The big question for manufacturers has always been: how many units is too many? Manufacturers need to be able to respond quickly to meet customer demand. If they make too many products, they'll waste money and storage space, filling a warehouse with unwanted products. If they don't make enough they could have angry customers who are waiting for their orders.

Enterprise resource planning software lets manufactures predict customer behavior based on a number of factors. This improved demand planning cuts down on wasted inventory and helps establish seamless delivery. The ERP Software Blog notes that demand planning can often be seen as "voodoo magic," but in fact there is a science behind it and savvy ERP users can harness it. The right ERP software can optimize demand planning processes and help your enterprise forecast for customer needs.

ERP inventory management software includes essential data such as historical sales figures, business constraints, weather, political events, vendor forecasts and any seasonal trends to give you the full supply chain picture. Are there new laws that could stifle your business? Are some of your products only ordered during the summer? What trends are affecting your suppliers? This is not a guessing game, these are all important types of data that you can use to predict demand. ERP software can take this data into consideration and help you manage your forecast. 

At Accent Software, we know that planning for demand and preparing your inventory is crucial. This is why we work with Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Contact us to learn more about how we can help implement powerful inventory management software for your manufacturing enterprise.