Business Automation and Software Blog

Legacy systems are like a pair of comfortable, well-broken-in shoes: you know they’re worn at the heels and probably should be replaced, but you just can’t bear to part with them.

Unfortunately, unlike a pair of old sneakers or loafers, legacy systems won’t just look shabby if they’re getting old. They slow you down. They stop providing the data that you need or don’t have the robust functionality that your competitors’ systems possess. Then you’re racing to play catch-up when you could have been ahead in the competition to gain customers.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software has become a much-needed tool for efficient business management in the manufacturing environment. An ERP system blends accounting, finance, supply chain management, production, and other systems into one comprehensive system. Newer, cloud-based ERP systems enable you to access your company’s data from wherever you’re working whether it is in the factory or from a client’s location.

No matter where you turn, there’s an app for that. Mobile apps for work, play, school, and hobbies are everywhere. Mobile has become a ‘must have’ instead of a ‘nice to have’ technology for every facet of the business world, including manufacturing.

There are many benefits for manufacturers who want to “go mobile.” Ease, convenience, and flexibility is just starting points. For manufacturers, one of the best software tools on the market is SYSPRO Espresso, a mobile ERP app that enables you to tap into your company’s data anytime, anywhere you have an internet connection.  

Real-time and predictive analytics are changing how CFOs manage their company’s finances. With SYSPRO ERP, data can be used to create strategies for growth, profitable capital management, and improved cash flow.

The Right ERP System Makes All the Difference

CFOs today do more than managing cash flows. They are strategic decision makers, charged with helping chart the company’s course through business cycles that can be rough going. With the right ERP system, the data that’s needed to analyze, predict, and respond to the changing demand cycles in the manufacturing business is available upon demand.

Better management of your accounts receivable can lead to improved liquidity, operational efficiencies, and lower costs throughout your business. Software such as Sage 300 ERP can help you keep a close eye on your receivables and act promptly to close open invoices.

With improved accounts receivable management, you can improve your working capital to support growth. Poor management of your receivables can lead to a cash flow crisis that makes it difficult to pay bills, enact new strategies, and keep your credit lines open.

Top manufacturers know something you may not know—they know who the most important person is in their organization. No, it’s not the CEO, the CIO, or even the person who brews the best pot of coffee (important though that person may be to corporate morale and productivity). It’s your customers. With SYSPRO ERP, manufacturers can put customers front and center and prioritize work around the needs of their customers. 

KPMG surveyed manufacturers and found that manufacturers who closely follow their customers wants, needs, and desires tend to build an innovative organization.

Manufacturing Bottlenecks Slow Productivity and Increase Costs

Supply chain management software can help you improve efficiencies throughout the manufacturing environment. Imagine a factory producing 1,000 widgets a month. As long as the supply chain moves along smoothly, those widgets can be produced on time. But what if something alters the order queue? What if your biggest customer suddenly doubles their order? What then?

Lean automation takes it cues from the world of robotics today making it often seem like science fiction rather than business fact. New technologies, such as Sage’s “Peggy” chatbot launched in 2016, are changing how lean automation is implemented in the manufacturing environment.

Sage’s Peggy chatbot responded to simple commands to access the Sage system. You could ask Peggy, “How much do I have this quarter in outstanding receivables?” and she’ll answer you. She acts like a very smart assistant who never tires of your repetitive questions and never needs a day off. She can follow up on your cash flow, orders, accounting, and other tasks with ease.

ERP selection means taking into consideration numerous features to choose the system that best meets your business needs. You’re choosing a system not just for today’s needs, but for the future. And although you can’t see with certainty what tomorrow holds, you can prepare for the future by keeping your options open.

One way to keep your options open is to make sure that your ERP selection includes an API interface. An API interface enables you to write custom code to add your own scripts later on. Many companies, for example, are exploring the world of AI, or artificial intelligence, and how they can add it to their ERP selection to improve performance and customer service.

A good warehouse management system can help you improve fulfillment accuracy, timeliness, and productivity. Some days it can feel like you never have what you need when you need it in your warehouse. You need products today, not tomorrow, but you can’t find them anywhere in the warehouse. Such situations can make items late to ship, cause customer dissatisfaction, and canceled orders.