Guides6 min read
Business Operating System vs ERP: Which Does Your Company Need?
ERPs run inventory, finance and supply chains. A business operating system runs customers, communication and daily work. Here's how they differ.
Different centers of gravity
An ERP (enterprise resource planning) system is built around resources: inventory, purchasing, accounting and manufacturing. A business operating system is built around people and relationships: customers, conversations, documents, knowledge and the team — human or SI — doing the work.
When you need which
Manufacturers and distributors with complex inventory usually need an ERP. Service businesses, professional firms, agencies and sales-led companies usually get more from a business OS. Many organizations run both and connect them through an API.
They work well together
A provider-agnostic business OS with an open API and webhooks can sit alongside your ERP, sharing customer and order data so each system does what it does best.
