Epicor ERP Production Management Module

What do you get when you combine historical production data and sales planning? You get the foundation for a powerful production management module in your ERP solution.  ERP production planning provides the optimum utilization of resources such as manufacturing capacity, parts, components and raw materials. Epicor’s production management ERP module not only takes into consideration the complexities of the manufacturing business, but harnesses those complexities into easy-to-use tools to increase your efficiency and provide a better product for your customers.

Production management is the application of management principles to the function of production in a factory through planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the production practice. While your production management is just a small part of the manufacturing process, it is an important one that relies heavily on these two concepts:

• Forecasting – If you aren’t able to predict to some degree of accuracy the demand for the product you intend to produce, you run the risk of wasting time, money, and resources. One of the essential features of your production ERP system is to integrate the data from each department to have a concise picture of the company, its products, and its customers as a whole. An effective production management tool is one with ERP modules that inform you, in real time, of forecasts from your sales department that can help you make the decision as to whether a project is worthwhile before production even begins.
• Capacity – Once you’ve decided that production of a product will be beneficial to your company, you must decide whether you have the capacity to produce it. Capacity, like forecasting, is difficult to ascertain without the help of an integrated production manufacturing ERP system, as you must have an accurate picture of the number of goods that your machines can produce under normal working conditions. Additional worries often experienced in this process include whether or not the machines you have will be available to complete a project just in time or whether they will be in use for another project. Your Epicor manufacturing ERP modules help you not only to schedule your production but to prioritize which project to complete first.

With accurate forecasting and capacity, you are able to reduce waste in your production process, meet the deadlines and quality demands of your customers, and avoid inflated operating costs.

Epicor’s production management tools put the ability of controlling your production schedule in your hands through features such as:

• The ability to define your process on any project based on the input of raw materials, the output of manufactured goods, by-products from the manufacturing process, and overhead costs.
• Obtain a Bill of Material for all products up to any number of levels that you require.
• Generate your production schedule.
• Powerful sales forecasting tools to inform your production plan.
• Accurately plan for the materials required for production by using data such as machine capacity, efficiency, and availability; the availability of raw materials; lead time; and data provided from your sales department.
• The ability to revoke a production plan in order to change input parameters, production priority or quantity using fresh production advice.
• Obtain detailed analysis of the efficiency and utilization of your machines.
• Generate process requisition information for processes that must be subcontracted.
• The ability to reserve the quantity of materials that you need for production.
• Determine the feasibility of your project based on the availability of raw materials, how long production will take, and the availability and capacity of the machines you have.

For more information on Epicor’s ERP production management module and the other modules designed to help take the complexities out of manufacturing through automated processes and integrative tools, contact EstesGroup today.