The past 12 months proved just how essential it is for businesses to prepare for disruptions that may come in different forms. One term you might have encountered recently is ‘circular economy’ - and it’s considered one of the core ways in which companies can build resilience, while enhancing their environmental credentials.
But what exactly is a circular economy? And how can ERP software help businesses prepare for a more sustainable future?
More about the circular economy
A circular economy is designed to offer an alternative to traditional, linear models that typically follow a three-stage process: make, use and dispose.
Circular economies focus on reusing and recycling resources, keeping parts, products, equipment and infrastructure in use for longer periods of time. Building equipment that’s ‘built to last’ will benefit the environment in the long run, and not to mention your businesses’ bottom line.
At a time when businesses are under huge pressure to commit to a greener future, cost savings and much more, the circular economy is becoming more important than ever.
Improve your sustainability with ERP software
Sustainability has become a necessity.
Businesses with ERP software in place already have the tools at their disposal to take those all-important first steps towards a more sustainable approach in how they do business.
Since the start of Covid-19, there has been a faster paced migration towards digital transformation. Customer expectations are on the rise and there is a definite expectation for businesses to adapt and to keep up.
With a solid, future-proof ERP system in place, you can position your business for success, while boosting its environmental credentials, contributing towards a circular economy and improving on your customer service offering.
Use cloud software to reduce your hardware requirements
Choosing a cloud-based ERP solution has many business and environmentally friendly benefits; as a migration to the cloud eliminates the need for on-site hardware – cloud-based software can help you save time, costs and energy consumption as opposed to maintaining and hosting your own servers.
Have less hardware in place, also means that you do not require air-conditioned rooms for storage which ads to energy savings. By freeing up space, you can help your business reduce its carbon footprint and reliance on physical goods.
Optimise space with warehouse management software (WMS)
Additionally, if you have a warehouse for your stock, a good WMS system can make a huge difference. It can help businesses maximise space and will reduce the amount of time that pickers are spending on searching for items while also enhancing the lifecycle of any equipment you may be using.
Go green with delivery management
Optimising deliveries will be a major contributor to a greener future. Delivery management can go some way towards achieving this as optimising delivery schedules and better planning routes means your drivers can spend less time travelling between locations. Additionally, you might look forward to reduced fuel costs and consumption, less wear and tear on your vehicles – and, of course, a shift towards a circular economy.
There’s also the added bonus of being able to cut down on paperwork. Delivery management solutions or applications such as Kerridge Commercial System’s Electronic Proof of Delivery (ePOD) system will enable details to be stored digitally - no more printing, storing and carrying of physical documents – plus your delivery management system becomes more efficient, more modern and more streamlined!
Contact Kerridge Commercial Systems to learn more about how our ERP system and its various applications may be able to help your business streamline processes and do its part towards a greener future.
