Business Automation and Software Blog

When faced with supply chain shortages and delays in getting raw materials and inventory, it’s easy to blame the problem on COVID-19. Over the past couple of years, the pandemic has been a handy scapegoat for all manner of business issues. Some people are blaming lean manufacturing for their supply chain issues. Is there any truth to this statement? Let’s examine it and find out.

Supply chains are at risk from several factors, including:

• A major cost-cutting drive to reduce costs by consolidating loads
• Less efficient shipping routes
• The United States-China trade dispute

Global supply chains continue to be at risk due to armed conflict and the resulting economic and geopolitical uncertainties.

Uncertainty is nothing new to the manufacturing industry. There are always outside forces exerting influence on the company. It doesn’t matter if the company is a start-up or is a large manufacturer which has been doing business for years. The only thing business owners and managers can do is respond to situations as they arise and increase their operational flexibility. Cloud manufacturing is a great strategy for staying nimble in an uncertain business environment.

As the business world slowly starts to pull out of the Covid-19 pandemic, many companies are still feeling the effects of the shutdown. As Chicago IT consultants, PositiveVision is frequently asked by clients how to overcome supply chain challenges. This blog post will offer some suggestions on how to do that.

Many business owners and managers don’t consider using manufacturing cloud ERP for job shop scheduling. Some job shop manufacturing businesses have the opinion this solution is too complicated for their facility. They prefer to manage their accounting, inventory, and finance with spreadsheets and office productivity software instead of moving up to an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution.

Manufacturers and distributors in the food and beverage industry generally operate on slimmer profit margins than other industries. For this reason, it’s crucial for them to understand the costs involved in developing, manufacturing, marketing, selling, and shipping their products. With this knowledge, companies can ensure all products are being sold at appropriate price points. Food ERP software assists with this process to track and analyze costs and maximize profits.

As a manufacturer or distributor, you have just been through a challenging few years. You know the decisions you make for your business will have implications over the months and years to come. SYSPRO Cloud ERP is a system that is a complete business solution with software, infrastructure services, and support. 

Three decades ago, a company would likely justify the expense of purchasing a new ERP system on whether it could improve the balance sheet. At that time, an integrated enterprise application gave a business a return on investment (ROI) by reducing inventory costs, boosting days sales outstanding (DSO), and increasing margins. Now, post-modern ERP solutions are both broader and more flexible. They can deliver ROI in multiple ways, directly and indirectly. 

The pandemic has forced businesses of all types to change their focus. Manufacturers and distributors are no exception. In a recent survey, CFOs and finance executives were asked how COVID-19 changed the way they do business. These finance leaders revealed they are shifting their priorities in 2022 to adjust to changing business needs. While top priorities varied heavily by industry in terms of actual ranking, US finance executives surveyed consistently identified the following 5 critical areas of focus for 2022:

Business owners and managers had been changing their approach to Inventory management toward a just-in-time approach. Then major supply chain disruptions started to occur over the last year. Supply chains are still showing signs of vulnerability, no matter which inventory management methodology is selected. Companies must be proactive in reassessing their practices to keep orders flowing in a predictable manner.