Shortlist UK’s Best Manufacturing ERP Software

What Is Manufacturing ERP Software?

Manufacturing ERP Software is a specialised Enterprise Resource Planning system built around an organisation’s manufacturing processes. Manufacturers use it across both discrete and process-based production, in sectors such as Food and Beverage, Apparel, Industrial Equipment, and Automotive. It monitors every stage of production, links the factory floor to sales and returns, and balances supply against demand to reduce resource costs.

The system tracks both human and robotic output up and down the supply chain, measuring everything from temperatures and weights to tolerances and pressures. This replaces guesswork on the factory floor with measurable production data.

Manufacturers running ERP have reduced operational costs by 22% and cut key decision-making time by 36%.

10 Best Manufacturing ERP Software Solutions

Why Leading Manufacturers Choose ERP Manufacturing Software

The four leading use cases for ERP adoption among manufacturing companies are to:

1. Replace outdated software systems or manual processes
2. Consolidate multiple and disparate applications from various departments
3. Take advantage of the latest analytics and AI tools
4. Oversee the entire process (from inventory management to production planning) in one shared system

Since the progress of MRP systems (Manufacturing Resource Planning), manufacturers are the number one users of ERP Software. Today, 47% of manufacturers are looking to implement an enterprise resource planning system. That’s more than both the Distribution (18%) and Services (12%) sectors combined.

Although there is debate as to whether businesses should opt for a more out-of-the-box ERP to safeguard against complex mishaps (take the Nike i2 malfunction in 2000, for example), successful implementation of Manufacturing ERP Software can deliver immediate benefits:

• Increased efficiency as manufacturing runs smoothly, issues are dealt with faster, and the supply chain is optimised
• Improved visibility as leadership and departments can gain insights across all areas of production and the business, typically in real-time
• Support for on-time delivery systems that improve business competitiveness
• Improved product quality which reduces returns, product failures, and increases customer satisfaction
• Reduced costs with tighter control and flexibility over the bill of materials
• Improved collaboration across the business, encouraging product innovation, production creativity, and faster problem resolution

One example of manufacturing ERP success is Wisconsin Plastics. The Plastic Injection Moulding Service decreased the overall total raw material inventory by 17.5%. This is thanks to a just-in-time replenishment program made possible by the accurate inventory count provided by its real-time ERP system.

Video: Lee Wachter explains where manufacturers see the first measurable gains once supply chain fundamentals are fixed: “Inventory is generally the earliest lever. Once planning assumptions are corrected and the ERP becomes a trusted system of record, you have safety stock that you can rationalise, expediting decreases, and cash is going back onto the balance sheet.”

Unique ERP Features For Manufacturers

ERP systems have three types of features:

1. Packaged features found in all ERP systems
2. Features that appeal more to a specific function (like manufacturing)
3. Industry-specific features found in specialised solutions

Packaged ERP Features

• Accounting
• Financial management
• Human resources management (HRM)
• Project management
• ERP integrations
• Customer relationship management (CRM)
• Marketing
• Business intelligence
• Sales

Packaged Features Used By Manufacturers

• Supply chain management
• Order processing
• Real-time data analysis and reporting
• Automation and AI
• Manufacturing/Materials resource planning (MRP)
• Purchasing
• Inventory management
• Commerce integration
• POS integration

Industry-specific Manufacturing ERP Features

• Quality control
• Order fulfilment
• Buying and procurement
• IoT tracking
• Formula/Recipe management
• Batch processing
• Route management
• Product Configuration
• Product lifecycle management (PLM)
• CAD integration
• Bill of material management
• Planning and scheduling
• Engineering Change Order (ECO)

What Production Methodologies Does ERP Manufacturing Software Support?

There are four main types of manufacturing processes: discrete, process (batch or continuous), repetitive, and job shop. Below this is a sub-level that contains multiple variants of production methodologies – each supported by the features of an ERP manufacturing solution in its own unique way.

Supported manufacturing production methods include:

• Lean manufacturing
• Remanufacturing
• Make to stock (MTS)
• Make to order (MTO)
• Just-in-time manufacturing
• Assemble to order (ATO)
• Engineer to order (ETO)

ERP Manufacturing Software Implementation Challenges to Acknowledge

Although 67% of distributors and manufacturers that implemented an ERP system described it as successful, some factors can challenge the success of an ERP implementation. These challenges include:

• High start-up costs
• Complex integration with existing systems and processes
• Time required for completion (almost 75% of all ERP implementation processes fail due to delays and costs)
• Training required for employees
• Employee resistance

Are You Ready For Specialised ERP Manufacturing Software?

As businesses evolve and grow, their needs change. Many manufacturers may have already adopted an ERP for back-office tasks, but now find the need for Manufacturing ERP Software to deliver broader insights and performance benefits.

The best answer to the question is always yesterday, with today a close second. When it comes to knowing when best to implement a manufacturing ERP, a three-colour-coded system is used; red, amber, and green.

ERP Manufacturing Software FAQs

What Manufacturing Industries Benefit From Enterprise Resource Planning?

• Food & Beverage (Process)
• Apparel and Textiles/Clothing (Discrete)
• Chemicals (Process)
• Industrial Equipment (Discrete)
• Consumer Electronics (Discrete)
• Aerospace and Defence (Discrete)
• Automotive (Discrete)
• Pharmaceutical (Process)
• Oil and Gas (Process)
• Furniture (Discrete)

What’s the Difference Between MRP, MRO, and ERP?

Before ERP emerged as a common business practice, there was MRP (Material Requirements Planning and lately Manufacturing Resource Planning [aka MRP II]).

You can consider MRPs a subset of ERP, focused solely on the inventory, materials of manufacturing, and the build processes involved. With a manufacturing resource planning system in place, businesses know where their components or materials are, but need broader insights into productivity and value, ERP widens visibility and speeds up the information flow.

A modern ERP also supports the delivery of Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) services, ensuring that manufacturing hardware systems run most efficiently and that there is a minimum of disruption when a problem arises.

Modern ERPs support predictive maintenance features of factory machinery that deliver performance and fault information live, rather than grinding to a halt at the most inconvenient of times. With a modern manufacturing ERP supporting, boosting or supplanting these older technologies, manufacturers will be up-to-date and better informed about live operations.