The Best ERPs For Mid-Size Manufacturing Businesses
I had the opportunity to evaluate over 50 ERPs (Enterprise Resource Planning)
Manufacturers think their businesses are unique; the first item on the agenda is how customizable is the ERP? Most have some level of customization; you can find out more through the software demonstrations.
Something I have seen time and time again is workarounds. These workarounds are inefficient and costing you money. Some tasks can take hours manually but with an ERP, 5 minutes. Yes, really!
There is no perfect software; you will find mixed reviews on any ERP you look up. Tread carefully with Tier 3 ERPs; these typically will not fulfill all your requirements. The tiers tend to blur sometimes. Beyond the tier category, you can focus on the features and services.
Let’s get to the goods; here are the top four (Yep 4, not 5) ERPs (Tier 2) that I think are the best:
- Mie Solutions:
My personal favorite was Mie Trak Pro just for the layout, customization, and customer support offered.
2. Global Shop Solutions:
If you want to keep it simple or have someone that finds new software intimidating, they will likely prefer Global Shop Solutions for the pretty layout and color-coding. Global Shop has a well-designed module for training, training records, work instructions, and video instructions.
3. Infor:
Infor appeals to engineers for having great customization and uploading with CAD software.
4. Epicor:
Epicor is very similar to Mie Trak Pro. Epicor is more expensive and charges more for additional modules. Epicor targets specific industries in their marketing that prospects gravitate to right away.
An ERP might not call out your specific industry; you can focus on the features and the contract to work in your favor.
Feature Highlights
Quoting
CRM
Sales Orders
Work Orders
Engineering
Project Management
Scheduling
Purchase Orders
Inventory
Quality
Accounting
Customized Reports
Cloud/SaaS/Browser
Easy navigation
Easy customization
Customer Support
Quick Tips
Some ERPs do not include the accounting module, do not overlook this! Including it will save everyone time. You can ask about this during the demonstrations, and they can show you the steps.
If your software is on-premise, they will ask if you want to install kiosks in the shop. If you upgrade to software as a service, your manufacturing team can walk around with tablets providing convenience to everyone and saving money on kiosks.
Verify your quotation and contract:
Make sure whichever ERP you choose includes a data dump. If you miss this step, your team will be doing data entry for months.
Review the contract for customer support and training. Find out their stated turnaround time for each customer support method; think of email support, online chat, and phone support.
Verify customization access is provided to your business and have at least two people designated to manage customization requests.
If you found this helpful, please consider giving it a clap.
Connect with me if you have any more ERP questions.
