Is 2016 the end of the road for ERP software?

In the past, enterprise resource planning (ERP) software has always been about tasks and transactions. It has provided businesses with the control they need to manage production lines and supply chains as they repeat precise patterns, season by season.

However, the business landscape is changing. Manufacturing, for example, is no longer a simple matter of basing decisions on past order experience, making plans based on historic patterns and duplicating processes with little deviation.

As we move into 2016, businesses need to respond quicker, change tactics dynamically according to market demand, analyse and act upon internal and external data, and deliver their products to customers faster than ever before. In effect, rigid, function-led ERP software as we know it will become obsolete. In this article, I will explain why 2016 signals the death-knell for legacy ERP systems.

The latest technologies are changing the ERP industry for good

From adaptive manufacturing to prototyping, the latest technologies are shaking up how we produce, consume and deliver products. The burgeoning development of 3D printing, or additive layer manufacturing (ALM) for example, has the potential to change the face of the production line.

Read More: http://www.itproportal.com/2016/01/14/is-2016-the-end-of-the-road-for-erp-software/

ERP System Provides Flexibility and Security

For many organizations, enterprise resource planning (ERP) is the glue that holds together the fabric of the organization. It provides the data, insight and automation that are essential for operating effectively in today's digital business environment.

At Synalloy, a manufacturer of products and systems incorporating metals and chemicals, the need for a more flexible and agile ERP framework had moved to center stage a few years ago. "We required an ERP system that would help us manage operations and aid in acquisitions," explains Mike Padden, corporate director of IT.

The company, which operates facilities in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, manufactures items for industries ranging from consumer goods and food producers to automotive and oil and gas companies. Because Synalloy relies on a shared services model and aggressively targets other firms for acquisition, it operates with different companies and divisions.

Consequently, "We needed a system that offered greater flexibility, so that employees could log into each individual company and handle various functions without encountering problems," Padden explains. "We have very different types of businesses with different needs, but we require a standardized set of processes."

In the past, the organization tapped a mix of ERP vendors, and this led to a complex, unwieldy and expensive IT and business framework. It also boosted demands on the IT department.

In many cases, employees attempting to handle tasks had to use four or five different ERP systems and handle processes manually. When they required data in a particular system, it could require lengthy load times.

Read More: http://www.baselinemag.com/erp/erp-system-provides-flexibility-and-security.html