Need a Better ERP Solution? How Complex is Your Manufacturing?

Posted on: February 11, 2014 | By: Jim Bertler | Microsoft Dynamics Manufacturing

We meet with many clients and prospects that are all in the manufacturing industry. However, the complexity of their manufacturing varies greatly and therefore their system needs vary greatly. Logan Consulting is a Microsoft Dynamics Manufacturing Partner so we have access to a few tools from Microsoft that can be of use. But the key is to find the “right” solution for our clients and it struck me last week during a meeting how important it was to understand the complexity of the manufacturing process to find the right solution.

We have some clients that really do basic kiting and that is the extent of their manufacturing. They simply take a few different parts and box them up together and that is the end of the manufacturing process. For these type of needs a very basic solution will work and they may not even use the true manufacturing functionality of a Microsoft Dynamics system.

The next level up is usually the companies doing basic assembly. These companies do require some basic bill of material functionality and often need a work order or manufacturing order against which to track costs. Both Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Microsoft Dynamics GP have this functionality and allow a company to use a leading ERP system without costly overhead to run the system. For example, a simple reorder point and purchase order generation approach can be used as opposed to running a full MRP system.

The final layer are those companies that require full manufacturing functionality including bills, routings, MRP, manufacturing orders, capacity requirements planning, scheduling and the like. For a mid-market manufacturer Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Microsoft Dynamics NAV can still serve this company well and allow them a fully functional ERP system, but at an implementation price point that is more reasonable.

Obviously, I could have broken down the complexity of manufacturing into more granular levels, but these are some of the basic levels that come to mind. If you are a manufacturer and interested in discussing your needs, feel free to contact us.