Enterprise software vendors talk in pithy, some would say pseudo-sophisticated, language designed to impress prospects, customers, and influencers in the market. Almost all enterprise vendors use terms like the following as symbols to convey broader meaning, despite offering little or no content to the reader:
- Time to value
- Continuous innovation
- Accelerated solutions
- Big data
- Mobile first
- Increase performance
- Process improvement
With content-free language like this, it’s no wonder different vendors sound so similar.
This sameness happens for two reasons. First, most software vendors try to ride whatever wave seems to be popular at a given time, so they respond to a relatively small group of bloggers, analysts, and press; and second, the vendors copy each other. In addition, there is a revolving door of personnel across the major vendors: executives often leave one vendor for another, sometimes even returning to the original company. All of which creates homogeneity in marketing messages, product positioning, and use of language across the enterprise software industry.
As an experiment, I went to several vendor web sites and created a Wordle word cloud of their primary ERP product page. The word cloud highlights the key terms used on those pages. To create a fair comparison, I searched for each vendor’s ERP page and then removed certain words such as company name.
The results are presented in alphabetical order.
Epicor
The Epicor ERP word cloud is based on this web page. Terms removed: Epicor and ERP. Click the image to view an interactive version:
Infor
The Infor ERP word cloud is based on this web page. Terms removed: Infor, ERP, and Solutions. Click the image to view an interactive version:
Microsoft
The Microsoft ERP word cloud is based on this web page. Terms removed: Microsoft, Dynamics, ERP, solution, contact, and 6:00. Click the image to view an interactive version:
NetSuite
The NeSuite ERP word cloud is based on this web page. Terms removed: NetSuite and ERP. Click the image to view an interactive version:
SAP
The SAP ERP word cloud is based on this web page. Terms removed: SAP, ERP, February, and solutions. Click the image to view an interactive version:
Oracle
The Oracle ERP word cloud is based on this web page. Terms removed: Oracle. Click the image to view an interactive version:
Strip away the top level of language veneer and here is how each of the vendors positions its ERP offering, based strictly on the word cloud:
- Epicor: software solutions for business
- Infor: efficiency for manufacturing and supply chain companies
- Microsoft: business solutions based on partners
- NetSuite: management and financial software in the cloud
- Oracle: advanced management applications
What do you think about the way vendors present themselves? Please add your thoughts to the comments.
(Cross-posted @ ZDNet | Beyond IT Failure Blog)
Hello Michael,
Your approach captured my attention. As a former “engineer” I’m put off by marketing language (even the word cloud is starting to rub me oh so wrong), but I think you’re only reinforcing it here by using Wordle. It is designed to strip away any differences which do exist: the associated use-cases, diagrams, or datasheets which have the opportunity to reveal differentiation. Also, the very established market of ERP has “understood” goals, a vocabulary if you will, and people will read those sections where they have problems to solve. Great concept and I would like to see it applied elsewhere. Thanks for sharing.