procedures.

Limitations

Although this enterprise software solution offers multiple modules and benefits, it has some drawbacks. These disadvantages include:

• Difficult configuration.
• Inaccurate automation.
• Steep learning curve.
• Untimely notifications.
• Limited mobile app capabilities.

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WordPress

WordPress, a well-known enterprise level software, emphasizes CMS tools to publish content online. It offers web design tools with CSS, domain registration and automatic upgrades via secure server hosting. Craft blogs, mailing lists, forums, online stores, membership sites and more. Top features include content publishing, plug-ins, themes and SEO.

A preview of WordPress.

Top Benefits

• Offers Customization: Craft thorough, professional websites, simplified, personal blogs, a portfolio or a combination of each with the ideal tools.
• Provides Unique Domains: Add customizable domain names to better host and manage your brand via WordPress.
• Boosts Mobility: Make sites mobile-friendly with one click, and access WordPress via mobile devices to edit and post content in real time from virtually any location.
• Offers Easy-To-Use Editor: Access an intuitive, quick editor that automatically saves progress every few seconds to avoid losing thoughts or notes.
• Generates Detailed Reports: Review visitor data such as location, the content they’ve read, when they visited and more to better understand your readers.

Primary Features

• Content Publishing: Share content in one click. Insert words or images from your Google Drive or type your content directly into the editor.
• Themes: Pick from more than 8,000 themes or create a new one with the theme developer handbook.
• Plug-Ins: Choose and implement from more than 55,000 downloadable plug-ins, such as anti-spam protection, site-building tools and SEO optimization.
• Security: Maintain website security with WordPress HackerOne and a security team of roughly 50 experts to protect websites from common cybersecurity threats.
• SEO: Implement SEO to garner traffic information to boost search engine visibility on specific pages and content.

Limitations

Like many enterprise software systems, WordPress comes with a few disadvantages.

These limitations include:

• Has too many plug-ins.
• Not always user-friendly.

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Salesforce

A CRM and lead management solution, Salesforce offers a complete product suite to govern client interactions, thorough analytics and personalized workflows. Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud and Lightning Platform are some of its top solutions.

An example of Salesforce’s interface.

Top Benefits

• Provides Metric Reporting: Manage transparent business performance reporting with standard and personalized reporting. Joint reports offer information evaluation in numerous ways.
• Boosts Efficiency: Automate repetitive duties to focus on strategic assignments.
• Offers Product Updates: Utilize new features according to feedback and enhance tools to improve client interactions.
• Safeguards Data: Implement two-step or multi-factor authentication and other modifications to suit configurable security permissions.
• Offers a Centralized Interface: Allow diverse teams to access one UI instead of hopping between several platforms and screens.

Primary Features

• Sales Cloud: Craft customizable products, draft proposals and quotes, simplify approval protocols and activate automatic renewals. Obtain total performance views across several reps and teams.
• Service Cloud: Superintend all office or in-the-field service connections in one place. The field service lightning tool offers access to client info, routes, IoT device information, transparency and automatic scheduling to better manage and streamline operations. You can also utilize omni channel routing, ticketing systems, call center scripts, case management, etc.
• Marketing Cloud: Implement the audience studio to build audience segments and enhanced target audience journey comprehension. Gain strengthened touchpoints and data signal insights. Pardot offers campaigns and email automation, real-time notifications, landing pages, lifecycle reporting, SEO and SEM program integrations and more.
• Heroku: Construct configurable cloud apps for more outstanding customer experience deliveries. Use open-source programming languages to craft scalable platforms that sync Salesforce data. Synchronize data between Heroku and Salesforce via two-way channels.
• Lightning Platform: Design apps with equipped, plug-and-play and drag-and-dropped builders instead of codes. Craft programs from spreadsheets and mobile apps in a few clicks.

Limitations

Although Salesforce is common among enterprise application solutions, it has some limitations. These drawbacks include:

• Sluggish on mobile devices.
• Has too many features.
• The UI could use an upgrade.

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HubSpot

HubSpot is a cloud marketing automation (MA) system with an inbound methodology and customer-friendly focus. It caters to all businesses and streamlines a prospect’s journey from beginning to end. Its main modules are, CRM, sales, marketing, service and CMS.

A preview of HubSpot.

