Welcome to part two of our blog series on the benefits of custom software for the manufacturing industry. In this post, we are going to explore the idea of increasing the transparency of your ERP date, what that means, why you should care, and how Norcode can help.
Webopedia tells us that ERP, or Enterprise Resource Planning is “business process management software that allows an organization to use a system of integrated applications to manage the business and automate many back office functions related to technology, services and human resources.” This software is integral to the successful operation of any manufacturing business, as it often handles many production planning, material purchasing, inventory control, distribution, accounting, finance and HR functions. With such a vast range of functionality wrapped up in one software package, it’s no wonder the features and functionality can often be confusing and lack a level of user friendliness that would make it conducive to any operation. This is in no way meant to put down any ERP system, as there are some really great systems out there, but at the end of the day, they’re built within a framework that someone else designed, based on their perception on how the majority of factories/machine shops run, or should complete a task. Data can be difficult to find and reports can be complicated to set up to retrieve the information you’re looking for. What’s more, many ERP systems are a Windows based software that can’t run on iPads or Android tablets, making the valuable data tied to a computer.
Enter custom software. The idea behind what Invaware is trying to accomplish is to utilize your existing ERP data to create software, dashboards and workflow tools that are user friendly and that highlight integral data. Highlighting KPIs (key performance indicators) and making them easier to access for all levels of your organization allows you to stay on top of achieving your goals. By creating custom reports, you can run them whenever you need, at the push of a button. Or, Invaware can display important data, like job lists, directly from your ERP on screens visible to your workforce to help stay on top of workload, and can even colour code jobs based on status, so you can be notified immediately if a problem arises. Another benefit of utilizing Norcode’s custom software solutions is that all programs are developed as web based applications that are accessible anywhere, on any internet capable device - further increasing the transparency of your data!
By using your existing ERP system as a database to store and extract the data, it saves you the tens of thousands of dollars that it would take every time you rip out your system and replace it with a shiny new ERP, that will present the same list of issues down the road. Custom software gives you exactly what you need for a fraction of the cost. Creating transparency and easy access to your data to all involved helps you increase employee satisfaction and allows you to focus on what’s important to the success of your business.
Contact Norcode to set up your free consultation to learn more about how we can help increase the transparency of your ERP data!
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