Tag: ERP In Manufacturing
Manufacturing has long been a driver of global prosperity and economic growth. We all see astounding growth as the manufacturing industry evolves and keeps up with changing consumer needs.
This has led industry leaders to shift their focus from traditional to smart factory technology. A smart factory offers many benefits to operators, managers, and executives of companies in this industry. And yet, a few companies hesitate to start their journey the ‘smart way.’ If you are one of those companies, this article will help you with details and show you how a smart factory can bring its business operations and customer satisfaction to a new level.
Let us begin by understanding what a smart factory is.
What Is a Smart Factory?
Take a manufacturing facility and completely digitize it – that is what a smart factory is. The smart factory is a digitized manufacturing facility that uses digitized manufacturing methods, devices, and systems to continuously collect and share data. This data is used to make informed decisions that improve processes and address manufacturing challenges. The smart factory is a new industrial revolution phase focusing on real-time data, connectivity, automation, and Machine Language.
A smart factory uses the best digital and physical worlds to monitor the entire production line, from supply chain management to manufacturing tools. It can even monitor the work of an individual operator on the factory floor.
Why Is It Smart to Embrace the Smart Factory Movement?
According to a press release by Marketsandmarket, the smart manufacturing market was projected to reach USD 228.2 billion by 2027. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.5% from 2022 to 2027. Then, most businesses consider smart factories highly beneficial and crucial across industries and sectors. Here are some of those significant benefits:
- Measure key performance indicators: A smart factory provides managers with automated data that is accurate. This data gives them the ability to measure key performance indicators more efficiently.
- Think ahead better and faster: Smarter predictive maintenance allows managers to predict and resolve maintenance issues better and faster.
- Efficient demand management: It can forecast more accurately and thus reduce waste enabling efficient demand management.
- Boosted productivity: Managers boost productivity as it can provide seamless data on machine maintenance and potential bottlenecks.
Key Elements of a Smart Factory
There are a few elements that make the smart factory what it is. Understanding these elements will help you see how it fits into your business.
1. Robotics
Robotics is a crucial element of a smart factory. Robotics enables smart material handling and adaptive operations. Besides, robots come with flexible infrastructure that can scale depending on business needs.
2. Big data and IoT
The Smart factory provides augmented access to large amounts of data obtained through the cloud and connected devices. This can empower manufacturers to identify patterns and insights, thus enabling them to make more informed decisions to optimize operations and improve productivity in the long run.
3. Cloud-based management
Cloud-based management includes a suite of professional software architecture that can be developed to empower highly efficient business operations. This can offer market reactivity and scalability. It can also provide real-time visibility into a business’s inventory and manage supply chain operations from the manufacturing to the end customer.
4. Virtual reality
Manufacturers have been using virtual reality for some time now. It uses computer-generated visuals that help improve the experience of the user. It trains engineers to handle complex virtual processes, maintenance systems, and troubleshooting.
5. Cybersecurity
Smart factories tend to increase cyber security threats. Thankfully, smart factory technologies are equipped to streamline cyber threats. For example, AI-powered bots act as guards 24/7, ensuring data security.
6. Additive manufacturing
Additive manufacturing is used for rapid prototyping, on-site manufacturing, and more. It saves time and costs spent on production and tool replacements. Quick reproduction, reconfiguration, and validation can also enable reverse engineering.
Read more: ERP Systems for Manufacturing: How it Improves Business Process
A Look into The Future of Smart Factories
Manufacturers that leverage smart factory technologies will unlock game-changing flexibility and agility. Emerging imperatives for the manufacturing industry include supply chain resilience, enhanced productivity, flexibility, and sustainability. In simple terms, only those manufacturing systems that enable a demand-driven and dynamically optimized value chain will survive and thrive.
1. Increasing demands
In the coming years, factories will face more stringent regulatory and compliance requirements ever. Such demands also merge with global trends toward adopting digitization. Given their ability to drive exponential productivity and sustainability benefits, digital technologies are at the heart of these changes.
