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Originally Posted On: https://misysmanufacturingconsultants.com/how-do-erp-solutions-help-manufacturing-businesses-grow/

 

Since the health crisis, there has been a need for the manufacturing sector to consider new and innovative ways to improve their production process and increase efficiency. As a result, digital transformation has been a critical focus for many organizations in this sector, and ERP systems have been identified as playing an essential role in this process.

Investing in ERP systems may seem costly and unnecessary, but the benefits can be remarkable, from small to midsized businesses. ERP systems can help streamline processes, increase communication and collaboration within the company, and provide a single source of truth for all data. Investing in ERP for small manufacturing businesses increases ROI and efficiency, resulting in company growth.

This article will look at the benefits of ERP for small to midsized manufacturers and how it can help increase efficiency and drive growth.

 

Increasing Productivity

Small and midsized businesses often lack the resources to compete with larger organizations in terms of productivity. There are few employees, and the workload is high. These businesses need to find ways to increase their productivity to stay competitive.

ERP systems can help achieve this by automating processes and helping employees work smarter, not harder. With all the data in one place, employees can quickly find the information to make decisions and complete tasks. This reduces the amount of time spent on administrative tasks and leaves more time for productive work.

Supply chain management is another area where ERP can help improve productivity. By automating the process, errors can be reduced, and orders can be processed faster. This reduces the time it takes to get products to market, giving businesses a competitive edge.

 

Achieve Agility

Agility is critical in the manufacturing sector. The ability to quickly adapt to changes in the market, whether it’s a new regulation or a shift in consumer demand, is essential for success.

ERP for small manufacturing businesses can help to achieve agility through the following ways;

• Providing 24/7 access to business intelligence data so that employees can make decisions quickly
• Enabling the rapid deployment of new applications and changes to the business process
• Allowing for the easy integration of new applications with the existing system
• Automation of manual tasks that can slow down the response time to changes
• Maximizing the modular design and cloud architecture of ERP systems so that they can be quickly adapted to the needs of the business

It’s essential to have an ERP system that can help you quickly adapt to changes to compete with your competition in the manufacturing sector.

 

Ensures Data-Driven Decisions

Decision-making is a critical part of the manufacturing process, and decisions must be made based on data. With an ERP system in place, all data is collected in one place, which allows for data-driven decision-making.

ERP solutions have Business Intelligence (BI) tools that allow you to analyze data and insights into how the business is performing. This data can be used to decide pricing, production, and marketing.

It’s essential to have a system in place that can collect and store it in a meaningful way to make the most of your data. An ERP system is the perfect solution for this.

 

Helps With Compliance

It’s vital to ensure that your business complies with all the relevant regulations to compete in the manufacturing sector. However, this can be a challenge for small businesses that don’t have the resources to hire a compliance officer.

Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) is a regulation specific to the manufacturing sector, and it requires companies to have internal controls to protect against financial fraud. An ERP system can help meet these requirements by providing the necessary tools and reports.

An ERP system can also help comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

By automating processes and providing reports and tools, ERP systems can help small businesses meet the manufacturing sector’s compliance requirements.

 

Smoothens Tracking, Reporting, and Managing Resources

Some decades ago, most of the production process was managed by people on the ground. However, this is no longer the case due to globalization and the rise of technology. Now, the production process is managed by computers and machines.

This means that businesses need to have a system to track and manage resources. Therefore, it’s essential to have a plan to help you track and manage resources to succeed in the manufacturing sector. An ERP system is the perfect solution for this. An ERP system can do this by providing a centralized view of all resources and automating the allocation and de-allocation of resources.

Moreover, ERP systems have reporting tools that allow you to track the usage of resources over time. This helps you identify any inefficiencies in the production process and make changes.

All this information is collected and stored in one place, allowing you to get a holistic view of the resources used in the production process.

 

Improve Quality Control

In the manufacturing sector, it’s essential to have a system in place that can help you with quality control. This is because the manufactured products need to meet the high standards of the customers.

ERP for small manufacturing businesses is the key to success. An ERP system can help with quality control by providing tools that allow you to track the quality of products over time. This enables you to identify any problems with the quality of the products and make changes.

Remember, customer retention is vital in the manufacturing sector, and you need to do everything you can to ensure that your products meet the high standards of your customers.

 

360 Degree View of the Business

Small businesses in the manufacturing sector often find it challenging to get a 360-degree view. They don’t have the resources to hire a CFO or other financial professionals.

An ERP system can help provide a 360-degree view of the business by offering tools that allow you to track the business’s financial performance over time. In addition, the tools ensure that all the economic data is collected and stored in a meaningful way. This allows you to get a clear picture of the business’s financial health.

Different departments in the business can also use the ERP system to view their specific company area. This helps to improve communication between various departments and helps to improve the overall efficiency of the business.

 

Reasons Why Small Businesses Are Adopting Cloud ERP

Small businesses are opting for cloud ERP solutions for several reasons. Some of the key reasons are:

1) Cost-effective: Cloud ERP solutions are more cost-effective than traditional ones. This is because you don’t need to buy any hardware or software. Instead, you can sign up for the service and start using it.

2) Easy to use: Cloud ERP solutions are easy to use. You don’t need any special training to use them.

3) Scalable: Cloud ERP solutions are scalable. This means that you can increase or decrease the number of users per your needs.

4) Reliable: Cloud ERP solutions are reliable. They are hosted on secure servers, and you can access them from anywhere in the world.

5) Flexible: Cloud ERP solutions are flexible. This means that you can use them for various purposes, such as managing your finances, inventory, or production.

 

Final Thoughts

Manufacturing businesses are turning to enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions to help them grow and become more successful. ERP solutions offer some benefits, such as improving quality control, tracking resources, and providing a 360-degree view of the business. Cloud ERP solutions are becoming increasingly popular due to their cost-effective and easy-to-use nature.