What is an Enterprise Management System? | IT PRO

Enterprise Management Systems (EMS), sometimes just known as Enterprise Systems (ES) are enterprise-scale application software packages which address the different software needs of large organisations – similar to ERP. They allow IT teams to support and manage large, complex and sometimes geographically-dispersed IT infrastructure and applications.

Most EMS solutions will include core business functions like financial processing, HR management, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), budgeting, sales activity and logistics and supply chain management. Most EMS tools are presented as a single package, but can also be bespoke systems created around an organisation’s specific needs.

Enterprise Management Systems are designed primarily for large organisations, as the name suggests, and are usually not suitable for small or medium organisations due to implementation costs and the less complex IT infrastructure often found in smaller businesses.

What’s the difference between EMS and ERP?

Some people may interchange the terms for Enterprise Management Systems and Enterprise Resource Management (ERP) but there are some significant differences. An EMS can include ERP as part of the package, but ERP itself is a standalone application that provides separate modules to address different back office functions.

Because EMS covers all the necessary business functions in one package, transfers of information from one section to another is fast and accurate. ERP systems are able to check stock, assist in planning and management and keep track of back office activities, but EM systems will then be able to go beyond this and monitor competitors, use real-time advanced data analytics to suggest new market areas and ways of engaging customers and keep track of the external relationships of an organisation.