Tag Archives: erp software for manufacturing companies

Planning a Technology Upgrade? The Nine Steps Manufacturing Leaders Should Take to Evaluate ERP

Posted on by

For manufacturers, replacing an ERP system isn’t just an IT upgrade – it’s a strategic decision that impacts your entire production and supply chain ecosystem. From shop floor operations to inventory management, purchasing, and financial reporting, your ERP system is the backbone of how your business runs.

If you’re planning to replace your ERP system in the next six months, now is the time to get organized. Here’s what your manufacturing company needs to assess, who should be involved, and the critical steps for ensuring a successful transition.

1. Identify Why You’re Replacing Your Current ERP

Start by clarifying what’s driving your decision. Common reasons manufacturers replace their ERP systems include:

  • Outdated technology that can’t integrate with modern tools or equipment
  • Limited visibility into production schedules, inventory, or costs
  • Inefficient manual processes and data silos between departments
  • Poor inventory accuracy or difficulty managing multiple warehouses
  • Lack of flexibility to handle make-to-order, make-to-stock, or mixed-mode manufacturing

Understanding why you’re replacing your ERP helps define the “what” – the features, functionality, and reporting capabilities your new system must deliver.

2. Evaluate Your Current Processes and Production Pain Points

Map your end-to-end manufacturing processes, from materials procurement to order fulfillment, and identify bottlenecks. Ask:

  • Where are delays or inefficiencies happening on the shop floor?
  • Are production schedules and material requirements aligned?
  • Do you have real-time insight into inventory, WIP (work in process), and finished goods?
  • How accurate and timely is your cost reporting?

Documenting your “as-is” processes gives you a clear foundation for building your “to-be” system requirements. This step also prevents replicating broken workflows in your new ERP.

3. Build a Cross-Functional Evaluation Team

Manufacturing ERP decisions shouldn’t be made in isolation by IT or finance. Your evaluation team should include representatives from:

  • Executive Leadership: To ensure alignment with long-term growth goals
  • Operations and Production Management: To evaluate scheduling, routing, and work order handling
  • Inventory and Supply Chain Teams: To ensure material planning and procurement visibility
  • Finance: To validate costing, job tracking, and profitability analysis
  • IT: To assess data migration, integrations, and system architecture

Each department brings a unique perspective that will help you choose an ERP system capable of supporting every stage of manufacturing operations.

4. Establish a Six-Month ERP Replacement Timeline

A six-month window is aggressive, but achievable for a mid-sized manufacturer with a clear plan. Consider breaking the process into these phases:

  • Month 1: Define goals, document current workflows, and establish requirements.
  • Month 2: Research ERP vendors that specialize in manufacturing.
  • Month 3: Conduct demos and assess how each solution handles your production, costing, and inventory needs.
  • Month 4: Select your vendor, finalize the contract, and plan implementation.
  • Month 5–6: Begin data migration, user training, and phased deployment.

Strong project management and vendor collaboration will help you stay on schedule and minimize disruption.

5. Budget Beyond Software Costs

Your ERP replacement budget should include:

  • Implementation and data migration services
  • Shop floor hardware or integration updates (e.g., barcode scanners and other devices)
  • User training and change management
  • Ongoing support, upgrades, and maintenance

A total cost of ownership (TCO) approach will help you avoid surprises and justify the investment to stakeholders.

6. Prioritize Flexibility and Customization

Manufacturing businesses are rarely “standard.” You may have unique costing methods, production sequences, or order configurations. Look for ERP systems that can be tailored to your processes –not the other way around.

AccountMate ERP, for example, is fully customizable at the source-code level. That means your system can be configured to support your exact manufacturing model, whether it’s job shop, process, or discrete production. This flexibility ensures you can adapt your ERP as your business evolves, rather than being locked into rigid workflows.