2. Automation and beyond
Across the world, manufacturers began their digital transformation with automation to minimize manual operations and maximize output. But technological advances are enabling manufacturers to empower operators to understand operational data. Furthermore, newer platforms and integration technologies are driving down the cost of digital transformation.
3. Transformational gains
By implementing an integrated automation system, manufacturers can accelerate their sustainable manufacturing vision. Driven by the unrelenting need for agility and resilience, manufacturers can empower their workforce by adopting smart factories. By building future smart factories, they can unlock value benefits for all stakeholders along the way.
Creating a Smarter Future for Manufacturing with Fingent!
A smart factory is a direct way for manufacturers to excel in a competitive and dynamic marketplace. Partnering with the right app development company could mean make or break for you. Manufacturers need the right partner to help them implement solutions correctly. Fingent has been a consulting partner to several manufacturing companies and proved its mettle. Have a look at our Case Studies:
With the right partner, upgrading a traditional factory to a smart factory is much simpler than most imagine. Fingent builds custom solutions to integrate factories with smart solutions. Through our experience, we have already helped many businesses transform their traditional factories into smart factories.
Our experts at Fingent can help retrofit most existing manufacturing equipment and set up a centralized hub that can receive data from all the sensors. A cloud service could be set up to monitor and analyze from offsite. What is more, these solutions are upgradeable.
This allows established factories to upgrade at their own pace while keeping the upgrade cost low. Do you have a traditional factory that needs to become smart? Contact Fingent today!
Why Should Manufacturing Companies Leverage Odoo ERP?
As the manufacturing industry flourish, the need for a centralized control mechanism to ensure streamlined and effective operations is turning imperative. Processes like material sourcing, inventory, invoicing, purchase, order, accounts, and human resource management needs to be automated to make room for high-level practices and decisions. In such a scenario, how do you think Odoo ERP can help manufacturing companies accelerate efficiency and business success?
Odoo ERP can empower businesses with centralized management! From inventories to work orders, to customers and accounts, Odoo ERP enables streamlined management of the entire business processes, seamlessly. Leveraging Odoo ERP and using its open-source methodologies can enable manufacturing companies to derive the required speed, flexibility, and transparency to drive business growth and success.
Here at Fingent, we provide ERP solutions for various industries challenges including those of the manufacturing industry. But before we dive deeper into how Oddo ERP can simplify management for manufacturing companies, let’s take a look into the prevailing challenges of the industry.
Read more: Drive digital transformation in manufacturing
Challenges Faced By The Manufacturing Industry
From inventory to sales to the customer, the manufacturing industry deals with a huge amount of data, on a daily basis. As digitization is taking precedence, enterprises are looking for business models that are supported by intelligent systems. Therefore, companies must use an ERP system to manage their operations. Here are few challenges that organizations face without an ERP system in place.
- Forecasting demand – To avoid waste, spoilage or over/under production, businesses must gauge customer behavior and demands. As markets are becoming more volatile and unpredictable, it is becoming increasingly difficult to predict trends and plan production and distribution.
- Planning inventory – Inventory, if managed manually is bound to have errors that can cause inaccuracy of data, stock issues, and bad decisions, all of which can hinder returns. For the smooth functioning of a manufacturing company, data accuracy and consistency are important.
- Lack of skilled labor – To preserve the quality of services and reputation, manufacturing companies must hire and retain skilled workers. With fairly large applications and without a quick processing tool, HR may find it difficult to select suitable candidates.
- Minimizing costs and improving efficiency – One of the best ways to increase returns is to lower production costs while maintaining an efficient supply chain. However, this must not compromise quality. So, manufacturing plants need to automate their operations and management.
