An ERP system is a business process management includes core software components, often called modules, that focus on essential business areas such as finance and accounting, HR, production and materials management, customer relationship management (CRM), and supply chain management. Organizations choose which core modules to use based on which are most important to their particular business. ERP software typically integrates all facets of an operation — including product planning, development, manufacturing, sales and marketing — in a single database, application and user interface.

ERP software is considered to be a type of enterprise application, that is software designed to be used by larger businesses and often requires dedicated teams to customize and analyze the data and to handle upgrades and deployment. In contrast, Small business ERP applications are lightweight business management software solutions, often customized for a specific business industry or vertical.