First off, no matter the size of manufacturer you are, you will have lots of data — manufacturing is one of the most data-intensive industries out there. Even if you aren’t a large scale business, you will have plenty of data that an ERP can help you make sense of.
Second off, no matter how much data you do or do not have, you need a system that can organize it, and help you effectively communicate and collaborate across your business.
To run a profitable manufacturing business you need to have a handle on your business resources — i.e. what your business has in terms of cash, raw materials, personnel, and production capacity—to operate at full capacity and maximize your throughput.
With no overarching system that collects data, reports on your processes and systems, and sees the big picture, how can you accurately know where you stand?
Your business resources are what you use to keep your business running, and you should be aware of where you stand at all times.
One of the greatest advantages of an ERP system is its ability to provide complete visibility of your entire operation, giving you insights into how your operation is performing. With an ERP, what used to take hours of meticulous data collection and report creation can be done automatically, providing you with a sweeping overview of your operation, allowing you to measure critical performance metrics through real-time dashboards. You can use this information to always know where you stand, to optimize production schedules, and to maximize capacity and increase your throughput.
And not only will you have visibility into your organization, you will also be able to easily share information and collaborate between departments, letting you increase operational efficiency.