- Client Relationship Management(CRM) – Customer loyalty, though important does not come easy in today’s competitive business landscape. Businesses must invest in resources that help prioritize client data for current and potential customers and manage sales lead. A CRM will take into account the customer preferences and demands along with market trends.
Read more: Odoo Migration: Why Is It Crucial and How to Do It Seamlessly!
Top Features of Odoo ERP System
Manufacturing firms must implement customized software solutions with multiple functionalities that are tailored to the industry. Odoo is an open-source ERP software that acts as an effective business management tool with its robust functions. Here are a few highlighted features of Odoo ERP for manufacturing:
- Inventory Management
- Material Management
- Purchase Management
- Production Management
- Sales Management
- Quality Assurance
- Customer Relationship Management
- Accounting and Invoicing
- HR and Payroll Management
All these features can be customized based on your business needs.
In addition to the above features, Odoo ERP helps in automating the maintenance order for repairs and other preventive maintenance. It includes a scheduler functionality that uses statistical calculations to alert you in case of any failure.
Read more: 5 Salient Features of Odoo that Make it a Reliable ERP for Enterprises
6 Ways Manufacturing Industry Can Benefit From Odoo ERP
1. Automation
As digitization is gaining a lot of importance, companies must optimize workflows in the supply chain through automation. Processes such as inventory updates, payments and invoicing, tracking, distribution, and sales across different channels, even making decisions on high volume orders can be automated using Odoo.
Automation drives efficiency, productivity, accuracy, lowers operational costs, and ensures employee safety. All this helps in meeting the changing supply demands of a changing market.
2. Master Data Management
Odoo ERP comes with master data management capabilities that allow companies to incorporate business processes without duplication of data. The master data management ensures there is a consistent exchange of organizational data, eliminates redundancy, and simplifies business operations.
3.Quality Control
With Odoo ERP, companies can set quality checks for certain triggers. It can help schedule operations and even send maintenance requests automatically whenever needed.
The tool also allows enterprises to track different versions of a product(Product Lifecycle Management) and manage its routing accordingly.
4. Forecasting
Odoo ERP is equipped with analytical tools that locate patterns, observe huge datasets and forecast future trends, and enable manufacturing companies to create business strategies accordingly. These predictive capabilities allow companies to focus on production to meet customer demands and earn their loyalty.
Read more: How Odoo ERP Helps Leverage Business Intelligence and Data Analytics
5. Managing the workforce
Odoo’s HRM module automates the basic segregation process based on the required attributes for the post and enables better recruitment. It also includes training and development, capabilities and skills management, compensation records, and employee data.
Additionally, Odoo ERP comes with an employee scheduling feature that helps schedule and track tasks.
6. Returns
Odoo ERP helps businesses to maximize returns by improving operational efficiency, boost productivity and enhance customer satisfaction.
Conclusion
At Fingent, we maximize the potential of manufacturing companies with future-proof technologies. We develop ERP systems that integrate WFM, CRM, HRM, and accounting services for businesses of every size. For custom Odoo ERP development, talk to our experts.
How Cloud ERP and ERP Systems Support The Manufacturing Industry?
The manufacturing industry has always been highly dynamic and competitive. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the extension of lockdown restrictions weigh down on manufacturing companies across the globe, causing many to lose momentum. At the same time, customers who are always on-marketplace are expecting high-quality, individualized products delivered within shorter timeframes. To meet these requirements, manufacturers must synchronize their demand chain with the supply chain. The appeal of ERP systems (enterprise resource planning systems) for manufacturing in this scenario is evident. Here’s everything you need to know about ERP systems for manufacturing.
What is the importance of ERP systems for manufacturing?
ERP systems for manufacturing enable manufacturers to compile and maintain their business in an easy-to-scale model. According to G2 (a leading tech marketplace), 47% of ERP users belong to the manufacturing sector, and nearly 50% of companies are keen on acquiring or upgrading their ERP systems.
