Oracle ERP

Oracle has taken a different tack in its approach to growth. Instead of developing all of its features, it’s often reached out and acquired high-end providers to bring into the ERP environment. NetSuite, Taleo, MICROS, and PeopleSoft have all been picked up over the last decade, adding new tools to the Oracle suite.
Oracle also ends up costing more to install, according to Panorama. That comes with an increased success rate over SAP and Microsoft, with customers usually happy with the final product. That’s not surprising, given the wide breadth of first-class software companies that Oracle has picked up along the way.
In a predictions piece, Panorama recently said that Oracle will continue to have many niche markets locked down. Again, the theme of buying good companies comes up, with Oracle’s stable of brands able to tap into many smaller markets that other ERP providers won’t bother touching.
Reviewers over on Software Advice like Oracle’s flexibility and focus, with one writing, “[It’s] the best ERP software for middle-size company.” Overall, reviewers on Software Advice give Oracle’s ERP offering a solid 4.2 out of five stars.
One thing to keep in mind is that Oracle and SAP hold a huge chunk of the overall ERP market. That means two things. First, everyone is competing against them for room at the big kids’ table. That means every piece of marketing material you see from a tier-two brand is going to talk about the flaws in Oracle and SAP systems.
Second, it means that you’re going to read some bad stories about implementations. These are huge systems that take a long time to put in place and can cost millions of dollars. Don’t let market share turn into a skewed perspective on success. Both Oracle and SAP deliver results, but they can have horror stories at the same time. With more installations, there are more horror stories – anecdotes are not evidence.
Oracle is a good solution for niche players and companies that want more flexibility in implementation. It can get overwhelming, though, so make sure you know exactly which systems you’re interested in installing. If buying SAP is like buying a very nice car, buying Oracle can often be like buying a shed full of the parts required to make a nice car – it’s easy to get lost in the clutter.