Using the automation and data-driven intelligence of ERP to your advantage
Savvy managers will spend time working on rather than in the business. But what does that mean in the Aussie manufacturing and cabinetmaking industry, when most managers in charge of growing the business made their careers on the shop floor?
ERP (enterprise resource planning) software is the key to taking a step back from daily operations. With a fit-for-purpose manufacturing ERP in place, managers and business owners spend less time getting their hands dirty and more time building the business.
Jake Maring, the owner of Superior Kitchens & Cabinets in Albany, WA, sums it up nicely.
“I can actually start to back off running in the business, but I can spend more time overlooking the whole thing and making sure it works,” he says.
How Jobman’s automated intelligence unlocks productivity
It’s no accident that Jobman enables Jake, like thousands of other manufacturing industry managers, to focus on customers and continuous improvement. Jobman is an ERP for the manufacturing and cabinetmaking industries, full of productivity features that automate time-consuming tasks.
Quoting
Jobman enables you to create instant, professional quotes in seconds. Quote templates mean you don’t need to enter the same information every time, and you can even turn quotes into .ORD files for CAD software.
Once the customer accepts the quote, you instantly create an invoice that syncs automatically with your accounting software. This streamlined process saves time and ensures accuracy as your quote becomes a job in the system.
Capacity planning
Juggling multiple jobs with finite resources is tricky. But Jobman’s capacity planning feature automatically assigns resources to maximise productivity without overloading your team. You can see your capacity at a glance to ensure you can meet customer demand as your business grows.
Time and attendance
Manual timesheets are time-consuming and often result in double data entry. Jobman’s workforce management features alleviate the issues associated with manual timesheets while improving productivity from the shop floor to payroll.
Staff can log time against specific job numbers to monitor job costs – and they can do it from anywhere. Attendance data, including hours, leave and overtime, flows automatically to payroll, with line managers kept in the loop at all times.
CRM
“I can really take on the clients more and let the business sort of run itself following the process that we’ve got in Jobman now,” says Jake Maring.
Those processes include automated lead management checklists and two-way data syncing between the CRM and accounting software. Being able to call up historical customer data instantly means Jake knows which customers to nurture, and he can spot emerging trends across his customer base.
Monitoring production
Without an ERP, managers can only see what’s happening in front of them. But with access to real-time production data, you can see the entire supply chain displayed in a single user-friendly software. That means you can identify weak links in the chain, fix bottlenecks and pursue high-profit opportunities confidently.
Ordering and inventory control
“We have to look at jobs over the coming months,” says Jake.
“We couldn’t do that before. Now we’ve got Jobman, we can go to every single job we know what we’ve got coming up we can look at the materials we need for it, and we are actually pre-ordering our stuff now months in advance.”
Jobman not only provides at-a-glance overviews of upcoming work but the automated ordering features can be triggered when inventory reaches pre-determined minimum levels. This level of automation is only possible when data flows from across the business into a centralised ERP system.
Payroll and finances
Accounting software integrations save countless hours for payroll, accounts and management teams. For example, Jobman’s automated data flows eliminate double data entry, streamline the purchasing process and make financial reporting incredibly easy.
Save time, improve productivity, reduce errors
Automation addresses all three challenges at once. Of course, implementing an ERP takes time – but the results are worth the effort. The key to maximising productivity across your entire process, and not just in isolated areas, is working with an ERP provider who really knows your industry. We’ll look more into that in the next article.
In the meantime, you can learn more about Jobman’s productivity features or read our blog for more insights that help Aussie manufacturers and cabinetmakers grow their operations.
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