ERP Software

Manufacturing Systems Software and ERP

Manufacturing systems software manages the workflow and monitors progress on the shop floor. It’s necessary for ensuring that all manufacturing objectives are carried out successfully. Good systems management can reduce inventory costs, improve production efficiency and integrate manufacturing with other service sectors of the company. The software helps plant managers to maintain an up to date, real time view of manufacturing status and to collaborate with personnel in other sectors, such as supply chain management, purchasing and procurement, and distribution. All of this can be streamlined with an enterprise resource management (ERP) platform.

The ERP platform features links to connect all areas of manufacturing as well as modules that provide networked companywide connections, which include scheduling, workflow management, resource planning, and quality analysis (QA) features. The software can assist with each stage of production and eliminate costly rework. It coordinates with other sectors to reduce order-to-ship times and address distribution issues. The software maintains a key performance indicator (KPI) through a checks and balances cycle-time – the total time to produce an order. The system can transmit production data by way of machine monitoring sensors and shop floor data collection (SFDC) terminals. The software gives the shop floor the ability to schedule tasks and employee positions and can give a visual representation of projected workloads. It also allows for material requirement planning and integrates connections between manufacturing resource planning, inventory management and purchasing and procurement to schedule just-in-time material deliveries.

Today’s competitive manufacturing environment requires a system that is comprehensible and flexible enough to simplify the process. This of course includes the ability to track and trace actual costs for materials and ensure that procurement has all the proper specifications for parts and components. The ERP platform works to assist with sustainability, agility, efficiency, compliance and quality control. A streamlined manufacturing process relates to an organizational structure that ties in all working units for comprehensive, cohesive coordination and cooperation. Manufacturing systems software clarifies shop floor status for all staff across the company and helps them to work in unison to complete the order-to-shipping process.

Financial management is integrated into all business processes, including manufacturing; it has to pay the costs for procurement. But it also needs to know about material performance,

Pricing, shelf life, fulfillment, and in the end, customer relationship management.

In order to keep up to speed on the manufacturing floor, you need good manufacturing systems software. When you back that up with enterprise resource planning (ERP), you’re bound to succeed with your business.

Written by :

Don Cooper