Business Automation and Software Blog

Coined somewhere around the late 1950s, the term “business intelligence” grew from a set of technologies known at the time as decision support systems. Today, the rise of technology and internet connection allows companies to track and compile data like never before. With all that data, however, comes the need to retrieve, analyze, and transform it in meaningful ways. Now, business intelligence software can harness the power of data within an organization. It offers a better way to sort, compare, and review data to make smart decisions.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software may not be top of mind when one hears the words “hot trend” the way video games and virtual reality might be. But, while ERP might not sound trendy, its developers certainly keep tabs on business and software trends to eventually filter into their products. 

As manufacturing itself continues to transform, manufacturing ERP systems evolve right alongside it, enabling manufacturing to embrace change in ways that business may still be catching up on. As these five developments prove, manufacturing continues to push to the forefront of trendiness.

As technology continues to evolve, companies may find themselves at a crossroads between what they have been using and newer technologies to consider adding. It doesn’t always need to be a choice between one or the other; often there are ways to integrate original technology with new options for the best of both worlds. This has been seen more and more frequently within ERP systems and the on-going debate between using an on-premises system versus the cloud.

Capacity planning is vital to manufacturing but knowing your organization’s required production capacity to meet ever-changing demands is quite a bit more challenging than it sounds. When you’re running close to capacity already, finding more room for production might seem impossible.

It’s not. You can find all sorts of extra time and space with a little help from SYSPRO in your manufacturing capacity planning. Here are a few things to be on the lookout for when evaluating your capacity.

Most of us know the speeds and limitations of our own cars. And if you were handed the keys to a Lamborghini, you could probably drive it. But would you really be able to push that car to its full potential? Would you have the knowledge you need to know how to handle the vehicle’s capabilities? A $250,000 car like that could be fairly intimidating.

We understand that feeling.

Whether you’re in charge of one line item in a large assembly line or a group of factories in the Chicago area, understanding how enterprise resource planning software such as SYSPRO can enhance supply chain management is important.

SYSPRO can change how you view your work. Instead of keeping people and plants busy, you’re using data to plan the work according to production schedules. Suddenly it becomes more about achieving goals than it is about demonstrating everyone is working hard. With data in hand, you can do more in less time than you thought possible.

Two factors drive manufacturing: efficiency and productivity. While some view these terms as synonymous, manufacturing operations management professionals know that productivity is not necessarily equated with efficiency. Manufacturing plants may produce a high volume of goods, but the production technique may be inefficient.

A new IDC paper makes the pronouncement that SYSPRO has been positioned as a major player in the IDC MarketScape. The IDC MarketScape is a report that, like the Gartner Magic Quadrant, thoroughly analyzes software companies and their products and positions them according to the IDC findings.

SYSPRO has been repositioned, according to the IDC report, into the Major Players category.

It’s also probably one of the best-kept ERP secrets out there. Here’s how IDC evaluated SYSPRO’s strengths and brand challenges, and why it might be your "secret weapon" in the quest to dominate your industry.

Inventory control methods such as physical counts are still needed, even in our technology-driven age. Although you might not use a spreadsheet or a paper-based tick sheet to mark items, you’ll still need to conduct a physical inventory at least once a year, or preferably more. Your accounting department needs an accurate inventory to measure the value of inventory for the balance sheet. Big discrepancies in value can lead to over or under-reporting on the company’s financials.

Business intelligence systems can be used to improve forecasting and make better business decisions. When circumstances around you are constantly changing, it’s important to have a system you can rely on. Data from your Sage 300 ERP or SYSPRO system can be used in conjunction with other modules such as CRM, HR, and more, through your business intelligence system, to create useful and insightful reports for decision makers.