Tim O'Brien
Recent Posts
Infor CloudSuite Industrial (SyteLine) Review
By Tim O'Brien on 4/17/24 5:00 AM
Syteline Integration: How to Make Infor CSI ERP Work with Existing Systems
By Tim O'Brien on 3/7/24 8:00 AM
Infor CloudSuite Industrial is integrated with many business systems
Infor CloudSuite Industrial (CSI) /Syteline ERP is already integrated with many of the common systems used across most enterprises. So, there is minimal effort (if any) to make CloudSuite Industrial work with your existing complimentary business systems and tools. CloudSuite Industrial/Syteline benefits from having thousands of customers and decades of development; the application is built to be deeply integrated with many popular programs.
Technology Trends in ERP Software for Crane Manufacturers
By Tim O'Brien on 1/17/24 10:00 AM
Crane manufacturers are increasing their focus on integrated service and quality
Over the past few years, many manufacturers have sought to extend the capabilities of their crane ERP software. Engineer-to-order and project-based manufacturing tools, along with planning and scheduling modules, have always been essential parts of any ERP software for the crane industry. But increasingly, crane manufacturers are recognizing the need to have an integrated quality system to help them address and comply with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards. Additionally, integrated service management is becoming a critical part of ERP for crane manufacturers. In this article, we’ll explain why these trends are emerging and how they impact the industry.
ERP Evaluation: 4 Questions to Ask to Get the Right System
By Tim O'Brien on 1/10/24 10:00 AM
ERP software assessments provide answers to your questions
Visual South assists companies with ERP assessments and implementations every day, and has since 1993. It’s what we do and we have been through the evaluation process hundreds of times.
However, companies typically only evaluate ERP software every 10 to 15 years (if that). The ERP selection team members may have never evaluated software, or may have done so only once before. This leads to the development of disparate processes -- some are good and others not so good. The Visual South team can help regardless.
What Does the Infor OS Do?
By Tim O'Brien on 1/3/24 10:00 AM
Infor OS overview
The Infor Operating Service (or Infor OS) is a cloud innovation platform of Infor-built applications that significantly enhance CloudSuite ERP.
The Infor OS platform is included with the CloudSuite ERP subscription. Infor OS is composed of many applications that allow CloudSuite customers to maximize the use of their purpose-built ERP.
How to Select the Right Project-Based ERP Software
By Tim O'Brien on 12/20/23 10:00 AM
Project-based manufacturers have specific ERP functional requirements
To effectively address business needs, project-based companies must choose an ERP system that meets their specific functional requirements. This is critical for success. The first step is to assess whether the ERP you’re evaluating offers project-related functionality at all, in addition to its standard functionality.
ERP Requirements for Crane Manufacturers
By Tim O'Brien on 11/2/23 2:45 PM
Crane manufacturers have specific business system needs
What crane manufacturers have in common with other types of manufacturers is that they must plan for material requirements, schedule jobs, and execute the production of those jobs. However, crane manufacturers have many requirements and needs that are unique to their industry. In this article, we’ll review how those unique requirements can be addressed with crane industry software or crane manufacturing software.
ERP for Metal Fabricators – Biggest Trend We See with Our Clients
By Tim O'Brien on 10/30/23 11:30 AM
An increased focus on visibility
More and more of our customers want to have visibility of variables affecting manufacturing. They need clear information about capacity and on-time delivery, potential capacity or supply chain issues, and job costs. Our customers are getting this visibility by leveraging the Infor ERP application’s manufacturing industry purpose-built functional abilities.
How to Choose an ERP Vendor – Before the Demonstrations
By Tim O'Brien on 9/13/23 10:00 AM
You need a plan that outlines how to choose an ERP vendor and system
It may seem relatively easy to choose an ERP vendor—just pick the one that offers the best technology and customer support, right? But it’s often not that straightforward because many companies do not have a plan when evaluating vendors. I’ve been involved in enterprise application sales for over 25 years and there is little consistency on how organizations evaluate vendors like Visual South. What I can tell you is that organizations are happiest with their choice of ERP vendor when the evaluation team has a logical process in place to assess the ERP system’s functionality and the vendor’s services.
Standard Costing Options for Manufacturers
By Tim O'Brien on 3/8/23 10:00 AM
When is standard costing the best option?
The Visual South team works with hundreds of manufacturers with varying manufacturing modes. Many of our customers fall in the “to order” category. That means they are mostly make-to-order; and within that category they are either engineer-to-order, configure-to-order, assemble-to-order, project based, and mixed mode (they build some sub-assemblies to stock that can be used as a component part, finished good, or replacement part). The predominant costing method for “to order” companies is actual costing.