"the whole is more, than the sum of parts"
It is a realistic and cost-effective decision to buy differing, independent software at the start of a business, rather than an all-encompassing unified corporate governance system (Enterprise Resource Planning – ERP). The drawback of this solution is the differing applications cannot work in unison which reduces employee efficiency, long-term this can negatively affect the business’ performance.
To sustain competitiveness it is worth to develop a unique software that meets the specific needs of the business or customise an ERP or integrate existing systems. The advantage of taking the integration route is cost and time efficiency, also employees do not need to learn an entirely new system.
Whilst upgrading office support applications to the more-and-more affordable, wider functionality and easy to setup ERP systems is doable, replacing existing manufacturing machinery to bring them onto a common platform (platform: facilitates the constant language for effective cooperation) appears impossible from a technological as well as an economic angle.
Currently the best solution is to integrate the separate components of the value chain to create a whole homogenous system to „make the whole more, than the sum of parts”