Core ERP modules
An ERP system is split into modules, each serving a department. A company switches on only what it needs and adds more over time, but they all share the same data:
| Module | What it manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Finance & accounting | General ledger, receivables and payables, tax, fixed assets. | Journal entry, balance sheet |
| Sales & CRM | Leads, quotations, sales orders, prices and discounts. | Quotation, sales order |
| Purchasing | Purchase requests, vendors, purchase orders, vendor bills. | Purchase order |
| Inventory & warehouse | Quantities, locations, receipts and deliveries, stock counts, reorder rules. | Delivery order |
| Manufacturing | Bills of materials (BOM), manufacturing orders, material requirements planning (MRP). | Manufacturing order |
| Human resources | Employees, leave, attendance, payroll. | Payroll run |
There are extra modules depending on the business: point of sale (POS), e-commerce, projects, helpdesk and maintenance.
Watch outChoosing modules is an analysis decision: Nakhla is a distributor, so it needs sales, purchasing, inventory and accounting first. It doesn't need manufacturing because it makes nothing. Start with what matters and expand later.