Visual South Insights

Times they are a changin'

A quick review of ERP history and the evolution of ERP systems will show there are three primary, interrelated drivers: technology, functionality, and usability.

Contents

• Chapter I: Should You Be Looking for ERP?
  • 6 high-level ERP benefits
  • 60 reasons to consider ERP
• Chapter II: How to Run an Exhaustive ERP Comparison
  • First step: Prepare
  • Second step: Find vendors
  • Third step: Evaluate
  • Last step: Decide 

Attitude isn’t everything

I’m a fan of a “can-do” attitude. Having a positive attitude helps you overcome obstacles and get through anything life throws at you. If a new ERP implementation in a manufacturing industry is something life will be throwing at your organization, a can-do attitude is the right attitude for the implementation team to have.

Everything you need is available

The foundation of the template I will be talking about in this article is Infor ERP, a solution built on decades of manufacturing experience.  If you really want to schedule well, ERP software “holds all of the cards”—meaning all of the information needed to schedule properly exists within the system, in one database. Other solutions may be better than what you are using today, but typically require data entry and human intervention. A manufacturing ERP solution has the tools built in and is the most efficient way to schedule production.  If you are interested in what ERP solutions we offer, click here. Keep reading to learn about the most important things to include in your scheduling template.

Where do I start?

With the continuous evolution of modern ERP software solutions, there is a growing number of manufacturing data collection and analysis options available to you. In this article, we’ll discuss a few manufacturing data points that provide a good overall view of your performance and how they fit together.

Chances are good you don't need to hire someone

I have a certain passion for helping companies manage their capacity by scheduling properly. In this blog post, I’m going to discuss a common thought process companies go through to finally get to the point of using VISUAL to schedule their shop floor: They need to hire a Scheduler. Put someone in charge and have them get the company to the promised land of scheduling properly. It sounds reasonable, but in my experience, it’s a misguided strategy. Let me explain why.

I used VISUAL ERP scheduling

When I was a Plant Manager at a rotary die manufacturer in 1994, I bought VISUAL. The biggest problem I was trying to solve was scheduling the shop floor. We were in an industry that demanded 2-4 day lead times. Everything we did was custom; each work order had around 20 operations. It was rare for me to get a question about our ability to produce a die, because we had all the right type of fabricating equipment to produce a die. The real question was if we could produce it in the lead time the customer provided. In other words, did we have enough open capacity to do what the customer wanted us to do?

Intended audience

As an ERP vendor for small and medium-sized manufacturers, we see a wide variety of tactics when it comes to managing information technologies. Some companies have a dedicated IT staff whose sole responsibility is keeping all servers, clients, networks, applications, and other related systems up and running. These companies typically also have a database administrator who insures all critical databases are properly backed up and maintained. However, we also commonly see manufacturers put less emphasis on IT. In other words, someone has been designated as the “IT” person, yet that is not their primary role.

Knowledge is power

The power of an ERP solution is highly dependent on the knowledge of the company using it.  One company can use the software really well, while another company, well, not so much.  We often use the analogy of an airplane; the airplane is built to fly, but it only works if there is a pilot sitting in it that knows what he is doing.  Is your company flying the plane, or figuring out how to open the cockpit door?

What is big data?

The term big data may mean different things to different people and organizations.

Google’s dictionary defines big data as “extremely large data sets that may be analyzed computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and associations, especially relating to human behavior and interactions.”