What to Look for in an ERP System for Manufacturing
Posted on: August 12, 2016 | By: Craig Thompson | QAD Manufacturing, QAD Business Process
When it comes to upgrading your current system for a new ERP system for manufacturing there are a lot of factors to consider. Manufacturing software isn't purchased every day, so being certain that you are making the right decision is crucial for your project's success. There are many benefits of an ERP system for Manufacturers as well as many factors to consider when looking for your perfect fit. Curious as to what you should look for in an ERP system? Read on for a few of our favorites.
Manufacturing Requirements Planning (MRP) Capabilities
Automated MRP functionality can save your manufacturing business a lot of time and headache when dealing with inventory purchasing decisions. An automated ERP system like QAD will be able to look at current sales trends and seasonal variations, outsource production schedules, expiration data tracking and more to determine just what and when to purchase your inventory. Significantly decrease your potential for running out of necessary materials and ordering errors with this great ERP functionality.
Flexibility
When it comes to ERP, one size does not fit all and finding a vendor and ERP partnerthat understand this is crucial for getting the maximum amount of success. Look for an ERP system that allows users to determine whether they want to run discrete, process, lean, mixed mode or repetitive manufacturing according to your specific business model. You shouldn't have to feel limited in resources because of your unique business processes, cloud ERP should empower your manufacturing organization to grow while keeping your unique processing that sets you apart from the competition.
Quality Management
Customers appreciate a quality product, yet sometimes tracking this valuable information can be difficult and time consuming. When deciding upon which manufacturing ERP system to invest in, search for a system that makes quality control simple and effective. Quality control management features should allow users to set the bar for quality levels throughout the entire manufacturing process so that you can view just how your product is measuring up in real time. That way, you will be able to address issues as they occur, rather than when It's too late and you have a customer complaint.
Lot Tracking
QAD's Product Genealogy is an excellent resource for many manufacturers that are looking to track unique custom item and lot attributes throughout the entire production process. Many different values can be tracked within this feature and with the lot trace workbench, users will be able to trace any component of your product from supplier lot to the customer with the simple click of a button.
These of course are only a few of the many features and functions that you should consider when looking for an ERP system for your manufacturing organization. The only way to find the solution that best fits your business is to conduct research on your options, review case studies and get to know each product inside and out so that you are sure there aren't any features you are missing out on. If you would like to learn more about QAD ERP for manufacturers and if it might be a good fit, contact Logan Consulting your Chicago based QAD Partner for a consultation.