Simple ways to increase efficiency with ERP
The effects of increasing digitization and networking are now visible in all areas of the economy. Every company that participates in national or international competition for markets has to worry about internal efficiency at some point. Companies that rely on advanced solutions to optimize work processes and increase efficiency at an early stage have a decisive advantage over their competitors.
However, such a changeover must be viewed holistically. After all, in order to consistently map individual processes digitally, all of a company's systems must be interconnected. Only in this way can data be exchanged in a meaningful way and subsystems be coordinated with each other. Communication difficulties, misunderstandings, and waiting times result in unnecessary efficiency losses that are hardly noticeable in day-to-day business, but which, calculated over the course of a year, result in considerable revenue losses. For this reason, it is wise for every company to achieve an increase in efficiency with ERP systems, because efficient planning, control, and permanent optimization of the company's own resources with ERP permanently lead to more efficiency in the company.
ERP solutions are critical business systems that are implemented with a lot of effort. For this reason, many entrepreneurs are afraid of implementing a new system. However, since the software only works as efficiently as the technical components allow, it can happen that the ERP system and underlying hardware components become obsolete after just a few years. As a result, new business processes are no longer mapped, mobile functions are missing, interfaces are inadequate, process steps are handled outside the ERP, actions in the ERP become slower and slower, and in the worst case, data is even lost. Updates to the software may no longer be possible and support for the version or entire software used may even be discontinued.
To avoid this scenario, you should always keep your software up to date and regularly adapt the hardware to the changing requirements. Modern ERP systems such as MONITOR G5 consist of various application modules that can be selected according to the industry and the purpose of the company. The standard MONITOR G5 functional scope includes, for example, production, warehouse, accounting, sales, and purchasing. Through additional modules, such as Time recording or the Product configurator, MONITOR contributes to optimization.
Fewer sources of error and better data quality: By centrally recording and managing data, an ERP system helps you avoid errors such as duplications, transmission errors, and other inconsistencies that would not be noticed in a decentralized system; or at a very late stage.
Time and cost savings: Whether it is the evaluation of data, the central control of processes, or the communication of individual departments, a suitable ERP system such as MONITOR G5 saves time throughout the company. In addition to saving working time, you can also achieve significant cost savings by optimizing numerous processes, such as the just-in-time delivery of materials or the efficient maintenance of your machines.
Greater data security: With an ERP system, the access rights of individual employees are centrally defined and regulated. This means your employees can access the data that is important and up-to-date for them from anywhere, but all confidential data is protected from unauthorized access. The central storage and backup of data also ensure increased data security, because, in the event of a system failure, the data can be restored quickly and completely.
ERP software systems can be as diverse as the tasks they perform. From software modules for quotation and invoicing to the booking of business processes and complex production planning, all business-relevant processes can be covered. The selection of a suitable ERP system is probably one of the most difficult decisions. The huge number of ERP solutions on the market, and different names for basic functions, do not make it any easier.
When selecting an ERP system, you should pay particular attention to the maximum flexibility, scalability, and future viability of the system. Optimally, the ERP software will grow with the company's needs and can be adapted to individual requirements. Since the software manages sensitive data, the loss of which can threaten the existence of the company, you must also pay attention to data security and regular backups. If you are unsure whether software really suits you and your company, it is best to seek individual advice from ERP experts.
Concrete ideas and goals prior to the implementation of the ERP system help to achieve a higher level of efficiency. A structured target catalog includes both time-based and value-based targets. This makes the success of the ERP system measurable.
The responsible decision-makers should ensure the ERP implementation is not only seen as an IT project but also truly enables organizational efficiency improvement. Ensure that not only IT expertise, but also competence and, above all, sufficient resources are available in the internal ERP implementation team.
Continuously monitor whether the redesign of business processes is also accompanied by the corresponding progress inefficiency.
For a comprehensive increase in efficiency, different integrations between MONITOR and other systems may be necessary. In MONITOR G5, there is an open API that can be accessed by all systems, making it possible to develop your own integrations to MONITOR. In addition, there are already a large number of existing integrations for the most important systems, including DATEV, CAD, or AutoCAD, for example.
Business Intelligence makes it possible to make informed decisions based on up-to-the-minute data. MONITOR G5, therefore, has integrated business intelligence with ready-made viewing options. For example, you have access to important key figures and statistics on purchasing or sales and can perform analyses based on them. You can add your own views to the BI at any time.
Complex purchasing and sales statistics can be easily created yourself.
As an example: Sales and contribution margin can be combined with a variety of criteria and saved as a template.
It is just as easy to analyze your incoming orders according to a variety of criteria with a mouse click.
The statistics created can be easily exported to Office formats.
With the daily production control in MONITOR G5, you can also carry out your current daily planning based on long- and short-term planning. With the functions included there, you can, for example, see the status of various workstations, view priority plans for selected workstations, change the priority for operations, reschedule orders, borrow personnel between workstations and change the capacity in workstations.
Efficient processes mean more resources for other areas. There are many approaches to increasing efficiency; a modern ERP system such as MONITOR G5 forms the technical foundation for further measures. The other part is formed by accompanying processes.
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