In the past, keeping track of the manufacturing cycle would have relied on legacy methods such as notations in an Excel spreadsheet or emails sent to managers and supervisors.
This might work if the product cycle can be reconfigured and rebuilt, but when it comes to process manufacturing, where the combination of raw materials is not reversible, the need is for real-time data. Having this information, however, isn’t the important thing – making it available to all relevant employees is a necessity.
Without an enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform, like the Sage ERP X3 distribution software, manufacturers are resigned to searching numerous files and documents in order to purchase parts, replace equipment, or track shipments when they leave the warehouse.
When a facility has multiple manufacturing sites and/or distribution centers, it is especially critical for decision makers to collaborate and share information: workers on the line need to know the overall objective, and what’s expected from them when a specialty order, for example, enters the production cycle.
Obviously, only a single-source database can provide this information, allowing on-the-spot assessments of stock, raw materials, parts, and traceability of lots. Without the capabilities of an ERP platform, ‘transparency’ is lost throughout the facility, causing downtime when staff must search to find files that reside on different PCs in different installations.
Overall, Sage ERP X3 is a cost-cutter and profit generator: expensive overstocking of raw materials stops, continuous monitoring of product and expenses creates immediate financial overviews on customized dashboards, and shipment status updates make for satisfied customers.
In short, better monitoring of profit margins, sales forecasting, shipments, and real-time financials all contribute to a more meaningful ‘picture’ of the manufacturer’s profitability.
Interested in finding out more how implementing Sage ERP X3 can improve your business?
Contact Oates & Company before you go another day without current information about how your business is faring.
