improving turnaround times and lowering costs. “If anything, the cloud lowers those barriers, because you have access to more simultaneous cores and a larger memory space in the cloud than is practical for most companies,” he said. “Obviously, there are companies that have invested very, very much in workstations that could replicate that, but that really isn’t a suitable solution for the majority of customers.”
ERP and Shop-Floor Data Collection Managing the flow of manufacturing data throughout the manufacturing enterprise from the shop floor to the executive suite isn’t an easy task, unless you have the right software tools for the job. Today’s best ERP solutions and shop-floor data collection packages give managers and shop-floor personnel a true view into what’s happening on the manufacturing floor and ways to analyze and adjust their processes when needed. ERP software developers include Plex Online (Troy, MI), a developer of cloud-based ERP solution that has its origin in manufacturing execution systems (MES). The Plex software offers a fully cloud-based SaaS solu- tion that can be housed in Plex’s own datacenter on- site at its company headquarters. Plex Online’s system today includes triple-redundant systems, including a hot-standby-fail data center in Asheville, NC, to deal with any potential network outages. In ERP, cloud-based systems are becoming the norm, with most suppliers either moving to or plan- ning to offer cloud-based systems that promise to offer users much lower IT infrastructure costs as well as performance improvements. A majority of manufac- turers have considered, evaluated or already imple- mented cloud-based systems, according to a study by IDC (Framingham, MA). In its “Cloud Computing in Manufacturing” IDC Manufacturing Insights report, IDC found that 44.3% of manufacturing companies either have implemented or were evaluating cloud deployments, while 22% already have installed cloud- based systems.
SS10
Mobile options for ERP are in demand with applications like Global Shop Solutions ERP software.
Image courtesy Global Shop Solutions. With ERP software from Global Shop Solutions
(The Woodlands, TX), manufacturing customers in- creasingly are able to switch to completely paperless operations, eliminating the need for separate paper- based documents. In the latest iteration of Global Shop, customers can use the system’s Document Control Vault, which checks electronic documents in and out and not worry about others altering the document while it’s checked out.
Using mobile devices to access ERP also is on the rise. “Mobile is another hot trend. With iPads, handheld printers, and other wireless devices, you can do things on the shop floor—like track labor, move inventory, or check the status of a job—you just couldn’t do before,” said Mike Melzer, vice president, operations, Global Shop Solutions. “We’ve got one client who installed iPads on their forklifts. We say ‘if you can measure it, you can gain efficiencies by sharing it.’ And that’s the essence of ERP software— putting real-time information in the hands of people when they need it, so they can run the shop floor more efficiently.”
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