Manufacturers, remember the time before ERP solutions when the biggest new thing going was MRP?
After MRP came MRP2, and then finally ERP. It went from systems that want to manage your manufacturing (The M in MRP) to systems that want to manage your entire enterprise (the E in ERP). That proved to be quite the con job. Very few manufacturers who bought an ERP system actually threw away all of their other software.
The whole idea of one software solution to run your entire business is a myth.
Manufacturers rarely use their ERP system to manage the entire enterprises. They figured out that even if their ERP system included the HCM or payroll or CRM or other functionality that they required, the functionality of those tools was rarely best-of-breed.
Think of it like the hotel gym. All hotels want to say they have a gym, but very few want to spend the money on equipment and space that you would actually find appealing. A gym costs money and space, and it is a liability. Hotels just get something cheap so they can check the “has a gym” box on their website.
The same is true with many ERP ancillary systems that surround the core MRP engine. Manufacturers have two choices:
- Work with what the ERP included to “check the box” for that functionality
- Go out and buy the solution that meets your specific requirements and ignore that functionality in the ERP
Most will go with option 2, and then you need a good integration solution so your separate systems work together.
It’s all about the Integration
Most integration projects start out linking just two systems, but it rarely ends with just two.
Make a strategic choice for your integration system. Choose one that works well for you and your needs, not one that is a one-size fits all, and probably not one of the many “me-too” cloud solutions littering the internet.
You need an integration solution that is flexible, extensible and does not charge you onerous fees for additional integration pathways.
When you are ready to talk about integrating, we are here to help.