Fortune Business Insights reports that the global ERP software market size is estimated to reach USD 71.63 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period (2019-2026). ERP systems for manufacturing encompass every function and streamline every business operation.
Though automation is not a new concept, the convergence of the digital world with the physical world has transformed the supply chain. In manufacturing, AI can be used to increase uptime and ensure consistent quality. AI and analytics aid in better forecasting, which in turn means better business and better returns.
Read more: Top 10 Technologies That Will Transform Manufacturing in 2021
Here are six reasons that emphasize the importance of ERP systems for manufacturing.
1. Reduces forecast anxiety
Most businesses worry about the next quarter. ERP systems for manufacturing help generate forecasts and sales reports based on historical transactions. This increases the accuracy and dependability of production and keeps stock levels in line with the increase and decrease in demand.
ERP systems can combine data, statistical algorithms, and predictive analytics to help businesses identify future outcomes based on the past. Predictive analytics can help you determine customer responses, forecast inventory, and even detect fraud. Improved supply chain visibility will help you set the level of preparedness required on the supply side to match demand. It can help you anticipate customer demand and stock goods to fulfill the orders.
Read more: 5 Reasons to Integrate Your E-commerce Application with Odoo ERP
2. Increased mobility and employee efficiency
With the lockdown measures tightening, working from home can be challenging for businesses. When the pandemic threw a curveball at companies, ERP systems for manufacturing have handed them a new strategy by enabling employees to work remotely and access all the relevant information they need from a single portal. They can access data through their laptops and computers and even from their phones and tablets, no matter where they are.
3. Flexibility
As each wave of the pandemic takes the world by surprise, manufacturing industries must ensure they are flexible to respond quickly to changing market trends. Such flexibility enables a business to be collaborative in meeting demands and promoting increased revenue and efficiency.
4. Increased profitability
Are you focusing on increased revenue in the next few months? As you are already aware, getting more work done at a lower cost automatically improves profits and encourages growth. ERP enables manufacturers to be alert to changes and react quickly to variations in raw material costs and delivery timeframes.
Cloud-based databases enable business leaders to process information quickly and equip them to make high-quality decisions rapidly. ERP systems for manufacturing increase organizational efficiency, eliminate unprofitable areas and cut down on waste. Moreover, ERP software dramatically reduces control and inventory management expenses.
Read more: How Organizations can Gain a Competitive Edge by Implementing Digital Core ERP
5. Enhanced security
Advancement in technology has made data available at our fingertips. Unfortunately, it has also made it readily available for hackers and criminals. The significance of data privacy and confidentiality has prompted most countries to have data protection laws in place, and compliance with those laws is non-negotiable. ERP systems for manufacturing have various features that enable your business to protect personal information. ERP system allows you to code your data and secure it by restricting the data through identity and access management.
6. Customer service
Every business must be concerned about customer acquisition and retention. ERP systems for manufacturing allow you to centralize and streamline your client information. This will help your sales team focus on building and maintaining customer relationships. End-to-end tracking and insights offered by ERP will help you provide better customer interaction. Since ERP supports e-commerce integration, businesses can handle web-based order processing and client interactions.
Read more: How Odoo ERP Simplifies Sales Management in Your Organization
Cloud ERP for manufacturing
Fear of misstep may prevent businesses from moving to the cloud, but outcomes prove that cloud-driven ERP is far more beneficial when compared to manual methods. Here are some benefits of cloud ERP:
- As each department has its own requirement, a customized ERP solution caters to operational and departmental needs.
- Cloud ERP allows your employees to access their data on the go. This aspect has been very crucial given the unprecedented circumstances brought in by the pandemic.
- Real-time data and reporting help in determining the future of your business and accelerates your decision-making process.
