How ERP Systems Maximise Your Operating Efficiency

5 Ways an Enterprise Resource Planning System Improves Productivity (and Saves Money)

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software is the ultimate productivity tool for small to medium manufacturing operations – but what exactly does an ERP do?

The earliest ERPs streamlined supply chain management. Today the capabilities have expanded, and modern ERPs are a single integrated platform to overcome the common challenges faced in manufacturing:

• Inventory Control
  
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
  
• Supply chain management
  
• Capacity Planning
  
• Comprehensive Job Oversight
  
• Project management and job tracking
  
• Financial Management (invoices, budgets and quotes)
• Job Scheduling
  
• Timesheets and workforce planning
  

The right system, tailored to fit your requirements, will capitalise on productivity and maximise efficiency in all parts of the business. In one fell swoop, your business will save cost, boost productivity and improve customer relationships.

1. Reduce waste across the business

ERPs with inventory and stock management features help your business to:

• Reduce Material Waste
• Maximise Storage Space
• Anticipate Seasonal Demand
• Streamline Staff Hours

By tightening up inventory and waste in every corner of the business, not only will you see cost savings but also an uptick in productivity when resources (people, machinery, delivery vehicles) are aligned into a well-oiled machine.

2. Superior Supply Chain Management

Coordinating every stage of the supply chain doesn’t just reduce frustration – it also saves time and money.

• Centralised Purchasing System
• Track Suppliers and Creditors
• Identify Pain Points (late deliveries, missed invoices)
• Update Production Status On-The-Go

Customer relationships improve, and in turn your business benefits from more work and higher profit margins. Win-win-win!

3. Real-time Job Tracking

Have you ever been asked for the status of a job and found yourself caught out? With an ERP’s inbuilt job tracking functionality, you have the answer at your fingertips wherever you might be.

Information flows in real-time, providing a complete picture of every job in the system. Project managers and sales staff can anticipate delays or alert a customer when a job is nearly complete. This kind of faster, smoother information flow is what builds profitable businesses.

4. Instant Quotes, Invoices, And Alerts

Quoting, costing, invoicing, budgeting, banking, timesheets, tax forecasting: it all takes so much time – roughly 80 days a year. Because an ERP pulls all your data together into one simple-to-use system, there is no more wasted time or double-handled documents.

• Create Quotes From Anywhere
• Receive Alerts For Overdue Invoices
• Simple Timesheet Tool
• Tax and Banking Integrations
• Accurate Financial Forecasting
• Reduces Human Error

5. Take The Guesswork Out of Scheduling

An ERP empowers you to anticipate problems, rather than react when they appear. As well as financial forecasting, an ERP allows you to easily visualise upcoming work and assists to optimise capacity planning.

Jobs get done faster, and always using the best resources, effectively wiping out two of the biggest unnecessary costs to running a business (staff downtime and wasted material).

Bonus: One Integrated System for Your Whole Team

We couldn’t round out a “top 5” list without mentioning how Jobman, an ERP built by manufacturers for manufacturers, brings your entire team onto one integrated web-based solution.

Management, floor staff, back-office and logistics all have access to the same user-friendly platform. User access is controlled on 5 levels for security, with flexible functionality tailored to exactly what your team needs:

• Timesheets
• Quotes and Invoices Sent From Anywhere
• Hands-On Training and Support from Jobman
• Simple User Interface
• Universal Job Tracking
• Customisable to Sync with Your Business
• Painless Roll-Out Across the Team

Let’s Get Productive

Interested to find out how your business could be saving costs and boosting productivity with Jobman? Learn more about the platform on our website, or get in touch for a no-obligation consultation.