By Deirdre Fryer
THE globalisation of business and the rise of the digital economy are two factors that continue to shape and disrupt modern manufacturers and distributers. The old ways of doing business have become obsolete, with a new data and user-driven ecosystem emerging based on modern computing.
Accelerating technology adoption is essential to unlocking productivity growth and bottom-line returns and to keeping up with the pace of technological developments. As the competitive landscape is shaped and redefined by several trends, how do businesses and organisations leverage them to capture new opportunities that arise?
Manufacturers who recognise that they need technology to help them accelerate the delivery of current or new products by optimising operations, without compromising quality, are turning to ERP systems to achieve this.
The World Economic Forum says ongoing transformations within manufacturing are driven by rising demand for customised products, digitalisation, localisation and shortened supply chains. Increased connectivity via the Internet has shortened the expected product delivery cycle and allowed new competitors to enter the market.
With solutions like SYSPRO 8, manufacturers can eliminate the necessity for dual capture and reduce errors typically caused by manual data capture by transacting directly on the shop floor. SYSPRO’s Manufacturing Operations Management solution within the system helps manufacturers optimise operational efficiencies through the better workflow of core manufacturing activities, such as scheduling, collecting, tracking and analyse.
To ensure a seamless flow of information and prompt delivery of goods and services across the value chain, distribution companies must understand and incorporate the emerging trends.
A significant trend is that distribution and logistics service providers are using technology at a previously unseen scale, to automate their processes and get ahead. The adoption of process automation in place of manual processing provides real-time visibility, streamlines process, and material flow, and drives customer satisfaction while preparing the industry for robotics.
Adopting an ERP solution, such as SYSPRO 8, offers full traceability features helps maintain precise data records of processes so areas of uncertainty exist. With automated systems, barcode readers and sensors, companies can improve inventory management, enhancing their ability to monitor warehouses, logistics, and retail points.
As organisations continue to operate in a highly regulated environment, manufacturers need to recall a product on short notice. As a result, product recall has been expanded to allow any traceable parent item that has been receipted into stock by any means, to be easily identified. The traceability of products from their origins through to their final destination is a key system requirement for distributors, especially when things go wrong.
If you are a manufacturer or distributor, you probably have been using an accounting system for a while, to keep a record of financial transactions and to monitor the financial well-being of your company. But how does your sales department keep track of quotations and sales orders? What does your warehouse manager use to record inventory, what is stored and what goes out?
A system like SYSPRO 8 offers greater visibility into your company’s financial health, improving profitability and minimising risk. With Prophix Corporate Performance Management (CPM), organisations can automate the management of their budget cycle, providing financial consolidation and reporting, financial analysis, modelling, and planning
It is clear that the pandemic has been a catalyst for change and one notable shift has been the rise of the remote workforce. No matter what industry you are working in, transitioning to remote work requires the right set of tools. The software you plan to use should allow employees to participate in online meetings, access relevant documents, and indulge in collaborative activities.
When embracing emerging technology, it is important to work with an ERP provider who can ensure your business is geared up for that transition.
Deirdre Fryer is Head of Solutions Engineering for SYSPRO Africa