Read more: Top 6 Reasons Why You Should Move to a Cloud-Hosted ERP
Tried and tested ERP systems for manufacturing in 2021
Functionalities of ERP systems for manufacturing help organizations minimize production lead times and increase automation. Here are three tried and tested top ERP systems for 2021:
1. Odoo ERP system
Odoo manufacturing ERP software allows you to handle complex production workflows, product planning, order and inventory management, schedule management, warehouse management, bills of materials, purchase, PLM, maintenance, and quality.
Odoo ERP for manufacturing allows you to:
- Create a manufacturing order
- Configure work center
- Configure routing
- Configure bill of material
- Create scrap
- Product life cycle management
- Preventive and corrective maintenance management
As an Official Partner of Odoo, Fingent is primed to provide the best Odoo ERP consulting, implementation, and maintenance services for your business.
Read more: Why Choose Fingent as Your Odoo ERP Partner
2. SAP ERP system
SAP manufacturing software and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions enable manufacturing companies to accelerate time to market, gain new production efficiencies and lower costs.
SAP offers a wide range of software solutions for manufacturing companies, such as SAP S/4HANA Manufacturing solutions, SAP Manufacturing Execution, SAP Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence, SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud, SAP Environment, Health and Safety Management, and so on.
SAP ERP system helps in two specific categories:
Manage inventory and bills of material:
- Handle bills of material and multi-level bills of materials
- Record, track and produce serial numbers for incoming and outgoing products
- Manage multiple units of measure
Manage the production process:
- Generate both assembly and disassembly work order
- Maintain records
- Generate finished goods.
Read more: https://testingweb.fingent.net/sap-erp-central-component-sap-ecc/
SAP ERP software offers digital manufacturing solutions to meet the demands in a challenging market. SAP’s solutions for the manufacturing industry include Digital Manufacturing Cloud solutions, Manufacturing Execution System (MES), Production planning & scheduling, and IIoT. Being an SAP Silver Partner, we help businesses leverage the full potential of their SAP ERP software.
Read more: SAP Business One vs. SAP Business ByDesign: Helping Businesses Pick the Best
3. MS Dynamics ERP system
Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP system offers a holistic package of solutions for manufacturing companies that include ERP, CRM, BI, Analytics, and a horde of top-notch applications. You can easily manage your assets, supply chain operations, production and purchase orders, supply chain planning, bills of materials, and a wide variety of applications that enhance your business performance from the shop floor to the last-mile delivery.
Tools of MS dynamics can help you:
- Control financial management
- Deliver better customer service
- Collaborate across your virtual organization
Read more: ERP Software Selection: 5 Step Checklist for CFOs
Over to you
Manufacturing is the economy’s backbone. ERP is an excellent tool that gathers all information from every corner of the business and translates it into financial data and other valuable insights that help companies make strategic decisions in 2021. The potential of totally streamlined business functions makes the benefits of implementing ERP systems for manufacturing a worthwhile investment.
Over the past 17 years, we have been helping businesses solve challenges through technology. Unlock your business value with custom ERP solutions or ERP implementation, migration, upgrade and support. Give us a call!
Your ERP System May Be Failing You – Switch To A Flexible ERP System
The need for ERP in manufacturing has been established without a doubt. The industry has long progressed from complex spreadsheets, bulky disorganized folders, and long drawn paper bills. ERP has made the manufacturer’s life and business a lot easier than it used to be.
Is that enough though? With advancements in technology traveling at the speed of light, there are better, faster and more effective systems out there. Manufacturers must keep up or face the prospect of being left far behind. This blog will discuss the advancements that have been made in ERP systems and the need to switch to a modern and flexible ERP.
The Need for ERP In Manufacturing
Before we head on to explore the advancements in ERP, let’s dwell for a few minutes on why ERP has proved to be invaluable to the manufacturing industry. ERP systems did much more than organize and schedule processes. They were all in one fix for inventory control, production scheduling, business planning, CRM, and logistics management. Here are a few ways in which ERP systems help in the manufacturing industry:
- Streamlines Business Processes – An ERP solution provides complete visibility in all functions by making all data available in a centralized location. Every function of the business can use this data to monitor, enhance and streamline business processes as a whole.
