Master production planning
Many manufacturing and supply chain companies are driven by "build to stock" decisions, where they develop production strategies based on forecasted consumer demand. However, throughout the production process, manufacturers must consider several factors before shipping. Individual customer needs, lead times, volume, distribution channels - all these and more factors can lead to complex inventory situations. Being able to schedule the shop floor to maximize production while eliminating downtime can be very complicated.
ERP's Master Production Planning (MPS) tool allows manufacturers to dynamically assess requirements and provide users with all the information they need to optimize their manufacturing environment.
"Users can quickly identify resource availability and conflicts to ensure production meets delivery schedules," says Basil Shah, a US-based logistics consultant. "At the same time, they have access to detailed reports that give them the information they need to manage, plan, and control their manufacturing environment."
MPS also provides users with great visibility at the sales order level - they can easily view supply, demand, and the material running balance that can be committed based on actual sales orders, forecasts, and associated demand.
"That kind of control at the sales order level is very powerful," Shah said. "We are seeing more and more demand for this tool from our manufacturing customers.
The flexibility of abas ERP allows us to tailor it to meet their individual needs."
ERP configuration program
A distinctive feature of industrial manufacturing is that many products are configured to order. Customers can select from a pre-existing product catalog and select certain features and options to match their exact specifications. This is critical because it gives manufacturers a way to meet customer needs, beat low-cost competitors, and build long-term relationships with customers.
Configurator can be easily integrated with the manufacturer's e-commerce platform to ensure the accuracy of orders.
Configurator enables customers to choose which product design features they want. If a customer chooses a design that forces the manufacturer to produce in a way that compromises the integrity of the product, this can lead to potential pitfalls. By using rules-based conditions to guide customers to make reasonable choices about product performance and production constraints, the ERP configurator puts some control back in the hands of the manufacturer.
Another component that makes Configurator very useful to industrial manufacturers is that it can be easily integrated with an order entry platform, whether it's an e-commerce website or a phone entry. This integration not only improves the accuracy of orders but also makes it simple to maintain a collection of online product listings.
Shah said, "We can easily integrate the configuration program into the manufacturer's website, and we can easily make changes, which puts power back in the hands of the manufacturer." This allows them to not have to rely on technical resources every time they launch a new product or update an existing one.". "With the push of a few buttons, the configurator can update the website with new product information."
Batch control
One of the most desirable features that manufacturers look for in ERP software is the ability of the software to accommodate batch and serial control. A batch is a specific number of items, such as components or subcomponents, that have the same specifications. This may include quality, supplier, effectiveness, age, or any other characteristic. Batch control allows manufacturers to assign specific product information to each batch and track them throughout the production process.
This is particularly important in highly regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and even aerospace. Regulatory guidelines require manufacturers in these industries to maintain a high level of traceability throughout the production process to ensure that products offered to customers are of the highest possible quality. In the event of a recall, the manufacturer will know the exact customer who purchased the defective product, what ingredients were in those products, and where they came from.