The manufacturing industry is experiencing a major transformation. Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT) have impacted the manufacturing sector and revolutionized operational management – whether on the shop floor or in the warehouse.

Manufacturing under Industry 4.0 offers you access to big data analytics, the Internet of Things, cloud computing, and manufacturing intelligence. When we talk about IoT, it is an extensive network of devices connected to the intranet that is embedded with sensors and software. For example – cars, mobile phones, and machines in production plants.

Currently, industrial manufacturers are trying to create a next-generation supply chain and workforce strategy that will facilitate agility and lead to higher flexibility. Modern manufacturers are looking for a solution that can drive automation and an innovative ERP system that can optimize operations across the organization.

An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution allows a company to manage and automate a variety of functions such as finance, human resources, sales, shop floor operations, warehouse activities, procurement, shipping, and much more. ERP software specifically integrates the comprehensive facets of an organization namely production, supply chain planning, quality management, marketing, etc. in a single system.

Let us unveil some of the modern traits that every manufacturer is looking for in an ERP system to help them outpace the competition –

1. Mobility

In this modern age, employees travel for meetings and conferences, work from remote locations, and follow changing work schedules.

Mobile-friendly ERP is crucial to make sure every staff member can stay connected. They should be able to co-author documents and add their input and observations to move data along.

When you provide your floor managers and inspectors with a nimble and easy-to-navigate web application for quality control, shop floor management, or warehouse management, they can seamlessly leverage it by adding their observations in a handheld device.

With a mobile-friendly ERP solution, you experience-

⦁ Faster decision making

⦁ Enhanced communication and collaboration

⦁ Improved product quality and responsiveness to customers

⦁ Instant access on Android or iOS phones and from the web

⦁ Increased employee efficiency and superior time management

2. Cloud ERP

As far as technology is concerned, nothing can beat the exceptional benefits offered by a cloud-based ERP system. A modern ERP is on the cloud – which means it goes wherever you go!

Cloud-based systems allow you to work 24/7 irrespective of the time and distance. For example, if your warehouse is located in city A, the sales team operates from city B, and the production team works in city C, they can update every task on one ERP solution and all the departments will be kept in the loop. This facilitates paperless transactions and reports, improves reaction time, and enhances clarity between the teams.

Benefits of cloud-based ERP –

⦁ Greater data security – ERP cloud vendors ensure that your data is secured in the host servers. From hosting the data to managing the software, cloud vendors ensure complete data security.

⦁ No additional capital outlay for hardware or IT resources – With cloud ERP, you don’t need to hire IT personnel to install, manage, update, and troubleshoot software associated with ERP. Everything is covered in the licensing fee.

⦁ Enhanced availability – A modern ERP tackles all aspects of a business in the best possible manner. It provides remote access to staff members so they can stay up-to-date with tasks, offers you a real-time view of business operations, and allows you to update, edit, view, and generate reports on the go.

3. Data Analytics

Big data has become a buzzword across many industrial sectors. It is a complex and voluminous set of data that keeps growing with the company – for all those manufacturers and decision-makers who want to excel in the year 2018, it is crucial to opt for an ERP solution that includes data analytics features. It helps in capturing, storing, analyzing, searching, sharing, transferring, updating, and viewing the data easily. Manufacturers can leverage graphical representations of product orders and capacity, generate reports, track tasks and time to streamline the overall operations of a manufacturing unit.

ERP offers you real-time data visibility, tracking, and reporting – this lets you monitor material, labor, and performance while analyzing costing details and performance trends. Manufacturers get improved data accuracy and less redundant data entry resulting in significant bottom-line savings.

4. Manufacturing Intelligence

Given the automation of resources, manufacturing intelligence will emerge as the catalyst that will provide and manage the wealth of data to facilitate efficiency and improved production. Manufacturing ERP software produces analytics that helps in decision making, allocation and tracking of resources, and improving plant efficiencies.

ERP with manufacturing intelligence provides data visualizations, helps explore trends, and aggregates CRM, finance, accounting, and more. The system collects statistics and manufacturing data from the shop floor/plant floor and offers you real-time accessibility. Its graphic representation of data lets you explore and assess performance trends and it provides a single source of data to eliminate redundancy.

5. Quality

A good manufacturer will make quality the backbone of their organization. It reflects your reputation and is responsible for future growth.

From material procurement to shipping and production, quality management in ERP manages every function with an integrated and intuitive user interface. It lets you keep a record of vendors, business partners, and procurement lists so that every quality specification, compliance, and criteria are recorded and tracked.

From consolidating information in one database to creating real-time visibility across the organization, ERP is a powerful business solution. Manufacturers should have all of their functionality using the same database to get a 360-degree view of quality functions throughout warehouses, plant floors, headquarters, and other locations.

OptiProERP with SAP Business One is a powerful ERP solution that is designed to provide manufacturers with an easy-to-use and responsive dashboard that can help them view, edit, manage and collect organizational data in a single database

Download this whitepaper on A Roadmap for ERP Selection in Today’s Digital World if you would like to learn more about Manufacturing ERP Software and how it can help your manufacturing business