- Automates production – By reducing the dependency on manual labor, automation is perhaps the most useful of the features of ERP. It reduces manual error and accelerates the production process.
- Helps Make Better Market Decisions – System generated reports in real time help manufacturers understand and quickly respond to market demands with greater accuracy. With a 360-degree view of the customer, forecasting becomes much more targeted and new opportunities to meet customer demands more effectively can be capitalized on.
- Improves Strategic Decision Making – By providing detailed insights and visibility throughout the organization, ERP systems equip the organization’s decision-makers to make faster and better business decisions.
- Reduces costs –Automation and insights provided by ERP systems help minimize errors, increase precision, reduce labor expenses and optimize inventory and warehouse costs. This results in drastically cutting down costs and increasing savings.
- Enhance customer experience – By improving product planning, detailed process scheduling, accurate market forecasts, and coordination of distribution channels, an ERP system helps enhance customer experience and win brand loyalty.
Related Reading: Find how you can get the best out of your ERP system.
The Need for More
Though legacy ERP systems were a boon to manufacturers worldwide, they don’t seem to be cutting it enough in today’s competitive world. A study by Gartner entitled The Rise of the Postmodern ERP and Enterprise Applications World throws light on the situation: “The net result of 15 years of continuous customization is that these ERP implementations are now extremely arthritic, incredibly slow and expensive to change.”
A primary reason for this is that legacy ERP systems can only be deployed on-site. Upgrades were difficult to make, and the result was that businesses couldn’t move at the speed that complies with today’s market demands. With competition, rising at every turn and market conditions and regulatory environments getting volatile every day, it is imperative that ERP systems enable operational flexibility across all processes in the enterprise.
Paul Hemmings, vice president of professional services at abas USA, notes the need for ERP systems to change and become powerful enough to keep up with the demands of global business. “An ERP system is the central infrastructure that will allow you to manage your business both at the local and global levels,” Hemmings said. “It shouldn’t satisfy only your current requirements, but should also give you the flexibility to adapt to any future changes that will come as your business expands internationally.”
The Benefits of a Flexible ERP
A modern, flexible ERP is vital in today’s ever-changing market ecosystem. Here are some benefits:
- Helps Adapt to Change – Market conditions and regulatory environments can change swiftly, and legacy ERP systems aren’t able to effectively respond to these changes. A cloud-based flexible ERP, on the other hand, is able to respond immediately to this change. It enables the company to transform and extend business processes throughout the enterprise without the need for extensive manual intervention.
- Cost-effective – Modern ERPs have a low maintenance cost and more importantly, can be scaled according to the size of the business without much-associated costs. You can make modifications in hardware or software as your company needs it, without having to make major changes to these ERP systems.
- Excellent functionality – Flexible ERP systems are equipped with business intelligence and AI capabilities, which makes them agile and capable of keeping up with changing business models.
- Quick upgrades – Cloud-based ERP systems allow for easy upgrades in software as well as hardware. Since they do not rely on costly modifications every time there is a need for an upgrade, these flexible ERP systems achieve huge cost efficiencies.
- Easily accessible data – Since cloud-based ERP systems allow for quick storage and retrieval of data from a centralized location on the cloud, it becomes easy for decision-makers to access business information swiftly and use it to make sound strategies for the organization.
Related Reading: Check out our blog on GAP Analysis in ERP Implementation
Change to a Flexible ERP system today
According to an ERP Software Market Report, published by Allied Market Research report, the global market is expected to garner $ 41.69 billion by 2020. The pace is picking up. Businesses worldwide recognize this fact and are changing their outdated legacy ERP systems for a faster, sleeker and much more efficient modern ERP system. Fingent helps manufacturing businesses make this change seamlessly and effectively. Give us a call and let’s discuss how we can make you, technology ready for the future.