ERP in Supply Chain Management: 5 Things To Look For

Supply chain management is one of the cornerstones of any successful business. 

Building and maintaining a resilient supply chain helps companies streamline operations and remain stable in uncertain times.

ERP software plays an important – yet often overlooked – role in supply chain management. 

The right end-to-end ERP software enables supply chain management to integrate into other processes, with benefits up and down the value chain.

The benefits of ERP software for supply chain management

Supplier relationships

• Faster, more accurate purchasing
• Defect and issue monitoring
• Diverse supplier database 
• Minimum stock level alerts

Inventory management

• Automated order receiving
• Traceability across the supply chain
• Up to date availability charts
• Assign inventory to jobs

Production

• Real-time production data
• Accurate forecasting
• Manage materials and waste
• Track inventory through production

Customer relationships

• Full traceability
• Lead pipeline management
• Identify products in demand
• Turn quotes into POs

Of course, not every ERP software is built the same. 

For a manufacturing ERP software to deliver value across the supply chain, it should meet these best practice guidelines. 

5 ERP software features supporting better supply chain management

1. Control and customisation

At its core, ERP software is designed to give you more control over every aspect of your business. 

The key is to implement an integrated ERP that can be configured to suit your supply chain.

A fully integrated ERP combines supply chain data with inventory, operations, customer insight, job forecasting, and more for end-to-end transparency across your operation. 

Unlocking the value of that transparency requires some level of customisation, either in the supplier database, operational data, quoting and PO functionality, job tracking dashboard or reporting. 

Although, preferably, all of the above. 

2. Forecasting and analytics

Reliable data is the foundation of accurate forecasting. And forecasting is what enables a business to make decisions that lead to growth.

ERP software enables better forecasting in two stages:

1. Bringing all your data into a single simplified system
2. Providing tools and reports to uncover insights 

With the insight a fit-for-purpose ERP software enables, you can use trends and historical data to generate more accurate forecasts and make informed decisions that grow your business.

3. Data sharing enabling faster decision making

One of the most significant workforce benefits of an integrated ERP system is how it improves collaboration.

For example, ERP software can:

• Automatically update inventory lists
• Create purchase orders from approved quotes
• Generate, track and reconcile invoices (with an accounting software integration) 
• Update material costs for accurate purchasing
• Sync customer and supplier data for better communication
• House job files, quotes, issues and customer communications

ERP software doesn’t just combine business data. It also links supply chain processes and automates manual tasks, giving managers more sophisticated tools to coordinate teams.

4. Automation 

Modern ERP systems save manufacturers hours on every job by automating time-consuming supply chain management processes.

At the same time, many of those automations reduce the likelihood of human error. 

Automations like low stock alerts, generating POs from an approved quote, adding received stock to inventory lists and optional capacity planning, enables Jobman users to raise their heads from tedious tasks and focus on growing the business.

5. Scalability

The best ERP software is the one that both enables business growth and grows with your business.

Growing a business almost always complicates supply chain management. To expand, you need to find more suppliers to fill demand, source new raw materials and balance the supply chain to ensure customers receive orders on time.

All that while keeping an eye on operations. 

ERP software is the nucleus of your business. Therefore, it should be scalable, with additional modules, added capacity, integrations and regular updates, so you can rely on your ERP to support sustainable growth.

The best ERP software for supply chain management

Jobman is an ERP software designed to support growing manufacturers and cabinetmakers.

See what Jobman can do for your business or get in touch to discuss your supply chain management requirements with an ERP specialist.