I could bore you about how ERP is the best thing since sliced bread and that no other initiative stands a chance at integrating your business as well as it does, but come on! We both know that anything without proof is worth nothing. So, let us spell it out for you and then you decide what’s best for your company! So, here we go:
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Why Production Management is not what you think it is!
Think of the good things in life that come in packs of six! The six sixers’ that helped us win a World cup in 2007, the six main houses on Game of Thrones, etc. Now, how is this related to your company? In a similar way, your company also comes with its own 6 essential M’s: Men, Money, Machines, Materials, Methods and Markets. As a matter of fact, these are the things that help hold together the very foundation of any company!
Production Management is not just the process of converting raw materials into finished goods. It’s more than what meets the eye! Any comprehensive ERP solution for Manufacturing can provide the means for your business to have a much greater control over your production planning process and can provide greater visibility into each step of your production process.
What does ERP have to do with Production Management?
A good ERP software, such as Epicor, is like a juicy piece of gossip that goes around the neighbourhood; it brings together different people and unites them around a common discussion topic. Similarly, a good ERP system integrates the various departments of your company and brings them together onto a single platform.
The concepts look pretty simple, don’t they? Well, with the right tools in hand, it can be made easy in reality as well!
At a conceptual level, ERP is just a set of practices for carrying out the various duties in your company from finance to supply chain and beyond. But, it also marks a heavy shift in your company’s dynamics as you must get your employees to adapt to the new work method that follows the adoption of an ERP system. So, one wrong step with your ERP implementation and it’ll result in slowing things down and in the worst case might bring your company’s functions to a halt. Literally!
Then why would I use this software you ask?
Well, according to a Meta group study of 63 mid-sized companies, the average annual savings from a new ERP system was a staggering $1.6 million just eight months after implementation. So, an ERP system implementation done right can do a world of good to your company, right from saving your time to increasing your profit margins.
Let’s face it, no one likes change! Not even the ones that makes the *cling* sound in your pocket when you walk, you’d rather have cash. But, invest some time in seeing a demo and once you get to the process, the all-round value of the software begins to show in areas such as order placement, the increased efficiency in the manufacturing process, the product’s shipping and billing.
So, what’s in it for you?
Product Data Management:
Managing product data is a strenuous process, production engineers have to keep track of the vast number of variants while simultaneously to ensure smooth functioning of the production process. An ERP’s Product Data Management module contains everything you might need to define, manage and maintain the said product throughout its life-cycle including the Billing of Materials (BOM) and all its variants, Routing and Item and Document management.
Planning and Scheduling:
Planning and Scheduling are often mistaken to be the same thing, but understanding the difference between them could be critical to your company’s success. ERP helps in effectively planning various tasks right from purchasing material, positioning inventory, and deploying employees, plant and machinery to high priority tasks thus, ensuring maximum efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Work Order Management:
An ERP’s functionality can be configured to deliver the level of control you want over your production line including and not limited to the ability to manufacture in batches making the process of discrete manufacturing easier as well as getting accurate, real-time information from the shop floor right on your tablet or other handheld devices.
Quality Assurance:
The Quality Management module in ERP software can help ensure that your company’s production line continues to churn out good quality products by defining tests that you want to run, parameters to evaluate the result and applying those to the required product and creating workflows to be implemented on the products.
Conclusion:
A manufacturing company executes a lot of intricate tasks right from the procurement of materials till the completion of end product. This complexity can sometimes be overwhelming to handle all by yourself; an Epicor ERP can definitely be a lifesaver in this regard by helping in making your day-to-day production activities easier, more organised and repeatable!
