5 Things to Look For When Choosing a Window & Door Manufacturing ERP System

5 Things to Look For When Choosing a Window & Door Manufacturing ERP System

As an owner or general manager of a building product and commercial equipment manufacturing company, you’ve probably tried out an ERP system (or several) in an attempt to get more done with less. However, it can be challenging to find ERP software that fits all your needs and doesn’t just create more work for you and your employees.

Don’t get stuck with one-size-fits-all or poorly designed ERP software that only leads to a bigger headache. If you’re a manufacturer of windows and doors for the commercial building industry, look for these specific features when choosing a new ERP system.

1. Pick an ERP System that Builds On Your Current Workflow

Manufacturers operated efficiently and effectively for decades before ERP software even existed. While there are always ways to improve your processes, the main benefit of an ERP system is the way it mirrors and enhances your workflow.

For example, you may have a project manager with a valuable work ethic and superb attention to detail. While these are desirable qualities in a project manager, they can only get you so far; increases in workload inevitably take up more time until limitations are eventually exceeded.

With the right ERP software, your project managers can automate repetitive tasks and leverage real-time data to anticipate potential problems, ultimately increasing your company’s profitability and reducing your costs at the same time.

2. Look for Easy Integration across Multiple Platforms

In an ideal situation, sales, planning, scheduling, human resources, and billing all work together seamlessly for the good of the company. The best ERP systems facilitate this so you’re not left manually inputting information multiple times in multiple formats.

Re-keying data is costly and error prone—ERP software eliminates these time-consuming tasks so you and your employees can focus on more important things.

3. Choose an ERP System that Tracks Orders in Real Time

Order tracking is crucial for customer service, and the last thing you want to do is leave your customers hanging when they call for an update. ERP software allows you to track the real-time progress of an order, with just a few clicks of the mouse.

4. Find One That Offers Complete Visibility on Projects

While order tracking is important, ERP software should offer complete visibility into all your projects, down to the smallest components. Through your ERP interface you should be able to see a big-picture view of the overall status of a project, with the added ability to explore every element in great detail, including:

  • Who has signed for certain materials
  • What’s been shipped
  • Whether or not your current inventory meets your requirements
  • Who’s been billed and when (after all, you don’t want to end up working for free)
  • Much, much more

5. Look for ERP Software that Employees of All Levels Can Learn to Use Easily

With a simple yet powerful ERP system, your current staff will be better equipped to take on sudden influxes of workload and pick up the slack if a key employee leaves. And with easy-to-learn software, you can bring new employees up to speed faster than ever.

Test Drive ERP Software Today

At ContractERP, we want to give you an opportunity to test drive our software to see if it’s a good fit for your business. Request a demo today, or give us a call at 866-743-5665.

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