Benefits of Using ERP Software for Manufacturing Industry. The purpose of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software is to integrate and streamline business processes into one system. This way, disparate departments can share information across the entire organization.
ERP for Manufacturing - How it Works
ERP employs a shared database used across all different parts of a business. For example, sales, accounts payable and technicians all access the same database for the specific information they need. This is beneficial because it means various people and departments in your business aren’t compiling individual spreadsheets that need to be re-typed in to another system. There's no siloes of information. Information (that's entered) isn't lost. People can efficiently log in to see the data they need to make decisions effectively, whether they involve estimating, production, finance, customer support, or other areas. When using ERP software for manufacturing, all functions of running the business can become more efficient and less error-prone, leading to greater profits. The information in an ERP system is real-time and accurate. For example, parts can be received in one department, and, with an update of that inventory by smart phone or tablet, a manufacturing team can be preparing for the parts' use.
But ERP Used to Be Clunky...
ERP has evolved since it was first presented to the market. Today's ERP systems have the following advantages, which apply to manufacturing and many other types of companies: Better User experience - Historically, ERP products featured intolerably poor user experiences. There’s simply no doubt that that a well-designed user experience vastly increases the value any company will derive from its ERP investment. Advanced real-time analytics - Older ERP systems take a rear-view-mirror approach to reporting and analytics, allowing you to extract information about transactions that have already happened. Of course that’s useful, but an up-to-date ERP solution can give you real time analytics, so that you can understand what to do next. Flexible architecture - Modern ERP solutions offer you the flexibility to integrate and configure the capabilities that you want and need today and tomorrow. If you choose the right system and implementation team, you can have a system that will fit your needs, work with the manufacturing work flow you use, and allow you to upgrade in the future without jeopardizing customizations you've chosen to make. Less Expensive Technology, More Data Availability - With advances in data security, it's possible to have ERP software information stored in the cloud. This allows small and mid-sized businesses to to leverage technology previously only available to large enterprise organizations. For growing companies, this can mean avoiding many of the growing pains of switching systems that get outgrown. Cloud ERP solutions can be scalable for high growth companies and even for companies that may have busier years or seasons. And there's more...
What Manufacturers Need from New ERP Solutions to Prepare for Emerging Challenges
Infor has prepared an Executive Brief that contains information on how manufacturers can embrace the technology that's available to them and get ahead of their competition. This brief also covers the criteria to use when choosing a system capable (durable, robust) enough to solve manufacturer's challenges and remain useful for at least 10 years. To get a copy, please click here.
