Manufacturing ERP Software for Real-Time Production Data

What is a manufacturing ERP system?

Manufacturing ERP is a business management software system that streamlines manufacturing operations and data to provide a real-time view of its core business processes. While manufacturers can tailor their own ERP applications to relevant avenues of their manufacturing operations, some common applications included in a manufacturing ERP system may include real time production data tracking, production capacity and downtime, order processing and entry, inventory management, and quality documentation, and employee payroll, amongst others.

Why use a manufacturing ERP system?

Manufacturing organizations use an ERP system to accurately and efficiently track manufacturing operations. ERP allows the use of real-time production data tracking, providing manufacturers with a current or historical view into various current production metrics, including scrap, cycle counts, cycle times, production efficiency, and downtime.
With real-time production tracking, manufacturers are able to schedule the entire manufacturing operation from planning and ordering raw material as needed, to manufacturing with multiple operation steps, to shipping out finished goods to customers with JIT delivery.

How is real-time production data recorded?

With real-time manufacturing ERP software, each time a machine press opens and closes to produce a shot or part, a shot cycle is counted, recorded, and stored within the ERP software, allowing data to be reviewed or analyzed for recent or historical production. Production entry may be manually entered into the ERP system from work orders to cross-check and confirm data. Real-time software allows manufacturers with a current “real-time” view of current efficiency throughout operations in a manufacturing plant. It can also show current inventories and future production metrics to allow plant schedulers the ability to plan upcoming production runs and operations with available raw materials and labor.

Are there any drawbacks to using ERP software?

Like any data-tracking system, a manufacturing ERP system requires users to input “good data” in order to draw out “good data”. Production data results must be monitored to ensure accurate data is constantly input. The more accurate data has been input, the more accurate users will be able to draw out data, information, and reports.