Shortlist the UK’s Best Cloud ERP Systems
Use our finder tool to shortlist the best cloud ERP systems that meet your budget, implementation, and scaling requirements
What Do You Need An ERP Software For?
What Is a Cloud ERP System?
A cloud ERP system is a type of Enterprise Resource Planning Software that runs on a cloud computing platform and is accessed remotely via an internet connection and a subscription payment.
This type of software allows businesses to implement an ERP system without the need to purchase hardware, server storage space, or a dedicated IT support team. Enabling users to instantly access accounting, HR, supply chain, inventory, sales, manufacturing, and much more data from anywhere at any time.
Choosing a cloud ERP system over an on-premise alternative has two key advantages:
- Budget-friendly: Fewer upfront costs and manageable monthly payments make it an affordable solution.
- Less Wait Time: Most cloud ERP systems are ready to go-live after purchase, resulting in 40% faster implementation times than traditional solutions.
Although there are some limitations in comparison to an on-premise solution—mainly customisation and data ownership—cloud-based ERP systems are favoured by 65% of new ERP software buyers.
5 Best Cloud ERP Systems For UK Businesses
Oracle Netsuite
A cloud-based ERP solution for mid-market and emerging businesses. It offers integrated modules for finance, inventory, CRM, and e-commerce. As a cloud-native system, it enables real-time data access, automated updates, and scalable operations.
Implementation time: 24 hours to 4 weeks
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
An enterprise-grade cloud ERP solution built for large and complex organisations. It provides integrated capabilities across finance, manufacturing, procurement, and supply chain. It provides continuous improvements through regular updates and embedded AI-driven business insights.
Implementation time: 30 days
Infor CloudSuite
A cloud-based ERP solution tailored for industry-specific needs, including discrete manufacturing, distribution, and healthcare. Built on the Infor OS platform and hosted on AWS, it offers integrated capabilities across finance, operations, and supply chain.
Implementation time: 3 months to 1 year
IFS ERP
A cloud-based ERP solution designed for enterprise asset-intensive and project-driven industries such as manufacturing, aerospace, and utilities. It integrates enterprise resource planning with asset management and service management. The platform offers real-time data, scalability, and built-in automation, supporting complex operations through a single, configurable cloud environment.
Implementation time: 3 months to 9 months
Workday
a cloud-based ERP system focused on finance, human capital management (HCM), and planning. Designed for medium to large enterprises, it offers real-time analytics, automated workflows, and built-in compliance features.
Implementation time: 3 months to 1 year
Who Is Cloud-Based ERP Best Suited For?
It’s easy to suggest that cloud ERP systems are best suited for small to mid-sized businesses. Although this is somewhat accurate—55% of SMBs implement a cloud ERP due to its convenience (29%) and adaptability (27%)—there are factors why large and enterprise organisations also opt for a cloud-based ERP.
Cloud ERP Software generally appeals to companies that require:
- Fast deployment and implementation
- Lower upfront costs
- Remote accessibility
- Minimal infrastructure
- Vendor support, maintenance, and updates
- High-level data security
Several large organisations and multinational enterprises have chosen cloud ERP over on-premise solutions to simplify their cost structures and operate more efficiently. Examples include Unilever (SAP S/4HANA Cloud), Dropbox (Oracle NetSuite Cloud ERP), and Toyota (Infor CloudSuite).
Find the Best Cloud ERP System For Your Business Processes
What Do You Need An ERP Software For?
What Is the TCO of a Cloud ERP System?
Over a five-year period, the total cost of ownership (TCO) for a cloud ERP system ranges from £150,000 to £400,000. This is 20-30% less than that of an on-premise ERP solution, which has high capital expenditure (CapEx) and operational expenses (OpEx). Whereas a cloud-based system will incur minimal or no capital expenditure.
Cloud ERP system costs combine software subscription, implementation, setup, configuration, training, integration, and support. All of these are operational costs.
TCO Item | Cloud ERP | On-premise ERP |
|---|---|---|
Infrastructure/Hardware | Not required/Included in software subscription cost | High upfront server and hardware costs |
IT staff required | Minimal, 1-2 staff required | High, IT teams needed for system maintenance and security |
Upgrades & maintenance | Included in software subscription costs and automated in planned downtime | Lengthy and manual process that incurs high costs and prolong downtime |
Risk of prolonged downtime | Low | High |
To calculate TCO, combine tangible and intangible costs of implementing a cloud-based system and then add the cost of maintenance and upgrades over a specific time period.
How Long Is the Cloud ERP Implementation Process?
Deploying a cloud-based ERP system can be instant, with implementations taking as little as 24 hours and as long as 6 months. Whereas, in comparison, on-premise solutions average an implementation time of 15 months.
