Growth is definitely on the agenda for manufacturers. This came through loud and clear in a survey recently undertaken on behalf of Epicor Software Corporation (Epicor) by MORAR*. Our report on the research, A Manufacturer’s Guide to Growing Profitably, identifies five key factors that growing manufacturers cited as essential to their success, and five risks that manufacturers believe could threaten growth for the unprepared business.

Companies justify moving to a standard enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution based on a number of compelling reasons. By supporting a single system rather than several smaller and disparate systems, they can enjoy economies of scale. Additionally, having a single application architecture with fewer user interfaces creates lower integration costs. Plus, with common task automation and easier access to more information, businesses gain efficiencies not available when employees use multiple systems.

Behind the scenes of the world’s leading industrial and manufacturing companies, a profound digital transformation is now underway.

As with any profound transformation, the opportunities for competitive advantage and growth are enormous, but so are the challenges . How do you determine what your next digital transformation steps should be? How do you position your manufacturing business to take the next step—and the one after that?

This eBook will help you answer these questions.

To run a successful operation, every manufacturing organization needs a modern enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to boost efficiencies and drive down costs. However, with so many options available, it can be difficult to make the right choice. If you’re wondering whether a generic or industry-specific solution is the best fit for your business—or if you’re wondering how to even start the ERP selection process—you’re not alone.

Founded in India in 1972, A.C. Brothers is a market leader in gifts and home accessories. Today, the company makes hard goods such as wooden and metal designer home furniture and accessories using the traditional skills of local artisans. The company’s goal is to supply top quality accessories and furniture with international designs—all while building strong ties with its customers.

Business leaders who choose to deploy an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution on premises in an increasingly cloud-trending world have several reasons for their decision. Many choose to keep their system on premises because they are inexperienced with and wary of cloud-based software. Others are concerned they have insufficient resources to move to a cloud solution because their existing system is full of customizations that will complicate migration processes. Some prefer on premises ERP because they feel it better supports regulatory requirements such as ITAR or FDA compliance. Regardless of why your business has chosen on premises over cloud-based ERP, your choice doesn’t have to limit your ability to compete with the companies whose capabilities are elevated by the cloud.

Aerobiotix, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets professional air treatment systems for the healthcare market. Since 2013, they have actively worked with administrators and facilities nationwide to evaluate air quality issues, set targets, and prescribe the appropriate solutions through careful cost/benefit analyses.

An enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is a series of software applications or modules that collects data from your sales, purchasing, finance, inventory, supply chain, manufacturing, and quality functions into a common database. By unifying your enterprise, your company can more easily share information, coordinate activities, and collaborate.

If you’re looking for your first ERP system or looking to upgrade from an existing system, the evaluation, selection, and implementation process is a long-term strategic decision for your organization.

High-growth companies are powered by people who understand what it takes to get set for growth—individuals with the vision and drive to take their business to the next level. We call these people the Grow Getters.

Grow Getters know what growth looks like for their business and how to achieve it. They invest where it counts and have an integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that gives them the essential visibility and agility needed to act for growth.

Discover the 10 characteristics that set the Grow Getters apart from their competitors…

In the face of growing competition and a challenging business climate, many job shops and manufacturers are looking for ways to reduce costs, streamline operations, and improve the bottom line. Implementing enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is a proven solution for running a business efficiently and effectively. Yet, a large percentage of manufacturers have held back from implementing an ERP system due to high initial costs, long implementation times, and competing demands for time and resources.

This paper describes how the Software as a Service (SaaS) model (more commonly known as ‘the cloud’) delivers financial, implementation, and operational benefits to job shops and manufacturers. It also details cloud deployed Epicor ERP meets the needs of job shops and manufacturers. Job shops and manufacturers can leverage Epicor ERP—and cloud technology to ‘punch above their weight’—increasing effectiveness.

This eBook and research identify five key factors that growing manufacturers believe contributed to their business growth last year, and five risks that manufacturers believe may prevent or weaken growth in the following year.

Even if you do your best to try to plan for future growth, there will be surprises along the way . This eBook highlights the importance of being able to plan accurately for growth, and suggests areas of your business that you can critique to assess your ability to effectively plan for growth . It also identifies the risk factors and consequences that manufacturers who don’t plan for growth leave themselves open to .

The eBook concludes that, whether addressing risk factors or embracing growth factors, it’s their IT systems that will make or break manufacturers’ growth ambitions . With the right IT in place, they’ll be able to make better and faster decisions, helping them provide better and faster service to customers even as they grow, increasing their agility and their profitability .