(Berlin, 05.07.2021) Digitalisation and globalisation – the two words on successful entrepreneur’s minds these days. Companies no longer compete solely with rivals from the region, but with thousands of similar companies an ocean away. The dizzyingly rapid advance in technology has shattered entire industries and, in the same breadth, birthed new ones. The newest frontiers in quantum computing and AI seem poised to further disrupt current industries. In an ever-evolving global economy businesses must remain agile, adaptable, globally oriented, and well informed to ensure their prosperity. A new addition to the must-attend events for IT decision-makers is the upcoming international ERP System of the Year competition.

ERP System of the Year Competition
This year the German Centre for Enterprise Research (CER) will present the ERP System of the Year award for the 16th time. ERP software companies can still apply until 16 July 2021. Through a focus on content-related criteria both large and small companies have an equal opportunity to convince the jury and potential customers. As ERPs continue to gain importance globally, the competition this year has been opened to international providers.

The hybrid event is not only a must-attend for IT decision makers but is equally informative for participating ERP companies. All competing ERPs benefit from the evaluation and feedback of the jury as regards to their performance in comparison to the winners and the average participant.

Awards in seven categories
Awards will be handed out in a total of seven categories plus an additional award for customer communication.

Retail: This category is for providers who specialise in system solutions for retail, including multichannel retailing and wholesale.
Manufacturing is subdivided into specific types of manufacturing, including made-to-order, batch production, and automotive.
ERP in Healthcare caters to those with a healing touch and focusses on the medical and social services field.
Process Management in ERP concentrates on software offering integrated and innovative solutions for process management, including - for example - integrated workflow management systems.
Do-it-yourself systems is for providers who accommodate clients looking for maximum customisation with minimum set-up time in cloud-based solutions. The jury will pay particular attention to providers with highly innovative solutions.
AI Integration in ERP: Though we may not yet have to fear the rise of the robots, artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a more critical asset to business operations. This category celebrates providers who have succeeded in integrating AI into their ERP systems.
ERP Architectures awards ERP systems whose architecture meets current and future needs and requirements. The jury will consider systems whose architecture has been reerfined based on new requirements, such as microservices. 
Special Award: Excellent communication and effective marketing are the glue that holds any high performing business venture together. As such, this year’s jury will give a special award to the ERP company with the best customer communication and sales marketing.

Independent jury
The independent jury comprised of scientists, media experts, and consultants will review all received applications based on various content-related criteria. The jury will review, among other things, the system's implementation method, the concrete customer benefit in the respective industry, the technologies used, as well as their integration capability. To ensure a comprehensive evaluation, the reviewers will also pay attention to the system's current applicability, as well as trendsetting innovations, especially in the area of digitalisation.

Accolades at the ERP Congress
In August 2021, the best applicants in the various categories will receive their official invitations to the final presentations at the ERP Congress. This will be held in Frankfurt am Main on 26 October 2021. There, the nominees will personally present their systems to the jury and attending international industry experts.

The presentations will be then evaluated by the jury, and the best system overall, as well as in each individual category, will be nominated for the "ERP System of the Year" award. After the conferment of awards, all participants will be listed on the influential industry website www.erp-management.de, providing companies interested in implementing new ERP systems with an excellent industry overview.
About the "ERP System of the Year" competition

In the German market alone, there are currently more than 300 active providers of ERP systems. With the "ERP System of the Year" competition the German Centre for Enterprise Research (CER) contributes significantly to introducing the truly innovative companies among those providers to a broader audience. To this end, a trusted jury of journalists, consultants, and researchers evaluates the applications and nominates systems with the potential to become top competitors in the industry.