3 new features for your manufacturing ERP requirements list

How long have you used your current manufacturing ERP?  

That long!?  

Maybe it is time to take a look at some of the features available right now and think about an update? Here are a few to get you started.

1. Mobile ERP functionality

Mobile ERP is huge. Not only can you check your inventory while looking at Facebook but you can do real work on your very own mobile device. Your salespeople can load drawings and start sales orders right from the customer’s place of work immediately on receiving a purchase order. Your service technician can check where to go next on a smartphone. Then when the task is complete, they can record the work completed, any materials used, and initiate a billing while still in the customer’s parking lot.

There are risks involved when connecting to a secure manufacturing ERP. However, the technology is robust already and those risks can be easily mitigated with appropriate security measures.

2. Document generation

As you ship products out the door, you already print a pack list to accompany the shipment.  Did you know your manufacturing ERP could also print a Certificate of Compliance (C of C) at the same time? The certificate can be customized to reflect the customer’s desired format and your quality manager’s signature is automatically printed on the certificate.

Decide which features your new manufacturing ERP needs with this manufacturing ERP requirements template

What about that environmental compliance report for the county government that is due on the last day every month? No longer does someone need to remember to print the report and put it in the mail. Your manufacturing ERP will generate is automatically and if the county has the ability to receive the report as a scanned document, it can be in the right person’s inbox still on the last day of the month.

3. Interoperability

Manufacturing ERP systems today come with the ability to connect with other systems right out of the box. ERP can communicate via EDI, XML, web services and most of the current protocols. Your supplier might have a different brand of ERP that yours.  

If you need fast connections across the globe, consider linking your purchase order to their sales order and immediately load your demand order into their planning system. Your manufacturing ERP probably can include a customer relationship management (CRM) system. But you already have another CRM and have no reason to change. Not a problem. Use the connectivity tools both systems already have to link them and share a common database of your customers and prospects.

These are only a few of the recent advances in manufacturing ERP features that can immediately add value to your business - but it's enough to get you started!