What is ERP in the first place ?

Before comparing ERPs, let us explain what ERP is in the first place.
ERP is an abbreviation for "Enterprise Resource Planning" and is a system for centrally managing information on people, things, and money related to a company's operations.

By managing business data in a centralized manner, it is expected to reduce complicated tasks such as checking the consistency of data among operations and to prevent situations in which business conditions cannot be properly understood due to scattered data. In particular, large companies tend to handle a large amount of business data and have a large number of users, and ERP tends to be large-scale.

In addition, there are many operations that occur only in large companies with many subsidiaries and affiliates, such as accounting processing for transactions among group companies and consolidated closing operations.
Solutions for small and medium-sized companies do not have these requirements and are distinctly different from those for large companies.

  Points to consider when comparing products

So what should we pay attention to when actually comparing ERP products?
There are a variety of ways to gather information, including comparison articles such as this article and contacting vendors through their websites. However, we hear from some customers that it is time-consuming to gather information because of the large number of products offered by each vendor.

In such a situation, it is important to decide on the axis of comparison before proceeding with information gathering.
If you do not have a fixed axis of comparison, you may waste time in gathering information, or you may look only at the features that each company wants to market and fail to evaluate them correctly. By determining the axis of comparison, you can gather information efficiently and evaluate products using the same indicators.

In addition, many SaaS products have been offered in recent years, and there are many comparison articles that include SaaS products for small and medium-sized companies. We have heard some people say that they find it difficult to gather information on SaaS products for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), even though they are trying to gather information on SaaS products for large companies.

Therefore, in this article, we have compiled information specifically for "large companies.
First, we will introduce the points to look for in a product in terms of functions, price, and delivery format, and what points you should pay attention to.

1. Functions

 Regarding functions, there are a variety of solutions for each of the core business operations covered by the product. The following is a list of typical products.

Typical Products

Products in the accounting area: "financial accounting," "management accounting," "receivables and payables," "purchasing management," "cash management," etc.

Products in the supply chain area: "production management," "inventory management," "sales management," "cost management," etc.

Products in the human resource area: "Payroll Management," "Attendance Management," "Labor Management," "Recruitment Management," etc.

Even if we speak of ERP in one word, the areas covered by each product are different. Therefore, first clarify which areas your company needs products for, and then narrow down the products by checking whether there is any gap with the areas covered by the products to be selected.

Recently, an increasing number of companies are using SaaS products in combination, and the concept of streamlining ERP by narrowing its scope of use and optimizing it through a combination of SaaS services, etc. is known as "postmodern ERP " and is becoming a trend.

Click here to learn more about the example of construction patterns: Implementing an ERP to maximize effectiveness!

2. Price

About PricingFirst, let's understand what kind of costs are involved in implementing an ERP. Broadly speaking, there are initial costs and running costs required for continuous use. Please refer to the table below for typical initial and running costs.

As you can see, the price of a product is made up of a variety of factors, so when talking with vendors, be careful to gather information on the extent to which costs are included.

However, be aware that there are products that have lower initial costs and higher running costs.

Similarly, there are cases where the license and maintenance costs may appear low, but in fact the product is designed for additional development, so the cost of such additional development may be high.

3. Form of provision

There are two main types of offerings: direct sales and partner sales, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages.

1.Direct sales

In the direct sales model, the vendor that is developing the software sells it directly to the customer.
The advantage is that user feedback reaches the vendor directly and is reflected in the product. In addition, the vendor can respond directly to inquiries and other operational support without time loss. In this way, since the vendor can communicate directly with the customer without a third party in between, requests and inquiries are conveyed without discrepancies, and smooth communication is facilitated.

On the other hand, in the case of direct sales, the vendor makes proposals based on its own products, so there is a possibility that it will not make optimal proposals combining other products.

Another disadvantage is that when trying to build a system that combines various solutions, the customer has to deal with each vendor from product selection to implementation and maintenance.

2. Indirect Sales

In this type of provision, a vendor's distributor acts as a partner to sell the product.
Some partners specialize in this type of business and have a wealth of know-how. Therefore, if a partner has the know-how, the partner company can handle everything from implementation to maintenance smoothly. Some partners even offer additional development for add-ons.

In addition, if the agency handles a variety of solutions, you can ask them to combine multiple solutions and make the best proposal. In this case, the major advantage is that there is no need to deal with individual vendors and a single point of contact is possible.

