Introduction- This report describes about various software’s that are useful to develop the best software packages for the firm’s materials requirements planning (MRP), capacity requirement planning(CRP), and enterprise resource planning (ERP). It ensures to justify recommendations by analyzing the pros and cons of each of the software systems evaluated. This report also include information such as cost, compatibility with current systems and work flow processes, functionality, ease of use, and end user support for each software.
Available Best Software
There are some important methods such as ERP, CRM, MRP, CRP, EDI etc. that are used by the organization to integrate the IT with the business (Shikdar, Araimi, & Omurtag, 2002). Some best software for material requirements planning (MRP), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and capacity requirement planning (CRP) are as follow:
Epicor: Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software supports an organization’s entire business process. Typically, ERP software consists of modules for marketing and sales, field service, production, inventory control, procurement, distribution, human resources (HR), and other business-specific processes. Epicor provides a solution that enables the manufacturing process, from planning and procurement to job costing, scheduling, production, financials and more. Its solution goes beyond traditional ERP, encompassing customer relationship management, business intelligence and e-commerce. Most important, Epicor manufacturing solutions seamlessly manage complex requirements such as configure-to-order plus repetitive requirements such as make-to-stock, offering versatility that supports a truly mixed-mode manufacturing environment. Epicor’s material requirements planning (MRP) application is offered in an integrated suite. In addition to MRP, the suite includes MES, product lifecycle management, human resources and asset management (Wu & Liu, 2009).
Epicor typically is not used by process manufacturers looking to automate recipes, formulas or batches. Its focus remains on discrete firms. It is recommended to manufacturing firms due to the system’s popularity, functional depth, and functional breadth. It is useful in job management, engineering workbench, product configuration and sales order entry and buyer work bench. Epicor keeps its product at the forefront. Epicor shows willingness to listen to the customer and to use the feedback to update features and add functionality that makes the product better. Support is very good and can be accessed by phone or web or live chat. Epicor has a very close relationship with Microsoft and that makes it easier to get data into Excel or Access for offline analysis. Screen customizations and report creation is easy and not affected by future upgrades. Epicor’s software is built for businesses of all sizes with flexibility.
The Epicor ERP software system pros and cons include the pros of having a robust development environment and optional database platforms. Application support and integration from other companies and convenient MRP and advanced financial reporting tools are also pros of Epicor software. However, some clients find support lacking after doing extensive customizations to the platform and net-based triggers require a separate server to execute. Product fraught with quality control issues, customers are dissatisfied and always ask for credits. The credits always hurt the consultant’s numbers that directly affect remuneration (Shikdar, Araimi, & Omurtag, 2002).
SAP: Meaning of SAP is Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing. SAP is an Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that is brings together different applications. Each application may accommodate a different business type area but it still makes sure that the real time information is exchanged. The SAP ERP applications support the essential functions of business processes and operations efficiently. SAP ERP delivers solutions related to finance, human resource and operations. For current customers, SAP enhancement packages now offer the benefit of improving and extending SAP ERP software without the cost of major upgrades (Keeling & Pavur, 2007).
SAP ERP delivers role-based access to crucial data, applications, and analytical tools. It ensures compliance and predictability of business performance to gain a deeper financial insight across the enterprise and tighten control of finances. It can be effective to maximize the potential of workforce, while supporting innovation, growth, and flexibility. SAP ERP operations also help to manage the entire life cycle of product development and manufacturing. The solution automates the entire manufacturing process and reduces costs by controlling and adapting the manufacturing process in real time and increases customer satisfaction by delivering higher quality products (Ven & Mannaert, 2008).
It offers multi-level automation and can be implemented into complex companies and government organizations. The software includes tools that make defining business plans at any stage easy and flexible. In measuring the ERP software systems pros and cons of SAP, the most common complaint is cost and the length of time for implementation. Although companies receive professional service, the software implementation cost is high. Though the flexibility of the software is a plus, some users find that it can increase risks. SAP is complex and is a more complicated (ERP) system because it requires someone, who is proficient with the knowledge to program it for its intended. A sound foundation is necessary to compete and win in the global marketplace (Wu & Liu, 2009).
