Why ‘Standard’ ERP Doesn’t Work Anymore (And Why Low-Code Does)

Convincing someone that an expensive piece of technology they bought five years ago is no longer working, but that’s not the purpose of this guide.

Instead, we want to explore whether a Low-Code ERP platform can address the limitations of traditional ERP systems. The key question is: are you delighted with your ERP?

The answer isn’t always straightforward. Perceptions about the value of investing in custom ERP solutions are often shaped by hidden factors. Many companies continue using systems that no longer work effectively because they want to avoid admitting a costly investment didn’t deliver. CIOs also fear the disruption and chaos that switching to new technology—like a Low-Code custom ERP solution—might bring.

If you’re an IT leader, you’ve probably felt these struggles:

• Your organization’s ERP is creating bottlenecks.
• The transition to a custom ERP solution feels too painful to manage.

That hesitation is understandable. Let’s examine the common challenges CIOs face with traditional ERP systems and how modern alternatives like Low-Code ERP platforms provide solutions.

Traditional ERP vs. Low-Code ERP: A Clear Comparison

The differences between traditional ERP systems and modern Low-Code custom ERP platforms are stark.

The contrast between traditional and Low-Code ERP solutions is clear, but to fully understand why traditional ERP systems often fall short, let’s address the specific frustrations many CIOs report.

Problems with Traditional ERP

In our experience working with CIOs, the following common frustrations with ERPs surface sooner or later:

1. The ERP feels outdated. Technology evolves quickly, and what was cutting-edge five years ago feels clunky today.

2. It’s too rigid. As businesses grow and change, customizing ERPs becomes costly and time-consuming. Many companies end up just living with what they have.

3. It creates data silos. Different departments use their own systems that don’t integrate well with the ERP, leading to data silos. This makes it difficult to get a complete picture of the business and can result in poor decision-making. Decisions that should be based on data are made by intuition, turning management into a guessing game.

4. Integration is a nightmare. Every time a company adopts new technologies, integrating them with the ERP creates unintended complications and slows down processes.

5. It’s expensive to maintain. Keeping an ERP running requires constant IT support, upgrades, and customizations. Over time, these costs build up, especially for older systems.

6. It’s not aligned with modern work styles. Today’s workers value speed and simplicity, and a clunky user interface signals to them that the system is outdated.

These issues are rooted in three key design flaws of traditional ERP systems:

1. Outdated assumptions. Traditional ERPs are built on assumptions made by application developers about standard business practices at a specific point in time. These assumptions become outdated quickly. For companies with non-traditional models, processes change even more frequently.
2. High-code philosophy. Traditional ERPs are developed with high-code approaches, meaning everything is coded. Even if there are customization options through a GUI, you still need skilled engineers and developers to use them effectively.
3. Costly customizations. Tailoring the system to fit a company’s needs is possible, but it’s expensive and time-consuming. Often, companies only realize the true costs months after purchasing the ERP.

As a result, the ERP becomes a barrier to innovation. It ends up being the weak link, but since it’s so central to the business, touching it feels like risking everything.

How A Low-Code Custom ERP Solves These Problems

Organizations don’t have to keep struggling with poor ERP performance. The old belief was that you could have a cheap, fast, or quality custom ERP solution—but you could only pick two. Low-Code has shattered that myth. With Low-Code, organizations can have a fast, inexpensive, and high-quality ERP, implemented in a way that doesn’t disrupt operations.

To understand why, it’s essential to grasp what Low-Code is. 

Low-Code is a development approach where technology is designed so that real users—those who will actually use the software—can easily shape it to fit their needs without needing to know how to program. With Low-Code, users can create applications using a graphical interface, with building blocks like workflow builders, dashboards, data connectors, and templates for common use cases.

When this Low-Code philosophy is applied to ERP, the result is a custom ERP solution so easy to use that employees can simplify their work and even create the add-ons they need without waiting on an overstretched IT team. For any organization, a Low-Code ERP solution means the difference between an ERP that mirrors their business exactly or one that feels like a giant maze.

While these claims may seem bold, they reflect the significant shift Low-Code represents in technology. Low-Code is likely the biggest change since the move from on-premise to cloud computing. In fact, Deloitte estimates that by 2030, 70% of enterprise apps will be built using Low-Code.

Not Delighted With Your ERP? Amoga Can Help

At Amoga, when we began designing our Low-Code platform, we were clear on one thing: we wanted to build a Low-Code ERP solution that anyone with basic computer skills could use. We believe that modern businesses are so fluid that it’s impossible to make assumptions about standard processes for any industry or function. Instead, we focused on creating an ERP that is easy to implement, maintain, and upgrade—without disrupting the business.

Our goal was for end users to work faster and know exactly what they needed to do without dealing with complex procedures. So far, our work with clients in manufacturing, education, government, and utilities tells us we’ve been able to achieve that vision by removing the barriers that prevent organizations from enjoying the full benefits of Low-Code ERP solutions.

If you feel your ERP isn’t working as hard as it should, request your Low-Code ERP demo now and discover how to streamline your business processes.