Visual South Insights

Specialized ERP is needed to address engineer-to-order requirements

Not all ERP systems are designed with the capabilities to address the somewhat unique requirements for manufacturing organizations that specialize in engineer-to-order products. There are significant differences in the business requirements of engineer-to-order manufacturers, compared to those of repetitive, make-to-stock, mixed mode, and even make-to-order manufacturers. The key difference is that engineer-to-order companies may build a specific design and configuration only once. That’s it. You need engineer-to-order manufacturing software to be able to accommodate the unique requirements of creating singular products.

Emotion and data

I like a sense of order. If a picture is crooked, I straighten it. If there is a mess in the kitchen, I clean it up. I’m not obsessive about it, but it is part of my nature.

I also like data. Not data for data’s sake. Rather, data that brings clarity to a problem or situation, which brings me right back to my desire for a sense of order. Data helps me understand if a problem is fixed, or situation is under control. The data feeds my need for a sense of order.

We have what you need

There are a variety of ERP solutions on the market, but it can be difficult for aerospace and defense manufacturers to find a solution that addresses their specific needs. Infor’s ERP solutions, Cloudsuite Industrial and Infor VISUAL, are configurable and robust, with advanced functionality that directly address the requirements of aerospace and defense manufacturers.

Some background before we begin

There are ERP solutions out there for every type of manufacturing company. One of the niches Visual South works with are project-based manufacturers, who have similar needs to other manufacturing companies, but also some exceptionally specific ways of doing business. These companies work in a world of “projects” and their ERP solution needs to support this requirement.

Aerospace ERP must have traceability

Aerospace and defense customers need ERP with industry-specific functional attributes to help them comply with mandatory regulations. For that reason, ERP for the aerospace industry includes the standard functionality provided in general manufacturing systems, plus additional tools. In this article, I focus on one of the most important functional areas for those who are evaluating or seeking to improve their aerospace ERP software.

What others say are benefits of ERP

We’ve written many articles about the benefits of ERP, but also wanted to poll the industry to hear what others had to say. Below is a compilation of the answers we received to our survey question, “What is the best benefit you or your company has experienced from using an ERP system?”

Should you switch from Infor VISUAL to Infor CloudSuite Industrial SyteLine ERP?

The team at Visual South often discusses that question, both internally and with our customers, and the answer varies. The fact is, you need a reason to switch. A real business reason (or reasons). Otherwise, it will be difficult for “to order” manufacturers to justify the ROI to replace a highly functional ERP application like Infor VISUAL.

If VISUAL is working fine for you, there may be no reason to move. If you think you can better utilize VISUAL ERP, our team can help. But if you have maximized VISUAL’s functionality and scalability, it might be worth switching to CloudSuite Industrial SyteLine. But let’s validate that case together.

A little background

I have been in the ERP industry for over 21 years and have worked with companies of all sizes and industries, but primarily have experience with small to medium-sized manufacturing businesses. I am currently in a sales role, so I frequently talk with companies that are interested in one of our Infor ERP products. One of the questions I always ask is “What are you using today?” A lot of times the answer to my question is QuickBooks.

Infor CloudSuite Industrial/SyteLine ERP Pricing – How It Works

Whether you are working with an Infor Channel Partner or Infor Direct, you’re using the same pricing data. There are no dealer markups or first-line support charges like those that value-added resellers (VARs) typically pass on to their customers.

The latest and greatest for VISUAL

Infor VISUAL 10 was released in December 2020, and quite a few features were added. There are many resources that go into great detail about the new functionality, including release notes, but here are the highlights we think are most important to know. If you want more details, go to the Visual South VISUAL upgrade page here.