An enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is a very crucial instrument when it comes to the success of any manufacturing business. This is a tool that assists you in efficiently analyzing, interpreting, and executing important activities assigned to the various departments in your organization on a day-to-day basis.
Typically, companies seek to adopt or upgrade to an ERP system so that they can integrate various programs from several departments into one suite. By doing so, the company can avoid work duplication or delays. As such, the venture can reduce overall costs.
Given that there are numerous ERP systems available on the market, choosing the best ERP software for manufacturing field could be overwhelming. Therefore, it can be helpful to get an implementation partner who has industry insights and expertise to advise you.
With that in mind, below are some of the factors to consider before investing in a manufacturing ERP system.
Flexibility
Businesses are ever-changing, so it’s crucial to find an ERP system that does not develop any major complications when you need to change things around. In order to acquire a system that best meets the needs of your business, go for software that can be reconfigured or customized.
Look for an ERP that includes updates, custom configuration, and is easy to use. These things will make implementing it and updating it easier done the line. Your implementation team should also have a track record of working on a variety of ERP systems to best understand the flexibility of each one.
Cost
A manufacturing ERP system should function smoothly for a period of no less than five years. Ongoing maintenance, infrastructure related to the system, and support are all additional costs that will need to occur down the line and can be a budget concern. Moreover, during any ERP system implementation, there are usually some upfront costs.
The costs are much higher with an on-premise ERP because it includes user license, data storage, and backup, and security compliance among others. In comparison, a cloud ERP has minimal upfront hardware costs since all data is stored in state-of-the-art data centers.
User Support
When selecting the best ERP software for the manufacturing industry, you need to ask yourself: Who will be using the system? Who will make any necessary changes to the system? The answer to these questions will have a great impact when deciding on the current and future needs of your business.
Given that every functional area within your business will be using the new ERP system, make sure that you have their support. Also, be sure to implement a team that can provide the support needed to adequately use the system and gain more value from it. By gaining their support, you will have access to distinctive staff input that will help you connect or upgrade from the old system to the new one.