On the other hand, it is important to note that the quality of services such as add-on development and maintenance support varies from partner to partner. There may be cases where the proposal was good, but when the project starts, it is riddled with problems, or maintenance support is delayed, which interferes with operations.

When considering implementation via a partner, it is necessary to confirm that the partner has the know-how and track record, including implementation and maintenance support.

  Comparison of products for major companies

So far, we have introduced the key points to consider when comparing products.
From here, we will introduce the actual products offered to major companies along with their features.

1. "SAP S/4HANA" (SAP)

SAP, headquartered in Germany, provides ERP packages suitable for leading companies that represent their industries. It is possible to realize centralized management of information including global locations.
SAP ERP has been implemented in a variety of industries, including some of Japan's leading companies.

The company plans to stop new sales of SAP ERP, which it has been selling for some time, and will continue to provide maintenance support until 2027. Currently, the company is focusing on sales of "SAP S/4 HANA," which incorporates AI, machine learning, high-speed processing, etc.

zFeatures
The company offers solutions in areas such as "Accounting," "Human Resources," and "Supply Chain Management."

z Price
Inquiries are required.

z Form of Provision
In principle, only sales through distributors are available. There are more than 100 partner companies in Japan with a wide range of services and know-how including sales, construction, and consulting.

For more information on SAP products, click here.

2. "Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP" (Oracle)

Oracle Corporation, headquartered in the U.S., has been providing "Oracle E-Business Suite," a packaged product, for about 30 years, and it has been introduced to major companies in various industries.

Recently, the company has adopted a strategy of shifting from on-premise to cloud computing, and is expanding sales of cloud computing products, including the SaaS product "Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP".
Combined with the company's strengths in database management and cloud technology, it continues to provide powerful ERP solutions.

0 Functions
Provides solutions in areas such as "Accounting" and "Supply Chain Management".

z Price
Inquiries are required.

z Form of Offering
The company sells directly and through distributors. Numerous partner companies provide services from sales to construction.

For more information on Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP, click here

Biz∫ (NTT Data)

NTT DATA offers "Biz∫," a packaged product.
intra-mart," which supports low-code development, as its foundation, allowing it to flexibly respond to customer requests and changes.
It has a proven track record of implementation in major companies in a variety of industries. Templates for different industries are also available, including the service, distribution, and construction industries.

zFeatures
The company offers solutions in areas such as "Accounting," "Human Resources," and "Supply Chain Management."

z Price
Inquiries are required.

0Offering Form
We offer direct sales and partner sales, and have partnerships with intra-mart, which is the foundation of Biz∫, and other leading package vendors in Japan and overseas, providing services that encompass core and peripheral business operations.

For more information on Biz∫, please visit

GLOVIA (Fujitsu)

Fujitsu has been developing "domestically produced ERP" for more than 40 years, starting with financial accounting systems for office computers.
We provide "GLOVIA SUMMIT" and "GLOVIA SUMMIT Cloud," a SaaS product, mainly to major companies with annual sales exceeding 100 billion yen.
It has been adopted by major companies in a wide range of industries and has been installed at a cumulative total of over 20,000 sites.

z Functions
GLOVIA SUMMIT provides solutions in the areas of "accounting," "human resources and payroll," etc.

z Price
GLOVIA SUMMIT Cloud: (Initial fee) ￥1,000,000～
GLOVIA SUMMIT GM Cloud Basic Service: (Monthly fee) ￥500,000～

0Offering format
Direct sales and partner sales are available. We provide support as the entire Fujitsu Group, including infrastructure and networks, such as cloud environments. We have 60 locations throughout Japan and provide support from installation, operation, to management.

For more information on Glovia, please visit

HUE (Works Applications)

We offer HUE, a no-customization package product that incorporates the requirements needed by major Japanese companies as standard package functions.
If there are any missing functions, the package's standard functions are expanded to accommodate them, so that system changes and legal revisions can be handled without the need for add-ons or customization, and with a fixed maintenance fee.

The company is responsible for everything from development to implementation and maintenance, and can receive implementation and maintenance support directly from the vendor. Support for implementation and business improvement is available from consultants with extensive experience.
The company has a track record of implementation for more than 2,200 companies, mainly major Japanese companies.

zFunctions
We provide solutions in areas such as "Accounting" and "Supply Chain Management".
Works Human Intelligence, a company spun off in 2019, handles the "Human Resources, Payroll, and Labor" area and can make proposals that include this area as well.

0 Price
on request. Fixed price based on the number of licenses. No additional costs are incurred for version upgrades, etc., as they are handled within the fixed maintenance fee.

