What is Manufacturing ERP software, and why do you need it?

Manufacturing businesses require robust and efficient systems if they want to maintain reliable operations that run without cause for concern. 

Successful manufacturing businesses are those that, wherever possible, capitalise on new software and platforms which help to streamline existing processes. One such piece of software that many manufacturing businesses have been investing in for some years now is ERP software. But what exactly is manufacturing ERP software, what are the benefits...and why do you need it?                         

What is manufacturing ERP software? 

Manufacturing Enterprise Resource Planning, or ERP, software is an all-in-one system that integrates all of the essential features required to manage a manufacturing business. This includes the following: 

• Production management 
•  Planning and scheduling 
•  Financial management 
•  Product configuration 
•  Warehouse management 
•  Supply chain consolidation 
• Product data management, and more, depending on the package.                                                                                                                                                                

What are the benefits of manufacturing ERP software? 

 ERP software offers many benefits for manufacturing businesses. It offers complete transparency between departments and helps to coordinate activities between your teams for seamless collaboration. Here are some of the other benefits manufacturing businesses often gain when investing in quality ERP software: 
 
CRM and sales order management 
 
ERP software provides every department with access to your sales orders and customer relationship management tools, commonly referred to as CRM. This results in the enhancement of customer service and therefore customer experience, as every employee can access customer information: such as buying patterns and customer queries. As a manufacturing business, you can also purchase materials for products in high demand ahead of sales to speed up the process and reduce waiting times. 
 
Inventory management and MRP 
 
Effective inventory management is critical for the success of any manufacturing business. ERP software makes all elements of inventory management simple and easy, whether that's managing waste, setting up reorder points, tracking stock, or even creating bills of materials. ERP software optimises all components of daily manufacturing processes, including planning, purchasing, forecasting and assembling. 
 
Workstations and activity centres 
 
ERP software also allows you to efficiently monitor each workstation on your premises. This is useful for manufacturing businesses, as it means you can quickly track the progress of a project and determine where reinforcements are needed. This ensures that manufacturing processes always run as smoothly as possible. You can track activities in real-time, leading to a far more responsive business. 
 
Planning and scheduling 
 
Effective planning is integral to the success of manufacturing, regardless of what products you manufacture or distribute. ERP software stores both past, current and future forecast data, which you can access on an as-and-when needed basis. This means you can forward plan and keep operations running as intended. Whether you need to view shift patterns, track absences, recruit new team members or arrange extra shift coverage, ERP software can include simple drag-and-drop display boards which makes it simple and stress-free. 
 
So, why do you need ERP software for your manufacturing business? 
 
It's possible to still run your manufacturing business manually. However, many leading manufacturing businesses around the UK are turning to ERP automation software to improve and optimise their business processes, refreshing how things are done. If you'd like to streamline your manufacturing processes with ERP, look no further than WinMan. 

Explore the full features of the software with your copy of the brochure here: 

WinMan is an ERP software vendor dedicated to helping UK and US businesses of all shapes and sizes transform the way they operate. Offering both cloud-based and on-premise ERP solutions for manufacturing and distribution businesses looking to streamline and consolidate their processes. Contact the team today to find out more about our comprehensive ERP services.