ERP for Finishing Companies

Q: Why is an all-inclusive ERP/business system critical for finishing industry-related companies?

A. It’s a common story that we’ve heard again and again when talking with platers, heat treaters, cleaners, or powder coaters and it goes something like this… “Well, about thirty years ago we worked with a developer who wrote us a custom program to run our shop floor processes. On the financial management side of the house, we use QuickBooks.” The next thing out of their mouths is, “…but we know we need some help…” 

This is often due to a laundry list of reasons including:

• Developer is set to retire and will no longer provide support
• Old solution can’t keep up with modern business needs
• No reporting/insufficient reporting
• Multiple systems don’t “talk” to one another
• Unable to access the system remotely
• Etc.

The evidence is clear! The time is now for companies within the finishing industry to make a move to an all-inclusive ERP (enterprise resource planning) or similar business system, otherwise, they will be left behind.

The Benefits of a Cloud-based ERP Solution

Total Visibility & Complete Control. Imagine, if you will, a user logging into just one solution and having total visibility as to what is happening with customers, vendors, work orders, shop floor activity and more. One centralized solution, which houses all your data, which can handle both the shop floor order processing side of the house while also containing a fully built-in general ledger, chart of accounts, customer/vendor tracking, and business reporting. This type of total visibility and complete control allows for standardized processes (which all finishing companies seek), but also brings data to the forefront to share with co-workers so users know that they are always looking at the most current data in real-time so that they can make real-time decisions to help drive revenue growth, cut costs, or increase operational efficiency.

Eliminate Data Silos. In the scenario above, this fictitious company only has two different systems. However, the reality is when organizations consider other business applications like payroll systems, time clock systems, CRM solutions, EDI needs, and eCommerce options, the number of systems can often spiral quickly. Each solution has its own specific need and contains its own set of data. Often these systems don’t “talk” or “play nicely” with other solutions. An all-inclusive solution would eliminate the need for multiple disconnected solutions that can’t handle the complexity of a modern business. Instead, with one ERP solution, organizations will eliminate duplicate data entry and rekeying of information from one solution to another. Companies can also eliminate a need to batch data and sync or feed data from one to another. Gone are the days of needing to reconcile when a sync fails or waiting until the next day to see current data because the sync only runs overnight. A modern solution improves data reliability and offers leading-edge solutions like web services or API (application programming interface) communication for real-time data transfer.

Cloud Availability. Could you imagine visiting with a customer and being able to quickly look up an order history or balance right on your laptop or tablet? Or better yet, what about sitting on a beach and being able to monitor order status, throughput and payment information on your phone? The technology is here; a cloud-based, all-inclusive ERP solution will allow you to run your business anytime on any device from anywhere. This type of access allows employees to work faster and smarter. Having the data at their fingertips allows for quicker resolution, happier customers, and more efficient employees. Remote work and the need for flexibility in how employees access business systems are forcing organizations to bring forward their digital business transformation plans by at least five years. The adoption of cloud technologies is increasing, and business leaders need to be ready to change and adapt to support these remote workers in different ways.

Enhanced Reporting. When organizations have multiple data silos or are rekeying the same transaction from one solution to another, it often makes reporting tedious and time-consuming. Incomplete or old data create blind spots and lead decision makers to either be slow in evaluating options or, at worse, leads to the wrong decision. Instead, a solution that is able to provide a single source of truth can remove those data quality-related worries. An all-inclusive ERP solution can provide enhanced reporting, which can include real-time dashboards to show shop floor throughput, scrap, time on the job and so much more. A modern, all-in-one ERP solution will also include advanced KPIs (key performance indicators), refreshable Excel reports and customizable reporting.