Enterprise resource planning has been the quintessential tool for manufacturing for decades. The technology has considerably evolved from the use of pen-and-paper inventory sheets, and is continuing to advance in its capabilities. As ERP becomes easier to use and add in more functionality, it will be important to utilize this asset to its fullest. Manufacturers can benefit in three big ways from ERP advancements:

1. Fuller visibility

No matter how big of a shop you run, it can be difficult to monitor all parts of the manufacturing floor along with the rest of the supply chain. With pen and paper or Excel spreadsheets, it's easy for documents to get lost or contain inaccurate information. Collaboration or file sharing would also be a considerable challenge. However, ERP fixes these issues by providing one platform that houses information from across the business.

ERP has evolved to ensure that staff members in shipping can accurately record how much product has gone out, and sales personnel can cross-reference this with active projects. The pricing associated with these objects can also be assigned to better monitor the flow of revenue throughout the organization. Cloud Computing News contributor Louis Columbus noted that real-time visibility afforded by ERP paired with other tools can help make planning easier and optimize production schedules. This will improve inventory ordering and order fulfillment, leading to happier customers and business partners.

2. More device options

Employee preferences are slowly siding with the ability to be more mobile and have necessary information from any location. ERP advancements are taking wearables and mobile devices into account to track operations and improve data accessibility. IndustryWeek contributor Dan Matthews noted that augmented reality glasses could provide a hands-free option to manufacturers to interact with ERP systems. This could be used for situations like double-checking orders or reviewing how a piece needs to be assembled. In addition, sensors within the manufacturing line could identify if maintenance is required or what assets aren't performing to their ability.

3. Geospatial context awareness

When you place an order for materials or if a product is sent out, there's typically a timeline attached to these processes. But what if you could track orders in real time throughout your supply chain? Connecting ERP tools with applications that have geospatial context awareness could have profound implications in how products are created and delivered. According to TechTarget contributor Ann Grackin, organizations will get real-time data including traffic, geopolitical conditions and weather conditions. This could help manufacturers determine what times are the busiest and plan out operations more effectively. The same can be said for monitoring progress on the floor to better understand where bottlenecks exist and how to mitigate them. 

ERP has significantly evolved over the years, and user needs are continuing to shape how it develops. Manufacturers can greatly benefit from the context awareness, device flexibility and better flexibility afforded by ERP solutions.