1. Is this a global ERP system?
As manufacturing competition challenges manufacturers to expand their reach beyond their borders, nothing should stand in the way of globalizing supply chains or building a valuable customer base halfway around the world. This includes enterprise resource planning systems.
Instead, ERP should help manufacturers run multi-site operations and develop frictionless processes that support robust international trade. At a basic level, users must be able to change the ERP interface so that it appears in their preferred language and is accounted for in the local currency internally and externally through the customer or supplier portal.
Furthermore, no multi-site ERP is complete without some form of cloud functionality, either through a full SaaS offering or as a hybrid cloud/on-premises system. Click here to learn more about how cloud ERP keeps hub-and-spoke manufacturing operations connected.
2. Does it allow me to standardize the process?
Complex products require lean manufacturing practices and quality control in production, not to mention the ERP systems that underpin these highly regulated operations.
Business Process Management is an important ERP module for industrial machinery manufacturers, which visualizes workflows and guides employees through standard job descriptions and step-by-step records, so no important details are missed. BPM should be detailed enough to help manufacturers comply with ISO requirements, but also intuitive enough to allow for simple program changes to support a mindset of continuous improvement.
3. Will it integrate with CAD?
If ERP software works with CAD programs, manufacturing and design engineers love it - and, frankly, so do ERP software developers. Why? Because when ERP and CAD use the same language, people will spend less time plugging data into spreadsheets and fretting over missing build materials. What's more, with smooth CAD integration, sales orders move from the plan to the manufacturing floor much faster.
"In a build-to-order environment, you typically draw unique drawings for each customer's sales order," Brad says. "The ability to connect these CAD drawings directly to the ERP system is a huge time saver and virtually eliminates data entry errors."
Does your plant rely on SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, or any other CAD suite? Then, don't take a step back and invest in ERP that doesn't work well.
4. Will it enhance the capabilities of my service and repair team?
Manufacturers invest a lot of money in equipment, but many manufacturers forget to provide the same level of service to customers throughout the product lifecycle. An ERP system equipped with a powerful service/repair module can act as a centralized center for tracking warranties while arranging and facilitating maintenance calls. With the mobile app ERP function, users can use the software as an instant service processing tool that can be carried with them wherever mechanical repairs are made.
The answers to these 4 questions will guide manufacturers to the ERP system that best suits their operations.