ERP Reporting - ability to create/modify reports

All ERP systems come with plenty of standard reports, some useful for your circumstances, some not. But no matter how many reports there are, there always seems to be a few reports missing or reports not quite as required.

The reporting shortfall can be broken down into two main categories:
a) basic layout changes required, or the addition/removal of a small number of fields from existing reports

b) completely new reports required, some from a single data table, some requiring quite complex data structuring across two or more data tables.

To overcome these problems, ERP systems normally provide some form of report development tool. SAP for instances has its User Report Generator and ABAP programming language.

The development tool may be useable by end users with little or no IT experience, or it may require a person of considerable skill and experience. If the latter, then the running and installation costs of the software will be increased and in some circumstances even doubled (or worse).
Most systems claim to be useable by end users. This claim should be tested at some point – hopefully before committing money to the software. As not all claims are justified - I had better leave it at that.

One approach to filling the reporting gap is to use generic reporting tools like Crystal Reports or even the good old spreadsheet. These too come at a cost, they may not be of high monitory value, but the cost could well be hidden in things like data accuracy, completeness, timeliness and overall reliance on an external system to perform tasks that should be performed by the ERP system itself. Remember, that is probably one of the reasons you bought the system in the first place.

What should be avoided is using expensive IT developers or the system developer/reseller to remedy basic layout changes. Nowadays, this task should be within the scope and capability of system users and the ERP system should be capable of supporting this requirement. For example, under SAP the Report Generator is for users to create new reports. To change an existing standard report, will normally require knowledge of ABAP. Many ERP systems are sold that do not allow for standard reports to be changed by anyone! They are ‘locked’ by the system and require specialist knowledge or software to effect changes.

So when investigating an ERP system for use in your organisation, check its reporting abilities and the ability to change standard reports for category a) type changes.
Check the claims that it is user friendly.
Check on what experience and knowledge an IT person requires to create category b) type reports. Then determine the cost of that knowledge in the job market.

The answers to these questions will help you select the correct system for your SME.