While manufacturing ERP software has evolved significantly over the years, the term "state of the art" hasn't always applied to these systems. Many firms have struggled to keep their business management software aligned with the other technology they invest in, issues with security and interoperability occasionally occurring. Yet there is a way to bring ERP systems up-to-date by focusing on the user experience and how back office employees interact with these tools.

The primary struggle manufacturers experience with their ERP solutions such as inventory management software is incompatibility with other, newer systems they invest in, such as cloud platforms or mobility. This creates a divide between the innovative productivity technology being deployed and the primary systems being used for daily workflow. This turns ERP into a legacy system, rather than the cutting-edge solution for accounting or inventory control that modern companies need.

In order to address these concerns and swing ERP software back into the 21st century, firms need to focus on customization. ERP customization allows manufacturers to integrate the features they want, leave out the ones they don't need and optimize these tools with their other platforms and solutions in mind. "One size rarely fits all," TechTarget noted in its Essential Guide to ERP trends, and to get the most out of a solution, a business has to configure it to its size.

The right tools will help get the job done faster, more efficiently and more productively. Firms that embrace customizable ERP will find that they are leveraging these resources more effectively moving forward while delivering the support their workers need to maximize office workflow. The end result is a state of the art ERP environment.