There are several factors that affect the time to go live, including:
- Number and complexity of module integrations
- Infrastructure setup
- Installations and upgrades
- Configuration
- Customisation and testing
- Training and rollout
Cloud ERP implementation is, on average, 30–40% faster than traditional on-premise projects. Cloud implementation stages like infrastructure setup, configuration, and training take a third of the time. This is due to no hardware setup or installation requirements, and they’re generally designed to be easy to use for new adopters.
The Stand-Out Benefits of Deploying Cloud-Based ERP Software
The primary benefits of cloud ERPs are immediacy, scalability, and affordability for any growing business. Benefits can be unique to each adopter, too.
For service companies, the operational and strategic benefits include a more structured approach to creating, refining, and updating processes. For product firms and manufacturers, cloud ERPs support supply and demand efforts, sourcing, manufacturing processes and customer orders, and logistics.
Whatever the business type, cloud ERP systems deliver:
- Speed and mobility: Growing companies can rapidly adopt and deploy a cloud ERP, workers can access information from laptops or mobile devices wherever they are located.
- Lower cost of adoption: Compared to monolithic software licensing, the costs are reduced and scale with your growth. Bills are less complex and typically per user or seat, with add-ons billed only as they are needed.
- Enterprise-class functions: Whatever the size of your business, you get ERP features like HR, accounting, process management and others that were traditionally the preserve of major corporations.
- Ease of implementation and integration: While a cloud ERP adoption process for an enterprise can take many months or longer, ERP vendors focus on making the process as simple as possible with plug-ins, APIs, and third-party providers delivering vertical-specific support.
- Continuous innovation: Cloud ERPs deliver new features and updates regularly with no need to update your applications or pay for new features.
- Increasing automation: In the era of AI in ERP and process automation, ERPs are evolving to reduce the workload for users and managers, providing real-time insights and AI-based analytics, faster response times to issues and delivering a competitive advantage.
- Always-on security: Cloud systems typically come with enterprise-level security, backup solutions and disaster recovery tools built in to protect the business, users and data. Security is a vendor’s lead priority with the risk of a breach now likely a devastating one for businesses.
Cloud ERP Vs. On-Premise ERP: What’s the Difference?
Whereas a cloud-based ERP is hosted on a vendor’s server, an on-premise system is installed and run on the site of a business. This requires installation of hardware infrastructure and having dedicated teams for keeping the system updated and running smoothly.
ERP Cloud Benefits | ERP On-Premise Benefits | |
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Whatever the application, Software as a Service (SaaS) can be used in the cloud, or on-premise, that is installed locally on servers or data centres your business owns or operates. Cloud also supports Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) use cases for the development and management of more customised ERP and other applications.
Firms with regulatory or high-security requirements (such as financial services, government or healthcare) are more likely to operate an on-premises solution; even these are adopting more open clouds as they become battle-tested for millions of users.
Cloud ERP System FAQs
What Are the 5 Types of Cloud ERP Deployment?
1. Public Cloud
The public cloud isn’t “public” like a library, but offers shared ownership of a single huge pool of resources (compute, storage and infrastructure) for the most efficient pricing. Individual clouds are separated by access rights.
2. Private Cloud
A private cloud is a limited but scalable set of resources that is exclusively reserved for the customer, providing privacy and security benefits. For those with specific needs, private clouds represent a more secure and flexible approach.
3. Hybrid Cloud
The hybrid cloud gives the best of both worlds and mixes the above schemes with on-premises and other solutions such as edge networks. This gives larger enterprises the ultimate flexibility across their extensive organisations and territories.
4. Multi-Tenant Cloud
A multitenant cloud is an enterprise-class instance from a vendor as a single cloud. Used by multiple cloud customers (the tenants), they efficiently share scalable computing resources, which can be managed as a public or private cloud.
5. Single-Tenant Cloud
Conversely, a single-tenant cloud is for the exclusive use of one customer. They have total control over that cloud, but at typically greater cost in terms of management, and less flexibility.
What Is Hosted ERP & How Is It Different to Cloud ERP?
Hosted ERP is essentially an on-premise ERP solution that is hosted off-premise. Instead of having the infrastructure and housing space for hosting an on-premise ERP system, your system is hosted on external servers in a private data centre or via infrastructure-as-a-service providers.
As opposed to cloud ERP systems that are provided for by vendors, hosted ERP systems are still owned by you. This allows for all the benefits of an on-premise system – customisation, data security, and privacy – without the infrastructure or running costs.
Can Other Cloud-Based Applications Be Integrated With Cloud ERP Systems?
Yes, the integration of cloud-based apps with cloud ERP systems is effortless. ERPs integrate with CRM, ecommerce, accounting, and more. This is mainly achieved with APIs, although most ERP vendors offer pre-built connectors for native integration. Over 70% of cloud ERP users easily integrate with other platforms like CRM, HR, or supply chain solutions.