How to Choose the Best Software for Manufacturing

What’s the best software for manufacturing?

In our experience, every manufacturing business is unique and it's very confusing to find the best manufacturing software to fit your requirements. All-in-one solutions, which handle other tasks apart from finances, such as planning and production, are known as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). There are many ERP options available and the selection process quickly becomes overwhelming for even the most seasoned ERP seekers. That's why we developed this list of top ERP features and functions to help leaders, like you, in your search for new accounting and manufacturing software. You already have a good idea of what you don't want from your old systems. Let's see what the best software for your business should include to make the biggest impact on your manufacturing bottom line.

Where to streamline

Your software should help you streamline manufacturing processes with the goal to shorten the time between receiving and shipping orders. It should also help you streamline your accounting processes and use them to gather data that will provide valuable feedback on your manufacturing and inventory processes.

How to reduce costs

Once you have a clear grasp of where your production costs lie you can make adjustments to reduce the costs of doing business. It’s imperative to have the ability to break down the total cost of manufacturing the product. Your software should allow you to account for not only each component but for all the activities that add cost to the end product.

Identify costly inefficient processes 

One way to reduce costs is to refine your production process and automate aspects of your business. You’ll need accurate, real-time costing information to help you see processes that should be updated. Real-time visibility in production processes will allow you to make adjustments before it’s too late. ERP solutions such as Sage 100cloud make it easy to see areas for improvement that lead to increased revenue and increased profitability.

Control and Optimize Inventory

Look for a manufacturing software solution that allows you to see your work in process as well as your inventory and finished goods. Software such as Sage 100cloud can be used to extract data and analyze trends, improve efficiency, and enable data-based business decisions.

Sage 100cloud can help you optimize the way you use inventory, such as providing alerts when your stock needs replenishing so you can avoid a situation where you have too much inventory (which costs money) or, even worse, not enough inventory, where you cannot fulfill the requirements of your customers.

Help with complicated compliance

Your manufacturing accounting software should also help you keep compliant with regulations and the tax laws where you do business. With ERP like Sage 100cloud, your data moves between production lines and the back office, meaning you have real-time data that’s accurate.

Benefits beyond today

“The software wouldn’t let us do that” is a lament we continue to hear. One of the surprising benefits of an ERP migration is the opportunity to automate and streamline processes beyond what’s possible today. It can also give you a fresh start with your record keeping. Just like packing up to move to a new home, you tend to be more organized putting things away in your new home.

Vrakas/Blum Computer Consulting is the Number One Manufacturing Solution and Top JobOps Provider for 14 years running and a Sage Diamond partner. Our collective experience can save you time and create efficiencies. Contact Vrakas/Blum Computer Consulting today!