Sage: Sage ERP is a family of products that meets the needs of many small to mid-sized manufacturing or distribution firms. These products provide broad and deep functionality to serve repetitive, make-to-stock, make-to-order, and process modes of manufacturing. Sage ERP also offers functionality for accounting, inventory control, material resource planning, shop floor control, human resources and supply chain management (Keeling & Pavur, 2007).
The system is relatively unique for the manufacturing and distribution software markets in its ability to offer the choice of multiple databases and operating systems. The easily customizable portfolio is especially popular among global enterprises with multi-language and multi-currency requirements. Its extensive network of value-added resellers and dealers has helped sell systems to over 6 million customers worldwide. SAGE is not recommended for large organizations having distributed business model. The cost can become more if the functionalities are very complex and new. Its maintenance expenses are high (Pollock & Williams, 2007).
Oracle: Oracle is the world’s most complete, open, and integrated software for a business worldwide. Oracle has an astounding e-business package that gives the most all inclusive and integrated business applications. The applications provided are the most adaptable in a business proposal. Most of the customers place their focus on the strategy of the application which also has the most complete business portfolio. Oracle includes some business area such as Financial Management, Customer Relationship Management, Procurement, Supply Chain Management and Product Lifecycle. It is very useful in Asset Lifecycle Management and Manufacturing department. Its main advantages are excellence in database and the application, useful schedule information, strong sales forecasting for different products. Its limitation is incompatibility with other databases. It is not be very user friendly and does not offer industry specific activities (Keeling & Pavur, 2007).
Lawson software: The Capacity Requirement Planning (CRP) module tackles the fundamental problems related to plan and control the complexities of production using limited resources by manufactures. Lawson M3 CRP is the center of the capacity hub. It enables the user to utilize planning and analysis tools to save both time and money in the planning process. With CRP, users can process resource requirements and load for either planned or released manufacturing or maintenance orders. CRP also interacts with Lawson M3 Advanced Production Planner (APP) and Multi Site Planner (MSP), which facilitates powerful planning for finite capacity scheduling as well as synchronization of resources and load across several facilities. In fact, software makes things smoother and more efficient not more time consuming. It makes life simpler. It is only suitable for large organizations (Jadhav & Sonar, 2011).
It provides the specific conditions and requirements of individual industries. It focuses on industry to provide the competitive advantage and flexibility in best practice business process automation. With help of this, both simple and complex manufacturing environments can be planned, managed, and monitored. It manages complex, configured and attribute controlled products and directly supports costing, planning and execution. Lawson offers instead are broad, integrated solutions that can be deployed quickly and simply at a lower cost and with a higher return on investment (Hartmann, Trew & Bosch, 2012).
Tuppas MRP software : MRP is a method for effective planning of all resources of a manufacturing company. MRP software should be able to support “what if” scenarios and should be integrated with all pertinent software applications in use be a company. MRP solution includes modules for inventory management, product definition and costing, master scheduling and materials requirement planning, capacity planning, work order management, purchase order management, sales order management, shipping and receiving, and sales analysis. Tuppas has the perfect MRP software solution, with our browser-based, thin client, model driven architecture systems. It provides development tools that are useful to change and alter the program in IT department.
Tuppas MRP software is a configurable module, which can be easily integrated with existing inventory, sales order and sales forecasting systems. The system uses raw materials inventories, orders and sales projections to deliver the materials requirements plan. It is user friendly. Its drawback is that the prices would be available only on quote and this solution may suit larger business establishments (Hartmann, Trew & Bosch, 2012).
Conclusion
On the basis of above discussion, software has unique features, which are very useful to make the manufacturing process smoother. By using the software, an organization can manipulate the operational and administrative function in a proper manner. It can be suggested that important features of Epicor software and less problems with this software make it better choice for implementation in the organization.