Manufacturing Business Technology recently conducted a survey of their subscriber base, which includes CEOs, presidents, owners, engineers, managers and directors across all manufacturing industries. They found that approximately 43 percent of manufacturers are currently looking to invest in an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. When you consider that 34 percent of respondents are currently using a system that is seven to 11-plus years old, it makes sense that such a large population of manufacturing companies are searching for a new system.

Businesses looking for a new system, especially those already hosting a legacy system that has plateaued in terms of the benefits it offers, will be considering a number of company pain points that they would like ERP to address.

While every company wants operations to be less costly, this is surprisingly not a pain point for most businesses. In fact, it didn't even make the list of requirements survey respondents had for a potential ERP system. 

Instead, manufacturers wants these functionalities in their chosen manufacturing ERP software:

• Connectivity: Being connected is imperative to the success of any business in today's market. With the arrival of the Internet of Things (IoT), many manufacturers are looking to push the envelope in terms of connectivity. While company leaders understand that communication protocols take time to develop, they want their system to be ready to handle the changes in connectivity and communication.
• Mobility: Like connectivity, mobility is a newer concept but that doesn't make manufacturers any less excited to implement it. Older, outdated systems have very little mobility. New software solutions, on the other hand, are allowing companies to operate ERP applications from their home computer or smartphone. Apps are being interfaced with systems and increasing the scope of what ERP can do.

Other pain points that manufacturers look for ERP to address have generally remained static. Companies want inventory control, production management, forecasting and APS capabilities and supply chain management. Accent ERP can help your business find a solution that provides the level of functionality necessary to streamline your company's processes.