How to Choose the Best Manufacturing ERP for your Job Shop

HowtoChooseTheBestERPSolutionForYourJobShop

Select the Right MRP System to Keep You on Schedule in a Fast-Paced and Highly-Competitive Market

When choosing the right technology for your job shop manufacturing process, from the start, we recommend an integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) application. This decision alone will allow you to eliminate different systems for each department and tie all of your business functions together into one unified program. By using an integrated ERP system with a strong MRP component, you can efficiently allocate your company resources from quote to cash to ensure on-time delivery despite changes on short notice or new orders.

The right ERP solution will include an MRP system with effective scheduling, capacity planning and operational features that will allow you to get a good return on both your time and monetary investments. But, there are several ERP options on the market, how do you even begin to choose the right job shop solution for your company?

First things first, make a list of everything you would like your ideal ERP application to do. Some examples might include:

Eliminate departmental silos
Provide full visibility into the supply chain
Cash flow management
Allow staff to input and export data
Real-time, cross-functional reporting
Quality controls
Inventory management
Automated production process
Estimated vs. actual progress
End-to-end resource and materials planning

Next, do your research. Compare your list of requirements with the features of popular manufacturing ERP solutions to ensure that you are making the right choice. Be sure to look for a solution that includes industry-specific features that integrate smoothly with back-end accounting systems such as:

Project-based purchasing – project costs and timelines
Comprehensive work centers for flexible planning and scheduling
Centralized planning
Time and materials management within an MRP system
Change order management
Control over a complex bill of materials
Project overviews
Production planning and scheduling
Customized dashboards
Secure, backed-up data

Then, find an implementation partner that is just as invested in your company’s success as you are. You want an ERP implementation partner that is familiar with the unique challenges you face as a job shop company and is committed to enhancing your business processes throughout the entire supply and delivery chain. A good partner will provide:

Certified consultants
Custom development options
Thorough training sessions
IT & Hosting services for on-premise or cloud
Extensive expertise with manufacturing clients
The latest innovations and regular upgrades
An open line of communication with check-ins and staff support

By implementing the right ERP solution, you give your job shop the opportunity to handle a higher volume of orders while still maintaining the level of service your customers have come to expect. The solution you choose must be scalable enough to help your job shop grow fast, run simple, and drive profit. You should be able to trust in your technology so you can concentrate on running your business. With the right technology and a successful implementation, you will be able to:

Provide aggressive delivery times and keep your projects on schedule
Quote orders more accurately
Reduce planning time and react quickly to change orders
Increase machine and labor utilization rates
Record work in real-time and reduce lead times
Integrate your BOM with your CAD software
Reduce capital expenditure
Increase customer satisfaction

Read about how a job shop company leveraged an integrated ERP solution to streamline their production processes, provide faster turnaround times and stay ahead of their competition.