A Forbes article by Louis Columbus has addressed the need not just for ERP, but for solutions that are of a certain nuance and can deliver a high quality level of performance. The way he puts it encourages manufacturers to turn away from what he calls "brute force ERP."

According to him, incompatible ERP software can be grandfathered into use simply because it always was, which could lead to mounting inefficiencies overall. It all comes down to an inability to adapt and update.

"Many monolithic, legacy ERP systems aren't capable of keeping up with the information needs of modern business models," Columbus writes. "At best, these legacy ERP systems, encased in their customized code and complex user interfaces like glass cases over protected exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution are only marginally effective in today's turbulent economic times."

What is the solution, then? To Columbus, it involves those solutions that can interact with the cloud and point the way forward to new changes as conditions improve and change. The need to make sure that the ERP software you choose can help you to compete might be the engine that drives evolution.

This is important to keep in mind as NBC News reports that manufacturing in areas like transportation equipment have gone up. New orders for aircraft alone exceeded 21 percent in growth and Boeing will be creating more than 100 new planes.

With a system of ERP manufacturing business software in place that can help companies respond to these changes as they happen, your business might become a part of this drive toward more efficient manufacturing practices.