Weoffer both direct sales and partner sales. We have always focused on direct sales and have provided a full range of services from development to sales and support. Recently, we have also started partner sales in order to meet diverse needs.

For more information on Partner Recruitment, click here

Learn more about HUE at

GRANDIT (GRANDIT)

GRANDIT was established in 2003 as a consortium consisting of several companies with user-based SI companies at its core. The know-how of multiple companies is reflected in the product to develop an ERP that is easy to use in the field.
GRANDIT has been adopted in a wide range of industries and has been introduced in more than 1,150 companies so far.

Functions
Provides solutions in the areas of "accounting," "human resources and payroll," "supply chain management," and others.

z Price
Inquiries are required.

z Forms of Provision
The company sells directly and through partners. It has more than 70 partner companies in Japan and provides comprehensive services including business consulting, customization, system implementation, and operation and maintenance.

Learn more about GRANDIT at

OBIC7 (OBIC)

Founded in 1968, OBIC is a Japanese systems vendor. It develops and sells its products in-house and directly, reflecting customer issues and needs in its products.
Over the 50 years since its founding, it has been implemented by more than 25,000 companies in 250 industries.

〇Functions
Provides solutions in business areas such as "accounting," "human resources and payroll," "supply chain management," etc.

z Price
Inquiries are required.

〇Offering format
There is no sales or support by agents, only direct sales. We provide everything from system planning, consulting, system development and construction to operational support in-house.

Learn more about OBIC7 at

Dynamics 365 (Microsoft)

Dynamics 365 is a SaaS solution built on Microsoft's Azure cloud service. Documents such as Outlook, Word, Excel, etc. can be synchronized and centrally managed.
It also has integration tools for other systems, so it can be easily linked with systems and tools other than Office products.

0 Functions
The solution focuses on "Accounting" and "Supply Chain Management".
It also provides solutions in the CRM area, such as sales support and marketing, and data can be linked and utilized.

zPrice
Finance (accounting domain): (monthly) ￥19,570/user

z Form of provision
Direct sales and partner sales are available. For support, various documents related to the product are provided, and services such as technical support and add-ons are available from partner companies.

Learn more about Dynamics 365 at

ProActive C4 (SCSK)

SCSK, which provides ProActive, is a Japanese ERP company established in 1993. SCSK provides functions suited to Japanese business practices and supports legal revisions.
It has been adopted in various industries and has been implemented in 6,300 companies and 280 groups.

Functions
Provides solutions in the areas of "accounting," "human resources and payroll," "supply chain management," and others.

z Price
Inquiries are required.

0Offering Form
We offer direct sales and partner sales. We are also strengthening cooperation with partner companies that handle a variety of products.

Learn more about Proactive C4 at

10. mcframe (Business Engineering)

We provide solutions specialized in the area of supply chain management to customers in the manufacturing and distribution industries. It employs the "framework concept," which allows for smooth expansion of functions to suit the business.
In terms of track record, since its establishment in 1996, it has been implemented in more than 1,000 companies, mainly major manufacturers.

〇Functions
Provides solutions in the "supply chain management" area.

z Price
Inquiries are required.

〇Offering Format
We offer direct sales and partner sales. It has a large number of partner companies that provide support for implementation, maintenance, etc. In addition, there are various other support services such as "mcframe user meetings" and training on how to use the system by users and partner companies.

Learn more about mcframe at

11.SuperStream(SuperStream)

We provide solutions aimed at reducing the burden of back-office operations. We can implement mcframe in a group, including overseas subsidiaries, and provide the functions necessary for global deployment.
As for track record, it has been implemented by more than 9,000 companies, and has been adopted by many small, medium, and mid-sized companies, including major companies in a wide range of industries.

〇Functions
Provides solutions in the areas of "accounting" and "human resources and payroll".

z Price
Inquiries are required.

〇Offering Form
The company sells directly and through partners, and has about 50 sales agents nationwide. It also offers a technical certification system to improve partner services.

Learn more about SuperStream at   

Gather information on efficient ERP to achieve your objectives

So far, we have introduced the axis of selection when looking at ERP and typical products with their features. In addition to the ERP products introduced in this article, a wide variety of products, including SaaS-type products, exist these days, so it is important to collect information efficiently after clarifying your objectives and axis of selection.
As mentioned in this article, our company, Works Applications, provides ERP "HUE" for major companies.
In addition, we are continuously sending out case studies and useful information from our users, so please take advantage of this service if you are interested.