Steam and coal propelled the world through the first industrial revolution, and cheap, easily accessible electricity set off the second. The third was fueled by automated machining and basic computer programming, but it’s clear that as we are now well into the new fourth industrial revolution – cyber-physical systems, led by intelligent computing is, the future of cutting-edge industry processes.
The message for businesses is clear. Just as steam power replaced the watermill and large-
scale factories replaced the cottage industries, manufacturing companies need to invest in
the next generation of ERP systems and warehousing software or risk getting left behind by their competitors.
Start manufacturing erp in the cloud
Choosing a cloud-based ERP system that has been specifically designed to help manufacturing and distribution businesses gain control over their entire value chain from sales to production to delivery is one way to lean into Industry 4.0.
In the cloud, the types of disruptive technologies that this new revolution is being propelled by can be accessed: connectivity, data, computational power, analytics and intelligence. The ideal cloud-based ERP solution will be designed to create a holistic system for your data, where employees can see information such as product stock, customer delivery statuses, procurement and finances in one, easy-to-use system accessible anywhere.
Enable multi-flow connectivity
The capacity to handle multiple production options is essential, and this will give you
complete control over everything from parts locations, delivery status and stock shortages.
Integrated processes give you full visibility over all supplier purchases and correspondence with suppliers, and this information is available throughout the production process. The updated status of each product is available at the part level, giving you complete control over what you need to do to get the product delivered as planned.
Built-in relationship management
No matter where your purchase order requirement originates from, a built-in procurement module will have a streamlined, automated process that ensures all needs are met and handled together.
Within your ideal manufacturing ERP system, you can manage your supplier relationship in a user-friendly interface, storing all necessary information and purchase history. In addition, you can improve cost savings by introducing configurable cost management rules to ensure purchases are aligned with your procurement policy. Built into this all-in-one system will be support for a complete sales pipeline that extends from working with ‘cold’ opportunities to following up the backlog and deliveries with a high level of control.
Not forgetting the employee experience
However, new and modern technologies are only half of the Industry 4.0 story. For any
company to thrive and make the most of this revolution they must put time and effort into
their employees, ensuring that they facilitate their upskilling and reskilling where necessary. New software, new systems, and even new mindsets require a workforce that is ready for the challenge. You must offer support post-implementation to get your team up to speed with new systems to ensure that there is no downtime in your monitoring and that your employees are ready once the system is in place.
Speed and flexibility
ERP systems need to work within the modern business world, which is a fast-paced, ever-
changing landscape. As such, no two problems and no two businesses are alike, and your
solution must be created to be adaptable to the needs of the customer, from HR to quality
control, procurement to sales, equipment rental to project management, offering units to
cover all aspects of your business requirements with additional system modules.
The automation of these areas, added to the ability to have all this information at your
fingertips on a cloud-based system, ensure that any business owner will have greater
control of their manufacturing, their warehousing, and the capability to have a clear, total
and holistic understanding of their whole business.
By following the steps above, you should be able to find your perfect ERP system with
composable modules across the supply chain, warehousing, supplier relationships and
employee experience, all with the speed and flexibility of the cloud. One such ideal ERP system that Arribatec has extensive experience with as a partner is Rambase.
This is a sponsored article by Arribatec.