7. Focus on Real-Time Visibility and Reporting

In manufacturing, decisions made too late cost money. Your new ERP should give you real-time visibility into inventory levels, production status, labor utilization, and cost tracking. Look for features like:

  • Shop floor data collection and scheduling tools
  • Real-time material requirements planning (MRP)
  • Integrated quality control tracking
  • Advanced costing and variance reporting

When everyone, from production supervisors to the CFO, works from the same real-time data, efficiency and profitability improve dramatically.

8. Plan for Change Management and Training

ERP replacements can be disruptive, especially in production environments where every minute counts. Communicate early, involve shop floor users in testing, and schedule hands-on training sessions before go-live. The smoother your user adoption, the faster you’ll see ROI.

9. Choose a Vendor That Understands Manufacturing

Your ERP partner should know manufacturing inside and out; not just from a software perspective, but from a business operations standpoint. Evaluate vendors based on:

  • Industry expertise and case studies in manufacturing
  • Strong implementation and training support
  • Long-term scalability and upgrade path
  • Ability to integrate with equipment and third-party logistics systems

Replacing your ERP system can redefine how your manufacturing business operates, improving visibility, streamlining production, and driving cost efficiency across every department. But success depends on planning, stakeholder engagement, and selecting a flexible, industry-specific solution.

If your company is preparing to replace its ERP system, consider how AccountMate’s customizable ERP for manufacturing can help you take control of your production, inventory, and financial processes. With its modular design and full source code access, AccountMate empowers manufacturers to configure the system to their exact requirements, ensuring a lasting fit for your business today and the future.

To get started with AccountMate, you need to work closely with experienced ERP consultants who can guide you through the selection and implementation process, ensuring that your ERP system aligns with your business’s immediate needs and long-term vision.

Are you considering a new ERP system? Contact our experts! We have local solution providers who can help you navigate the process. Contact us now or call 707-774-7537 to talk to someone about your specific needs.

Christmas Light Company Experiences Increased Efficiency and Quality Control with Customized Software

Posted on by

In the bustling world of manufacturing, where precision and efficiency are critical, one company faced unique challenges in establishing an ERP system. A Christmas light company with a history dating back to the mid-2000s, found itself at a crossroads as it grappled with special costing issues, intricate packing requirements, and the need to add data related to tracking and quality control processes.

International Business Needs

The intricate dance of their product manufacturing, scattered across the far reaches of the East – from China to Cambodia and Vietnam – demanded a meticulous tracking system. Every step in the manufacturing process needed to be monitored, allowing them to gauge what had been accomplished and what lay ahead. The challenge was especially glaring as their ordering process kicked off in the early months of the year, with January and February signaling the commencement of preparations for the upcoming holiday season.

Customization: Planning for the Present and the Future

Having navigated the ERP landscape with Sage Pro, which had been extensively modified, this Christmas light company found themselves searching for a solution that could seamlessly adapt to their unique needs. Enter AccountMate, standing out as one of the few source code products available, and with a workflow process closely aligned with Sage Pro, it became the natural choice. AccountMate’s Professional Services laid the foundation for a relationship that would prove invaluable in the customization journey.

The customization needs for this company were diverse, spanning Sales Order, Purchase Orders, Accounts Receivable, and some smaller Accounts Payable functions. Reports needed a makeover, and new data tables were added. Input screens were crafted to meticulously track the order process, intricately tied to specific transactions. The challenge was not just to adapt AccountMate to their needs but to enhance it, making it a tailored solution for the intricacies of their company’s operations.

With the Right Team, You’ll Experience a Smooth Transition

The project unfolded in phased increments, a strategic approach to ensure a smooth transition. The process involved meticulous planning – specifications prepared, professional services quoting, reviews with the client, approvals obtained, development, testing, installation, and a careful scrutiny of any anomalies found.

What emerged from this journey was not just an ERP system, but a finely tuned orchestration of technology and business processes. The customization process wasn’t without its challenges, yet the real hurdle often came from the inevitable shifts in the client’s vision. As the Christmas light company evolved, so did the ERP system, a testament to the flexibility and adaptability woven into the fabric of their partnership with AccountMate.

