There is so much data involved in running a modern manufacturing operation that an ERP solution is pretty much a necessity to keep up with the reporting requirements for managing your business. While accurate reports are important, have you explored all the ways your ERP could be powering all aspects of your operations?
Using your ERP just for tracking what has already happened in your organization is a lot like buying a bus to transport four people. A bus will take those four wherever they need to go, but there are many more people it could be carrying for the same effort. You can certainly use your ERP for basic reporting, but it can deliver so much more. Here are some ways to get everyone on the ERP “bus” and get even more out of this important investment.
Sales Empowerment
If you have the right interface, your ERP can be as important a resource for your sales team as it is for your production team. A custom portal can be developed affordably to use existing ERP data to empower your sales team with accurate customer information – like average order size and order frequency. Don’t stop with an historical view, however. Develop automated forecasts and alerts so that you and your sales team can see when a customer’s orders are not matching an expected pattern so your team can jump into action while there is still time to save the relationship.
Automated Reporting
Producing intelligence-filled reports doesn’t have to require spreadsheets. Even if your ERP does not supply the views you want with its predefined reports, you don’t have to resort to spreadsheets to force a solution. It is more affordable than you may think to have an automated reporting portal connected to your ERP data. With a custom portal you can build reports that give you the views you want to best manage your operations. Perhaps the biggest benefit of automated reporting is that it can power real-time reporting, giving you an up-the-minute view of your business.
Real-Time Scheduling
Once you have automated (real-time) reporting capabilities, you are just one short step away from having real-time scheduling. Triple Helix clients who have implemented real-time scheduling have found it to be a game changer. Managers at one client, Nortek, Inc., used a Triple Helix developed solution to access to real-time data to see all the jobs in the queue and arrange them by status, due date, or priority to keep every job on track toward on-time completion. The boost to operational efficiency has also provided a bonus of increased customer satisfaction.
If you would like to get more people on your ERP “bus”, start with a digital capabilities assessment to determine the biggest opportunities for data aggregation and automation in your operation. Triple Helix has worked with manufacturers of all sizes over the past 15 years and has developed a process to help assess opportunities in Information Management, Data Visibility, Data-Driven Processes, and Information Security. Contact us if you would like to schedule a risk-free consultation to see if Triple Helix can help your company better organize, access, and analyze your data.
