Why Industry 4.0 Can Not Do Without ERP?

With a relentless push towards automation in manufacturing processes, it is safe to say that Industry 4.0 or the Fourth Industrial Revolution has arrived. Industry 4.0 has roped in The Internet of Things (IoT) to drive towards the idea of a smart factory. It is a day and age where an ongoing production process involves churning out products with complex BOMs/processes coupled with the dynamic material, supply, and schedule changes. Add to this, the increasing pressures from customers on quality and delivery schedules. A smart factory is a place where such processes are carried out with ease. The product runs are shortened and the delivery time is improved. It’s a place where the traceability is enhanced and the Supply Chain Management is of the highest quality.

To cut the long story short, a smart factory is all about finesse and agility, which point towards an integrated work environment where data is funneled smoothly among different departments. An ERP System seems to be an obvious choice to meet all the integration goals of a smart factory, and why not? Only an ERP System can unify the multiple business processes of an organization, pertaining to Planning, Materials Management, Manufacturing, and Finance, to achieve a comprehensive automation of an enterprise. Thankfully IoT has also greatly helped direct data capture from machines and devising decision support systems has become easier with IoT.

Industry 4.0 is not an event but a continuous thrust towards innovation. Businesses have to be on their toes and keep their doors open for newer technologies, processes, workflows, and data networks. The key here for manufacturers is flexibility and an ERP Software with flexible deployment options must be their go-to option. They simply need an all-weather ERP Software that can be hosted seamlessly on cloud, premises, or in a hybrid manner.

Data Silos (cluster of data which belongs to a single department and is isolated from the rest of the organization) is a big no for Industry 4.0. It is all about data sharing and establishing a synergy across all departments. The communication among departments will get a big push if there is around-the-clock access to the ERP Software, irrespective of the country or time zone a personnel of a particular department is in. As modern ERP solutions like ebizframe support anytime access and mobility, users can easily access relevant information on their tablets or smartphones on a Browser or an App, without worrying about the hour of the day or location. Moreover, they have easy on the eyes dashboards which get perfectly aligned with all kinds of screen sizes.This goes along the ethos of Industry 4.0 to update and share relevant information in a lucid manner.

To remain in tune with the requisites of Industry 4.0, enterprises will have to be aggressive in adopting newer business models and executing them to perfection. This cannot be done without powerful tools like Analytics and Business Intelligence that are essential features of cutting-edge ERP solutions like ebizframe. They need to go all guns blazing to realize intelligent manufacturing processes and extend their benefits to the company. With their robust modules with advanced Forecasting, Budgeting and Planning, the current and the subsequent generation of ERP Systems are on course to achieve all such goals.

About the Author:

Ashutosh has done his B.Tech in Electronics and Communication. He started his career with a Digital Marketing company. To refine his writing style and blend it with other niche markets, he joined ESS’ Marketing Communication Team to come up with savvy and engaging content for ESS’ flagship product: ebizframe ERP. Apart from his professional calling, he loves penning down his abstract reflections whenever the urge is overwhelming.