If you’re exploring the world of enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools, you’ll no doubt have stumbled upon Unit4. This tool stands alongside many other well-known options in the marketplace, promising to enable businesses to better streamline and organize their operations.
But is this tool actually any good? And should you use it? That’s the question we answer in this review. We look at the pros and cons of Unit4 and then provide a final verdict at the end, giving you our overall impression of the tool and whether it should be something you use in your business.
What Is Unit4?
You can think of Unit4 as an integrated ERP platform designed for various industries. Officially, it supports public sector organizations, professional services, and non-profits; however, it can be useful across a range of industries and niches.
Primarily, Unit4 is for people-centric organizations. It works best where the management of professionals is critical and the success of the business as a whole relies on knowledge transfers and acquisition.
However, Unit4 is not old-fashioned. Like many leading ERPs, it incorporates AI into its stack, providing a suite of services and functionalities that transform the way companies use software for management.
What We Liked About Unit4
So, what did we like about Unit4? What stood out to us?
Unified Management Consulting Platform
At the top of our list of favorites was the fact that Unit4 is a genuine unified management consulting platform in the cloud. You can use it for strategic planning, HR, financials, and a host of other purposes, eliminating the need to use disconnected and fragmented tools.
This reality means that Unit4 can actually be a simplifying force in your business, something we noticed as we explored the solution. Rather than operating dozens of subscriptions, it allows you to use just one.
Project And Engagement Focus
Another perk is the project and engagement focus of the tool. It supports complex project structures and milestones with various deliverables, billing conditions and more.
The purpose of this is to make the management of fixed price projects and budget changes more efficient. You can focus on specific goals or objectives you want to achieve in your enterprise, rather than just on the day-to-day processes, which you have to perform anyway. This makes the tool more suitable for businesses where traditional systems are insufficient and constant change is the norm.
Portfolio Management
Another bonus is the portfolio management feature. This tool provides oversight over aspects such as monitoring timelines and financials, and uses availability-based resource planning. The idea here is to make the business as a whole more flexible, and to respond to issues with what’s already available. ERPs sometimes lose their potency when they recommend courses of action that are impossible, given the current state of the business. Staff then have to figure out various workarounds to find solutions, which is time-consuming, resource-intensive, and sometimes practically infeasible.
People-Centric Capabilities
Linking back to the idea that Unit4 is in the market to help people-based businesses, the people-centric capabilities are most welcome. We could imagine how much these would come in handy in firms that are essentially dependent on their teams to function.
For example, Unit4 gave us helpful tools to attract, retain and develop talent. We saw how it made life easier when developing staff and ensuring proper performance. It also enabled us to identify the talent required for specific projects and upcoming ventures. We could see our requirements and adjust our employee funnels and pipelines accordingly, using the tool’s recommendations, insights, and engines.
Better Risk Management
Enhancing risk management was another pro that we loved. The risk assessment tools included in the package are powerful and valuable for evaluating projects more effectively to determine their overall likelihood of success. The continuous feedback feature was particularly helpful since it allows you (and us) to identify potential mistakes and the necessary actions to prevent issues and keep the entire enterprise on course.
Global Scale
Finally, Unit4 is an ERP that makes global scaling effortless. It supports international operations, including providing assistance with compliance issues across multiple jurisdictions. This means that running a business using this solution is much more straightforward, and less manual compliance work needs to be done because it is supported natively on the backend.
What We Didn’t Like About Unit4
Of course, no ERP solution is perfect. There were some things that we didn’t like about Unit4 that are worth mentioning, though none of them were real dealbreakers for us.
For instance, some error messages generated by the ERP were non-intuitive. We didn’t know what was wrong immediately, so solving them required some digging. Fortunately, a few weeks of using the tool iron out this issue for the majority of staff, but it could lead to a steeper learning curve in the short term.
Limited device support is another issue. Unit4 performs well on desktop, but its functionality feels more limited on mobile. This means the tool may not be as helpful for field employees unless they have access to a laptop.
Finally, we noticed some search and retrieval challenges. We wanted to identify items such as outstanding requisitions and past purchases, but it proved more challenging than expected without advanced queries.
The good news is that this issue can be easily addressed through custom reports and user training. It’s a minor usability quirk.
Final Verdict: What Did We Think Of Unit4?
So, what did we think of Unit4 overall? Ultimately, this is among the best tools out there for people-centric businesses. It offers some unique features that other ERPs in the space simply don’t, which is what sets it apart from the competition. Of course, it’s not without a few flaws, but these are on the whole relatively minor. That’s why we’re willing to give this solution five stars out of five for usability and functionality.
