Business Automation and Software Blog

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.

Sage 300 ERP offers you the ability to dramatically shorten the time it takes to manage your company’s accounting and finance. With accurate, timely data streaming into your ERP system, you can make better business decisions, prioritize budgets, and more. It’s end-to-end financial management that puts data into your hands for improved decision-making.

Recently, Sage 300 updated its software to infuse it with new features and benefits for its long-time customers and to please new customers. Most of these changes are based on direct customer feedback and reflect actual user needs and requests.

Better business intelligence tools can help you improve warehouse management. With newer technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) adding enormous data volume, companies will increasingly rely upon business intelligence systems to analyze and report on existing data. BizNet’s business intelligence system can help you improve warehouse management through clean, succinct reporting of what matters most to your business.

Robotics in manufacturing automation has arrived. According to Price Waterhouse Cooper (PwC), 59% of manufacturers are already using some type of robotics in their operations. The day may soon come when the new hire isn’t named Jane or Joe but HAL, as in the computer from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Robots are changing how manufacturers run their operations and manage their warehouses.

Businesses may feel out of their depth as states look to test the waters on tax compliance in the coming year.

Sales and use tax compliance can be a complex problem for many businesses. It almost feels like you need a bowie knife to cut through the regulatory red tape, although knowledge may be a better weapon in this case. So stay sharp with Avalara’s 2017 Sales Tax Survival Guide. 

Published every year to help businesses better understand the challenges they are up against when it comes to complying with sales and use tax regulations in the U.S., Avalara’s latest Survival Guide is refreshed for 2017 with insight into what’s new and what’s changed at the state and federal level, common challenges around sales tax compliance, and tips for staying on top of your tax obligations.

When you are thinking about growing your business in 2017, ask yourself, “Does your inventory management system have what it takes?” A great inventory management system is made up of more than just inventory accuracy. Sage Inventory Advisor added to your current ERP has all the right tools to maximize profits, minimize losses, and manage your inventory like a pro. Let’s take a peek at some of the characteristics of a great inventory management system.

Manufacturers have specific needs when it comes to ERP systems and when considering a new ERP they would be wise to consider these three questions and to pursue solutions that answer them. Some of these needs are “nonnegotiable” and essential to get the most out of your ERP implementation. But skipping these questions it can lead to a poor implementation experience.