INTELLIGENT SOFTWARE BUSINESS
Selecting the right ERP critical
in manufacturing today
Manufacturers are poised at the stage of moving from legacy applications to
next generation ERPs. Making the right choice is critical says Hesham El Komy
at Epicor Software.
A
ccording to a recent
announcement, manufacturing
is already the second largest
contributor to the UAE’s economy. Given
the government’s focus on continuing
to diversify the economy in line with the
Vision 2021 Agenda, manufacturing is on
a strong growth trajectory and is expected
to contribute close to 25% of the GDP by
2025.
While most regional manufacturers
consider this growth to be positive, there
is no escaping the inevitable challenges
that come with it- hence the familiar term
growing pains. Business growth can indeed
be difficult and overwhelming, especially
when you are not prepared or have a plan
in place to manage it. Of course, failing to
62
plan is planning to fail. As a manufacturer,
you face serious risks to your business
when you do not plan for growth or have
the necessary tools to plan properly.
A recent survey commissioned by Epicor
and conducted by MORAR Consulting
revealed five key risks that manufacturers
believe threaten their growth ambitions.
And a recent Aberdeen research paper
confirms that these issues are exacerbated
if growth is largely unplanned.
The risks include:
Excessive pressure on operations,
impacting quality and customer
satisfaction
If your operations are not geared up for
growth, overall equipment effectiveness and
throughput may fall, scrap may increase,
1
and manual data gathering processes may
hamper productivity. Service could slow
down, causing dissatisfied customers to turn
to your competition.
2
Lack skillset, technology to deliver
effectively, damage brand reputation
If you cannot get the right information
to the right people at the right time, or
accurately track status of raw materials
and orders, it can take a serious toll,
by reducing operational capacity and
efficiency, and damaging customer service.
3
Management
Sometimes senior executives in the
business may not be fully prepared for
the challenges of managing a larger, more
Issue 01
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