Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software has transformed the way businesses operate across a variety of industries. High-level benefits include automating time-consuming processes, more efficiently allocating resources, and creating a single source of truth. With those benefits in mind, it’s easy to see why ERP technology is so valued in manufacturing.
In the past, ERP solutions required a significant investment to make them relevant, useful, and dependable.
The high costs of installing and maintaining on-premise business software are just one example. Companies also often had to deal with long implementation timelines, complex training for employees, and many other ERP issues.
Those factors meant effective ERP was often out of reach of all but the largest and most resource-rich businesses. Today, cloud computing, and a variety of other technological advances, have made ERP more accessible.
Cre8tive Turnkey ERP Solutions: Key Benefits at a Glance
Cre8tive Technology & Design (CTND) has developed a turnkey ERP solution specifically with the needs of machine shops in mind.
The Turnkey Concept
Turnkey isn’t just a buzzword. This ERP platform was created to minimize the length and complexity of implementation.
Machine shops can count on a standardized implementation process, but that’s not all. This ERP solution is easy to understand and simple to use. You don’t need to be a business software expert to access KPI reporting, dashboards with key operational data, and other features.
A Strong Foundation
Epicor Kinetic ERP, a cloud-based and proven platform, serves as the base for this turnkey ERP for machine shops. It emphasizes ease of use without giving up key features or functionality. That leads to quick and straightforward implementation and effective use in daily operations.
Fast and Effective Implementation
Cre8tive turnkey ERP solutions make this valuable planning software realistic for leaner companies. It’s an accessible solution with a short ramp-up period — as few as eight weeks. Thanks to a dedicated team handling all aspects of configuration and optimization, your company doesn’t need to have a fully staffed IT department or hire expensive consultants.
Industry best practices and CTND’s deep experience with providing implementation services make things easier for your company. Every turnkey ERP implementation includes in-depth but focused training for staff, empowering your business to fully leverage its new solution.
Cloud Accessibility
Traditional software hosted in on-premise servers isn’t easily or readily accessible when users are away from the facility. With a cloud-hosted ERP solution, information is available anytime, anywhere there’s an internet connection. Need to check in on recent production figures or review inventory, but aren’t at the office? Not a problem.
Fixed and Predictable Pricing
One of the foundational benefits of ERP is its ability to reduce operational costs. Because ERP can highlight inefficiencies in supply chain management and help to project demand, it’s easier for businesses to manage the flow of raw materials and completed parts.
With turnkey ERP software, that benefit extends to pricing. Instead of having to deal with all sorts of variable costs, your company can count on a fixed price. There’s no need to build room into the budget for processes like maintaining servers or implementing upgrades and updates. Turnkey ERP solutions take that burden off of your business.
Broadly Effective Benefits for All Machine Shops
The automation, oversight, and resource management benefits at the core of the platform offer powerful advantages to all machine shops and many similar businesses.
The key is funneling a variety of business data into one secure location. That makes it easier to generate in-depth reporting, set future goals, and measure progress across a company.
Key areas of improvement for machine shops include:
- Real-time visibility into operations
- Better oversight and management of customers and their orders
- Tracking, projecting, and finding new opportunities for revenue
- Clearer and more consistent insight into inventory, components, and raw materials
- Optimizing machine use, empowering businesses to extract the most value from these assets
- Tracking and improving efficiency across operations
- Measure all aspects of demand: Customer demand, operational demand, and inventory demand
- Automating back-office functions instead of hiring admin staff (and, in the current economy, trying to keep them on board)
That’s an impressive list of benefits, to say the least. Ready to learn more about adding turnkey ERP to your machine shop’s operations? Sign up to view a demo of the solution in action!
Specialized Compliance Support for A&D Machine Shops
This turnkey ERP platform has been designed to align with and support International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) compliance needs. That makes it especially well-suited for machine shops working in the aerospace and defense (A&D) industries.
In the A&D space, compliance is crucial. As CMMC 2.0 rolls out in an effort to better protect national security information, self-auditing for compliance will soon stop being an option. Putting an ERP solution in place that signals a commitment to CMMC compliance can help machine shops build confidence in their customers and develop strong, long-lasting relationships.
Ongoing Support and Assistance
Turnkey ERP consulting and implementation support provided by CTND helps machine shops efficiently adapt and adjust as ERP goes live. That means a clear path for turning this investment into a valuable asset.
Ongoing assistance and technical support help managers and business owners quickly resolve problems. That makes it easier to get back to focusing on key operational needs. CTND’s help desk, automatically available to all users, offers additional enhancements, training, readiness, and operational effectiveness support. The help desk is ITAR registered, a crucial consideration for A&D machine shops.
Designed to Grow With Your Business
Business software is only effective if it can adapt and change along with your business. This turnkey solution is designed to do exactly that. It will continue to supply business intelligence and insights as your company scales and grows.
ERP by Machine Shop Owners, for Machine Shop Owners
ERP is often general-purpose software at its core. A variety of modules and add-ons can help it become industry-specific and adapt to the needs of individual businesses.
Machine shop owners don’t have the time to review dozens of options and compare ERP systems. Large companies have IT and operations specialists who can dedicate themselves to identifying and reviewing new software. And they can do so without worrying about managing daily operations. That’s simply not the case for many machine shops.
CTND’s turnkey ERP software is a truly unique offering that addresses this disparity. The company’s development process wasn’t only limited to ERP experts. It also drew heavily on guidance and feedback from technologists, financial experts, and machine shop owners.
The result is an ERP solution that doesn’t only connect and support manufacturing processes and other key business activities in a general sense. It’s a turnkey solution designed for machine shops specifically, from implementation through years of continued use.
That means flexibility focused on machine shops, too. No matter the industry your business operates in or the types of machines it uses, this turnkey technology can align with your specific needs.
A Valuable Resource for Growing Businesses
Business growth is a common goal for a wide variety of machine shops. Putting your company in a position to develop and expand has some very clear advantages. How can you reach that point?
In the big picture, Cre8tive turnkey ERP solutions consistently supply the information and context needed to make more informed and effective business decisions. You can view your company holistically, with a clearer picture of how key decisions can have an impact across operations.
There are more specific benefits to think about, too. ERP can automate a wide range of common back-office tasks. This work tends to be tedious and prone to human error but is crucial for keeping a company running smoothly. Think about tracking orders and inventory, as well as compliance for machine shops in the A&D industry.
Putting ERP on the job in the back office leads to two major and positive changes:
1. Dependable and Predictable Results
ERP software will never make a mistake because it’s distracted, tired, or otherwise occupied. Human error simply isn’t a problem. While some inputs will come from staff and need to be accurate, there are far fewer opportunities for inaccuracies to creep into the process.
2. Avoid the Struggle of Finding Even More Staff
Many machine shops are having trouble staffing the shop floor, to one degree or another. Finding admin employees can be just as difficult, if not more so. Retaining those workers can lead to yet another set of problems.
ERP automates tasks that once required a staff member to complete them. Using a turnkey ERP solution means less time spent on staffing and more spent on the core needs of a machine shop.
The Only Turnkey ERP Solution for Machine Shops
If you’re in search of an exceptional ERP platform for your machine shop, you don’t need to look much further. The Cre8tive turnkey ERP solution is the only offering available today that offers easy implementation, continuing support, fixed costs, alignment with compliance needs, and all of the other benefits we’ve reviewed.
The team at CTND is ready to help your machine shop transform its operations and position itself for growth and expansion. Contact us today to learn more!