Are Customer or Regulatory Requirements Preventing You From Growing?

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Regulatory-RequirementsSecuring new customers is not a straightforward task. How many times have you negotiated a prospective contract to the finish line, only to discover that you are missing a critical piece of software necessary to obtain the new business? For example:

  • A medical device seller requires that you have end-to-end lot and serial traceability functionality in the event of a recall.
  • A large automotive manufacturer requires EDI in order to communicate.
  • A new prospect requires a very unique and specific labeling and pallet structure in order to accept the goods you produce for them.
  • The automotive (TS), medical (FDA, 21 CFR Part 11) or ISO certification you are struggling to obtain requires functionality that your current software does not offer.

You are not alone. Many manufacturers struggle to secure new customers (and ultimately grow their business) because they lack technical functionality found in a modern software system. Whether it is because you own a legacy ERP system that is no longer being supported, you operate with a cobbled together combination of Excel spreadsheets and QuickBooks or your software is too general or mis-purposed for manufacturing, in order to land large, long-term customers, you need to consider upgrading
to a more modern ERP solution.

Many ERP vendors try to sell best of breed ERP as the ultimate solution. While integration of third-party programs into a core ERP system can work, it won’t give you the end-to-end traceability and visibility required by many customers and regulatory organizations. Not to mention, the integration is typically fraught with challenges such as duplicate data entry, information delays and silos, interface issues and customization expenses.

The key to solving the challenges above is a comprehensive ERP solution. Comprehensive being the key word here. Comprehensive ERP is an end-to-end solution that covers every aspect of your business, from ERP to MES, MRP, financials, order management, WMS, CRM and more. This single source system is what makes every aspect of your business visible, traceable and incredibly efficient.

Customer and Regulatory Challenges Solved with Comprehensive ERP

Let’s look at some of the customer and regulatory challenges that are solved with comprehensive ERP:

Serial and Lot Tracking: From the raw materials in your warehouse, to the work center they were processed on, all the way to the shipping truck, comprehensive serial and lot tracking allows you to follow the lifecycle of every piece, part, box and pallet in your company automatically.

Quality and Risk Management: Mitigate risk, adhere to strict certification requirements and maintain customer compliance requests with a suite of quality management products, including certificates of conformance, document control, SPC, quality audit, MRB, ECO, CAR and PLM found in a native quality management system.

Complicated Label Requirements: A comprehensive labeling application with features specific to your manufacturing industry can help you create customer-specific labels with individualized barcodes, print different sized or colored labels on the fly for quick part identification and differentiation, handle multiple label types (product, container, shipping and mix-load), eliminate mismatched items, utilize label sequencing capabilities and accurately print the correct label every time.

EDI: With an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) module, you can easily translate incoming files directly into your ERP solution and then automatically generate outgoing files for transfer back to your customers and suppliers. Embedded EDI also automatically alerts you to any change in deliverables, quantities or due dates, for up-to-the-minute order accuracy.

Customer or compliance challenges brought on from a lack of modern software tools do not have to keep you from securing new business. With a comprehensive ERP solution, you can wow auditors and customers alike with your traceable and transparent quality processes throughout your organization.

IQMS

For more than 25 years, IQMS has been designing and developing manufacturing ERP software for the repetitive, process and discrete industries. Today, IQMS provides a comprehensive real-time ERP software and MES solution to the automotive, medical, packaging, consumer goods and other manufacturing markets. The extended single-database enterprise software solution, EnterpriseIQ, offers a scalable system designed to grow with the client and complete business functionality, including accounting, quality control, supply chain, shop floor, CRM and eBusiness. With offices across North America, Europe and Asia, IQMS serves manufacturers around the world. For more information, please visit iqms.com.