Top Benefits

• Utilizes Total Scalability: Superintend company growth at all stages with free toolsets and premium add-ons you may purchase as you expand in one centralized place, reducing growing pains.
• Improves Organization: Keep projects, teams and data in one centralized atmosphere with real-time, simplified tracking and updating tools. Implement tiers to emphasize specific workers and verify that they have the right assignments that meet their talents.
• Provides Easy Navigation: Employ an accessible interface and no-code-necessary features, no matter your technical expertise.
• Monitors All Prospects: Track prospects early in the buyer’s journey and follow them to the final stages to better understand where leads are coming from and where they’re going.
• Assesses Websites: Implement the free website grader module to find high and low points within your web page. Access helpful improvement tips to upgrade and improve layouts to reach a broader audience.

Primary Features

• CRM: Leverage lead management to gain improved contact transparency via centralized, thorough client profiles. Implement messaging to boost internal and external communications and foster lead generation.
• Marketing Hub: Use visual accessories to develop drip campaigns and define diverse workflows. Some automations include bulk data updates, internal alerts and lead handoffs between marketing and sales. Structure branded, responsive, mobile-friendly landing pages. Implement pre-design reports and dashboards with in-depth business KPI analyses for better decision-making.
• Sales Hub: Allow prospects to schedule meeting times automatically with support groups, round robin scheduling links and Google or Office 365 Calendar synching. Input new profiles as you schedule meetings.
• Service Hub: Diminish workloads when you craft articles with standard tickets and questions in the knowledge base, allowing clients to find answers independently. Produce tasks and alert emails after receiving consumer feedback.
• CMS Hub: Merge this system with Hotjar, Google Search Console, Wistia, Typeform and CoSchedule. Construct data libraries for vital content while controlling versioning, themes, code alerts and interactive elements. Exhibit web page content in several languages for global appeal.

Limitations

This enterprise software solution brings plenty of features and differentiators to the table. But it also has limitations, such as:

• Premium versions are pricier for small businesses.
• Has a steep learning curve.
• Lacks auto-save features.
• Offers finite customizations.
• Copying information complicates data organization.

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8×8

Lastly, 8×8 is a business phone systems solution that offers infinite calling, SMS, automated call-attendant, recording and other tools for smoother calling and virtual meeting experiences. It includes all-in-one communications, business phone, video conferencing, team chat and contact center functionalities.

An example of 8×8 interface.

Top Benefits

• Delivers Security and Compliances: Gain complete encryption and other tactics to keep calls and conferences secure. It also aligns with HIPAA, FISMA, FCC and other compliances.
• Provides Global Reliability: You don’t have to worry about failure points around the world thanks to a safeguarded data center with resilient uptime to ensure secure connections.
• Garner’s In-Depth Analytics: Gather ideal analytics and KPIs to review and evaluate information to make smarter business choices.
• Saves Call Recordings: Store phone calls on desktops, Dropbox or 8×8’s cloud for better protection and retrieval. Supervisors and other authorized employees can save calls as training materials.
• Provides Hi-Def Videos: Implement high-definition video conferencing for all devices and 500 maximum attendees. Perform content sharing and teamwork.

Primary Features

• All-in-One Communications: Link employees and clients in one platform for voice, chat, video and other communication modes. Reach customers across more than 120 countries with high uptime and voice quality.
• Business Phone: Employ auto-attendant voice services to route calls, offer self-service choices and pick the right music when you put clients on hold. Distribute calls evenly to balance employee workloads via the call management module.
• Video Conferencing: Add upt 100 participants in an HD video call. Enable background blurring, mobile device joining, participant permissions, shared key encryption, recordings and more. Livestream and share conference calls on YouTube with infinite viewers. Access 46 different languages for global participants and regions.
• Contact Center: Initiate self-serving call responses through interactive voice response AI technology. Review every digital channel in one interface for centralization. Offer customer surveys for fee APIs that offer extended SMS, chat, call statistics and more.

Limitations

Like most enterprise application solutions, 8×8 has several drawbacks. These limitations include:

• Experiences occasional bugs.
• Customer support isn’t always reliable.

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Moving Forward

Searching for enterprise software can be as intricate as buying new furniture or appliances. You’ll become overwhelmed by various vendors and solutions if you don’t have a solid requirements list. You need a program that best meets your company’s goals. Please review our comparison and pricing guides if you’re interested in more ERP software.

How has software helped your enterprise? Which module or example is your favorite and why? Let us know in the comments!