The reshoring trend has helped bolster the American economy during its recent swell over the past few months. While this is undeniably a good thing, the major job movement presents some significant challenges to companies.

Specifically, making sure that the moves are indeed profitable in the long run is key to undergoing a successful reshoring process. As Pat Garrehy puts it in this article for Manufacturing Business Technology, many of these problems can be addressed and fixed with the implementation of cloud-based ERP system.

• Better process visibility: One of the problems that the restructuring that comes with reshoring can present is the shuffling of operations, during which lags in productivity can get lost in the fold. Making the transition to the cloud can allow your ERP system to handle the greater loads of data needed to keep all your company's functions transparent.
• Improved speed: With the cloud, deployment is always faster, meaning less wasted time and more resources being devoted to making a desirable product.
• Eliminate slip-ups: Cloud-based ERP allows for more expedient transferal of data and greater control over multiple facilities, something that legacy ERP systems often lack. "Manufacturing cloud ERP modules serve every step in the manufacturing process to increase efficiencies, control costs and ultimately increase revenue," says Garrehy.
• Mobile capability: The general societal trend towards working on the move with devices like smart phones and tablets lends itself to the cloud. Manufacturers utilizing the cloud can therefore access information pertinent to their operations not just on premises, but anywhere where they have a signal.

The advantages of moving to the cloud are clear, but making that move is easier said than done. Accent ERP has the expertise needed to ease the shift to cloud-based ERP for your Indiana, Ohio or Kentucky manufacturing business. 

One of the more challenging aspects of having an enterprise resource planning system is the integration of that system into your operations. Once the ERP is set up and running, it in theory should make your business practices leaner and easier to manage.

As the world of ERP evolves, it becomes more and more necessary to keep pace with the industry standard so that your productivity and efficiency reach the levels that your competitors' do. As Larry Korak of Manufacturing Business Technology puts it, "To make the most of new strategies, such as collaboration through social media, business intelligence and deep analytics, manufacturers now need a level of flexibility and agility that old, outdated ERP solutions or homegrown applications cannot provide."

So many times, the implementation of a new system is necessary. What can you to make sure the process is as expeditious as possible?

Korak believes that the devil is in the details. The more particular you are with your requirements, the better ERP vendors can meet your needs. He goes on to give a related tip, saying that specialization is key, and that finding it will "eliminate the need for costly modifications."

Perhaps most important is doing what you can in the beginning to make sure maintenance of the system in the future is as smooth as it can be. That comes with training, says Korak, who says that ensuring all employees are familiar and comfortable with the new system is "paramount" to the ERP actually working in the future.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV has the flexibility and the high-level of competency to adapt to your manufacturing business' needs, and Accent Software has the experience with that software to implement it effectively, as well as the expertise to train your staff in its management. 

ERP software becomes more popular in the manufacturing industry with each passing year. And the new generation beginning to break into the manufacturing industry, says Phil Lewis of Global Manufacturing, "refuses to settle for unwieldy, confusing applications that only make their jobs harder. Instead they are demanding the same standards they are accustomed to in Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat when they need to check an order status, track their supply chain or establish a BoM."

This has led software companies to create more user-friendly, streamlined interfaces, ones that fit the sensibilities of the millennials that are now beginning to take hold in the manufacturing workforce. Lewis believes that there is a "clear business case" for having programs that mirror the aesthetics of the sleek iPhone and Android apps young people now use.

Lewis goes on to caution people valuing style over substance, emphasizing the utmost importance of balancing form and functionality, something companies like Microsoft tend to do with their manufacturing business software.

As the manufacturing sector gets younger as a whole, the use of ERP becomes more the standard for business management software. This makes it all the more important for companies to implement ERP into their operations to make sure their services remain competitive.

Accent Software has the tools necessary to make the ERP integration process as smooth, straightforward and speedy as possible. Our decade plus of experience with the state-of-the-art Microsoft Dynamics NAV program makes us the perfect people to help guide your business toward maximum productivity. And in addition to our installation services, we make sure your employees have the knowledge needed to run the system; we also offer troubleshooting in the period after.

If your Indiana, Ohio or Kentucky business is looking to make the next step, give us a call at Accent Software. 

In an article for Business Week, Harold Sirkin stresses the significance of manufacturers with less than 500 employees in their workforce. Sirkin purports that "it is generally from these small companies that the jobs of the future will spring," and that "many of these smaller companies are critical to the success of the big guys, supplying parts and components across a wide range of industries."

Despite this, the needs of smaller manufacturers are often forgotten. A report by the Center for American Progress showed that there are numerous obstacles between small manufacturing businesses and the venture capital they need to "restructure, grow, and scale up," and that their ability to utilize bond markets is highly restricted by "high borrowing and transaction costs."

We know that the success of small to mid-size manufacturers is a crucial component of the American economy. Still, running a manufacturing company can be a tough road. So what can you do to make sure your business is humming at optimum efficiency?

Having the right manufacturing business software is key to shedding your company's inefficient processes and ensuring your workflow is as streamlined and productive as can be. Having a quality enterprise resource planning system is becoming an industry standard due to its numerous time- and resource-saving benefits.

Finding, implementing and maintaining that software system can be a challenge, though. How can you assure yourself that your ERP software is doing the most it can for your company?

Accent Software is the solution for your Indiana, Ohio or Kentucky business' manufacturing ERP software needs. We have the expertise and experience with Microsoft Dynamics NAV needed to get your company's operations to peak profitability, and keep them there. 

Many manufacturing companies now employ enterprise resource planning into their business operations, with subsequent financial success. But with the advent of the cloud and the development of cloud-based ERP management, many manufacturers have become reluctant to take the next step in making their workflow more efficient and less costly. So why is migrating to the cloud advantageous to manufacturers? What should motivate them to make the transition?

A newcomer in the manufacturing ERP world has recently taken the plunge into cloud-based ERP, according to an article by Tony Kontzer of Tech Time. Firstronic, a Michigan-based maker of electric circuit boards for a number of industries, was initially hesitant about making such an an against-the-grain decision.

However, soon the benefits became clear to them. Says Kontzer: "The leadership team realized that the clean slate they were operating from represented a significant opportunity to get away from buying — and babysitting — a cadre of servers. They made the decision to try something new."

Despite the trepidation, this decision has allowed Firstronic to set up satellite facilities in less than two months, "about as fast as it gets" with those types of projects, and perform other tasks throughout the company with productive results. Since employing the cloud-based ERP system they chose, their compound annual growth rate has been 35%.

The perks of utilizing both manufacturing ERP software and its cloud-based counterpart are evident. But the process of integrating a new business management software or updating your existing one can be daunting.

That's where Accent Software can help. We serve manufacturing businesses in the Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky region and offer a wide variety of services, from the incorporation of ERP efficiency into your company, to the upkeep of ERP management, to the training of in-house employees in its usage.