A Tailored Solution Increased Their Business’s Efficiency

The shift from the problematic data sharing process via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to a more seamless, technologically advanced solution became a pivotal moment. The new process required less attention, running smoothly with minimal human intervention. This Christmas light company was once entangled in the intricacies of special costing and complex tracking, but now it has found a tailored solution that not only met their needs but elevated their efficiency.

In the end, this story and their ERP customization journey is one of collaboration, adaptability, and technological prowess. As the holiday seasons approached, this company stood poised for success, armed with a customized ERP system that mirrored the intricacies of their manufacturing process. Their partnership with AccountMate had not just solved challenges; they received a tailored solution that propelled the company into a new era of efficiency and growth.

To truly unlock the power of customization, it’s essential to work closely with experienced ERP consultants and vendors who can guide you through the selection and implementation process, ensuring that your ERP system aligns with your business’s immediate needs and long-term vision. Are you considering a new ERP system? Contact our experts! We have local solution providers who can help you navigate the process. Contact us now or call 707-774-7537 to talk to someone about your specific needs.

Fan Manufacturer Triples Sales and Enhances Logistics with Customization

Posted on by

In the heart of Indiana, where innovation met craftsmanship, a fan manufacturing company emerged in the world of ceiling fan design. For nearly three decades, this once-small shop had blossomed into a thriving international business, crafting unique, high-quality, and innovative ceiling fans that have reached more than twenty-three countries worldwide.

Cookie-Cutter ERP Software Wasn’t an Option

The founder’s vision extended beyond the visible design elements of their ceiling fans – he understood the importance of the intricate parts that clients did not see. As the company continued to evolve and gain recognition as an industry leader, the challenges of scalability and keeping up with the growing demand became apparent.

Growth Requires Change

Faced with the limitations of their original proprietary accounting system, the company sought a solution that could seamlessly integrate with their expanding business. An Elite AccountMate Business Partner renowned for solving strategic business challenges stepped in to assess their business needs. After an in-depth analysis, it was recommended the implementation of AccountMate SQL’s financial management system, known for its open architecture and scalability.

Tackling Challenges and Creating Solutions with Customization

The first challenge to tackle was the tracking of incoming intermodal container shipments from manufacturers in Asia. The Business Partner ingeniously created an in-transit warehouse within AccountMate, complete with a unique bin nomenclature system. This system referenced the estimated arrival date as the assigned bin number, simplifying the freight transportation process and providing quick access to reliable product availability dates.

For this fan manufacturing company, with over 70 different models, each with numerous unique attributes, managing comprehensive inventory data was crucial. AccountMate’s flexibility to provide custom data entry screens and reports, along with a user-friendly way of importing/exporting values to/from Microsoft Excel streamlines processes, allowing this company to track and utilize more than a hundred product-specific attributes with ease.

Industry-Specific Integrations Deliver Real-time Data

The challenge of order tracking, with over 6,000 retail customer locations in the United States, was met with AccountMate’s seamless integration of industry-specific solutions. A shipping integration allowed the company to retrieve shipping costs, price appropriately, and provide instant tracking information to retailers via the internet in real-time.

Customization and Collaboration = Results (and Revenue)

The result of this software customization was profound. The fan manufacturing company tripled its revenue in a decade, expanded warehouses nationwide, and witnessed significant customer growth. The software not only provided a robust business solution that scaled with their considerable sales but also facilitated ongoing expansion of functionality.

This story highlights how customization and collaboration with the right software partner could be the driving force behind growth and innovation.

To truly unlock the power of customization, it’s essential to work closely with experienced ERP consultants and vendors who can guide you through the selection and implementation process, ensuring that your ERP system aligns with your business’s immediate needs and long-term vision.

Are you considering a new ERP system? Contact our experts! We have local solution providers who can help you navigate the process. Contact us now or call 707-774-7537 to talk to someone about your specific needs.