Whether you are transitioning from an existing ERP software or are ready to make the shift from Excel sheets, there are many key points you should keep in mind throughout the process to ensure successful implementation. Changing the way your process work from the business as usual employees have become accustomed to can create its own unique problems. In this article, we will look at some of the considerations to keep in mind for the successful implementation of new manufacturing software.
Prepare for the Change
On average, the implementation of new manufacturing software can take as long as 120 days for manufacturers that are still carrying on production or as little as 60 days for new manufacturers that are just getting started. It is important to utilize this time to familiarize yourself with the way your new software works and prepare any ingredient or component data you want to include in the new system.
Virtual Office was designed with supplement manufacturers in mind to streamline their processes and add value to their day to day operations. While it may seem challenging to adjust to a change in processes, it is important to stay the course and not fall back into old habits that aren’t relevant anymore. By doing this, you will not only limit the advantages given by the new software but you will also have an unsatisfying experience.
Crunch Some Data
Perhaps the most time-consuming operation in the implementation of new manufacturing software is manually entering all known ingredients, components, vendors and clients that are in your existing system. If you are transitioning from existing software, we may be able to import your existing data but, in most cases, manufacturers should be prepared to input this data manually. However, this may prose new problems that can easily be fixed.
For manufacturers that are continuing to run productions throughout the implementation process, they may be concerned about product amount discrepancies that can occur. One of the easiest ways to adjust for this problem is to add all of your products and then set aside the time to do a full cycle count. This will ensure your products have the correct inventory levels in the system and maintain accuracy.
Establish a Permissions Systems
Before Virtual Office is ready to use, you will likely want to set up new users and define their permissions. This will ensure that processes can be defined by the departments that are responsible for them and create an accountability system. This severely limits the problems that can be attributed to an open system that causes lasting problems that aren’t discovered until it’s too late.
Because each system user will have their own unique user ID, you will also be able to track any changes on a personal basis. This ensures you have actionable data at your fingertips that determines which user was responsible for a change. With Virtual Office, you can have an effective accountability system to not only monitor performance levels but ensure consistent quality with each contract job.
If you are interested in learning more about Virtual Office or want to see how this powerful ERP software can benefit your supplement manufacturing process, we invite you to request a demo and try it for yourself. We are confident that our industry-specific software contains everything needed to help you manufacture your customer’s products faster while keeping manufacturing costs to a minimum.
