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What Companies Use SAP’s ERP Software?

By Bryan Foshee on 9/28/22 10:00 AM

What is SAP?

SAP is a technology company that has been around a long time and offers what is often regarded as the top ERP software in the world. SAP ERP is built primarily for large companies in a variety of industries. Companies that are household names (e.g. BP, Coca-Cola, BASF, Audi, Burger King, and Citrix) very likely use SAP’s ERP software somewhere in their operations.

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Is There a Best ERP for Manufacturing? Not Really.

By Jack Shannon on 9/26/22 10:00 AM

We’re good, but are we the best?

Visual South sells ERP for manufacturing-centric companies. More specifically, we sell Infor CloudSuite Industrial (SyteLine) and Infor VISUAL ERP. My experience with VISUAL goes back decades: When I was a plant manager, I bought and implemented VISUAL; I was a VISUAL consultant for years; and I’ve taken deep dives into CloudSuite Industrial.

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ERP Requirements for Sign Manufacturers

By Tim O'Brien on 9/14/22 10:00 AM

Sign manufacturers have specific business system needs

What sign manufacturers have in common with other types of manufacturers is that they have to plan for material requirements, schedule jobs, and execute the production of those jobs. That being said, sign manufacturers have numerous requirements and needs that are unique to their industry. In this article, we’ll review how those unique requirements can be addressed with sign industry software, or sign manufacturing software.

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Manufacturing Process Planning: The Complete Overview

By Bryan Foshee on 9/7/22 10:00 AM

An ERP supports manufacturing process

Manufacturing ERP solutions and manufacturing processes go hand-in-hand. Your manufacturing process is typically defined by how you make what you make: the materials needed, the operations required, and the sequence of those steps. An ERP digitally supports any given manufacturing process by giving users a tool to help them execute, track, and analyze results of that process. When the tool used to support manufacturing process planning changes (like replacing Excel sheets with a new ERP), the processes typically change, too.

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How to Select a Mixed Mode Manufacturing ERP

By Bryan Foshee on 8/17/22 10:00 AM

What is mixed mode manufacturing?

A mixed mode manufacturer is a company that does not have a single manufacturing process. It is typically a combination of one or more of the following modes of manufacturing:

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Discrete Manufacturing Systems: High-Level Requirements

By Tim O'Brien on 8/10/22 10:00 AM

Discrete Manufacturing

Discrete manufacturing differs from primary modes of manufacturing in the following areas:

  • Repetitive manufacturing
  • Process manufacturing (continuous & batch)
  • Job shop manufacturing

Discrete manufacturers typically have production lines or areas where the finished good is produced in a non-continuous process. In addition, they are often categorized as “to order” manufacturers, with mixed mode components when there is a make-to-stock or forecast demand to be addressed.

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Types of ERP Consultants and Their Roles

By Tim O'Brien on 7/6/22 10:00 AM

There are four types of ERP consultants on the Visual South team

The types of consultants are: project managers, manufacturing consultants, finance consultants, and technical consultants. All of these individuals are typically engaged in a new implementation and used for varying consulting and technical efforts. There are a select number of consultants who are versed on the three primary areas of manufacturing, finance, and technology; we are proud to have these rare talents on the Visual South Professional Services Team. Please remember that the team helping you implement the software is just as important as the software itself . Our consultants exist to coach you on how to successfully use the application.

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ERP Software for SMBs: A Guide

By Bryan Foshee on 6/30/22 10:00 AM

One size does not fit all

If you are a small to medium-sized business (SMB), then you know you have unique needs when compared to a large company. This is especially true when it comes to evaluating ERP solutions for SMBs.

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How to Select Discrete Manufacturing ERP Software

By Tim O'Brien on 6/15/22 10:00 AM

Address your business issues

When selecting discrete manufacturing ERP software, choose an application that addresses your business issues. That should be the primary goal of an ERP evaluation, but we often see the focus of the evaluation shift to matters that truly do not impact the business. Cool features can distract you from picking an application that can help discrete manufacturers manage their business better. That’s why a plan is needed that includes an ERP Evaluation Checklist.

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Should a Shop Floor Manager Care About Industry 4.0?

By Bryan Foshee on 6/8/22 10:00 AM

A buzzword that’s important for business

If you are like me when you first heard the term Industry 4.0, you probably said “I didn’t know we had an Industry 1, 2, and 3.0!” The technology world loves its buzzwords, but I don’t mean to be dismissive of it because Industry 4.0 is something that we at Visual South are involved in every day. Let’s start by explaining Industry 4.0 and then talk about what it means to a manufacturing company.

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