Business Automation and Software Blog

If you start back at the Industrial Revolution, it’s hard to imagine the many changes that manufacturing has gone through.  Some changes have been small and some are so big that it has changed the way we do business altogether.  Manufacturing automation, lean manufacturing, and e-commerce are just a few practices that have changed the way companies do business.  Today, we are preparing for the fourth wave of manufacturing; is your business prepared?

Workforce mobility is the number one technology priority among manufacturing companies. Driven by the explosion of personal handheld devices, the usage of mobile devices is on the rise on the manufacturing floor and across all spheres of business. There are tremendous benefits in implementing mobility, connected to an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, as a part of your manufacturing automation. At the same time, mobility raises challenges that need to be addressed.

Many manufacturers believe that achieving automation within their manufacturing processes is an impossibility. Or, they view it as an isolated and individual process that should be dealt with in and of itself. The most effective and successful manufacturing automation actually comes from integrating systems to work together instead of attempting to fix what appears to be an isolated issue. This should create beneficial cohesion and integration of various processes and software used across the company. It should also should combine them into one fluid system and process.

Over the past month, we have taken a close look at Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) selection. This included understanding the possibilities and potential results, grasping what ERP selection findings mean for businesses and the challenges and yet inherent opportunities of ERP selection. There is much to contemplate and consider. For the purpose of review and clarity, the following summarizes the risks and rewards associated with ERP selection.

The positive side of business growth is that growth necessitates progress but also allows for it to happen in terms of finances and resources. The downside is the need to make changes that can disrupt operations and require a learning curve. When growth necessitates new technology, this is even more so the case. There comes a point when the current information technology (IT) infrastructure or lack of IT infrastructure can no longer handle the operational scope it needs to handle. When this happens, an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) overhaul is typically a first step. Such an overhaul is not easy, but it can be very necessary. Let’s take a closer look at the importance of considering ERP software, challenges of using it, and also the opportunities that result. Are you ready to take the next step into the world of modern ERP in response to business growth?

Last week, we introduced you to a study done by Software Advice, a consultancy that matches Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software buyers with vendors, in which they analyzed the factors that influence ERP selection by prospective buyers. We explored the good news that going through this process with consultants specialized in ERP software implementation can produce great results. To learn more about this, visit here. Now, let’s take a closer look at the findings from the study and how they relate to where your business may be at right now. We hope the findings serve as a guide for decisions your business will make in their own ERP selection.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) selection is no easy task. There are many concerns that go into the process of purchasing and implementing an ERP system.  These range from finding the right fit to spending the money on a solution, implementing and using it effectively. If you are feeling the pressure, you are not alone. Software Advice, a company that matches software buyers with vendors, recently released a report that analyzed implementation concerns, purchasing behavior, and common pain points of 250 prospective ERP software buyers, they found that 66% of these prospective buyers don’t even have an ERP system in place currently. This illustrates the hesitation that many businesses have about ERP selection. For 24% of buyers, they are looking to replace their current ERP system simply because they feel they have a lack of technical support in using it. You are not the only one out there lacking experience in implementing or replacing these critical software systems. It is important to know that there are lots of people feeling the same way.

Unlike the philosophy in the world of sports that being first is best, we have been conditioned to a perspective where it is best to wait in the world of technology. For example, in the consumer market, the newest technology typically launches with shock-value price points that begin to drop within a few months, or at least after the holiday retail season. Others will point out that early releases don’t always have all of the “bugs” worked out, and the second or third release is a more stable version of the new technology.

It’s easy to be focused solely on what is going on within your business and manufacturing company without being sufficiently aware of and responsive to the vast outside factors that play an important role as well. External factors and general trends of the entire business and manufacturing world also create challenges for manufacturers. In particular, for manufacturers just like you, these are related to the economy and global market. Let’s take a closer look at what your company will need to defend against and how ERP is your best offensive strategy to tackle these issues:

The National Association for Manufacturers (NAM) recently published a report called “A Growth Agenda: Four Goals for a Manufacturing Resurgence in America.” In it, they assessed that manufacturers are ready to power the economy. The difficult recovery into an economic resurgence is possible with the right policies in place. This is due to the fact that manufacturing has the highest multiplier effect on any economic sector. Manufacturing investments multiply creating jobs and growth in other sectors of the economy. Manufacturing helps in making America strong.