ERP Manufacturing

Process Manufacturing Solutions and Vendors

Manufacturers fall into two categories; process and discrete. Process manufacturers mix together a product, such as paints, food substances, and liquid blends, based on formulations.  Once mixed, these formulations cannot be broken down into their original parts.  The majority of manufacturers are not process manufacturers.  The other category of manufacturers is the discrete manufacturer.  A discrete manufacturer puts parts together or assembles.  A good example of a discrete manufacturer is an automobile manufacturer.  A product created by a discrete manufacturer can be broken down into its original parts.

The number of process manufacturing Enterprise Resource Planning or ERP solutions is growing as more and more ERP vendors offer new solutions.  Some popular process manufacturing ERP products are offered by the following companies:
•    Microsoft
•    Ross Enterprise
•    Deacom
•    Infor
•    ProcessPro
•    Oracle
•    SAP
•    Sage
•    SYSPRO

Microsoft’s process manufacturing functionality is provided by a tool called Fullscope, which integrates with Microsoft Dynamics AX.  Ross Enterprise offers a process manufacturing ERP solution for the chemicals industry, life sciences industry, metals industry, building materials industry, and food and beverage industry.

Deacom offers an ERP solution with process manufacturing functionality for the following industries; food and beverage, cosmetic, adhesive and sealant, paint, ink, coatings, pharmaceutical and chemical.  Infor’s Enterprise Resource Planning solution is called Infor ERP Process Manufacturing.  This solution is an optimal choice for global process manufacturing companies.  ProcessPro offers a process manufacturing ERP solution for medium sized manufacturers in the following industries; cosmetic, chemical, pharmaceutical, ink, paint, adhesives, and food and beverage.  Oracle sells a process manufacturing ERP solution called OPM (Oracle Process Manufacturing).  This solution will work for any industry.  SAP partners with a company called Batchmaster to provide a process manufacturing ERP solution.  This solution is called Batchmaster Manufacturing for SAP Business One.  Sage’s process manufacturing ERP solution is called Sage ERP X3.  Sage ERP X3 supports the following industries; pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and the food and beverage.  SYSPRO’s Enterprise Resource Management process manufacturing solution is well suited to medium sized process manufacturers

Process manufacturing Enterprise Resource Planning systems are constantly evolving.  Different vendors and improved technology and solutions with new functionality constantly come on the market.  The vendors we discussed represent a small percentage of all the process manufacturing vendors on the market today.  However, these vendors have good reputations and successful implementations. 

Written by :

Don Cooper