Small and medium-sized manufacturers mostly rely on manual or spreadsheet models, consortia of a few software, or to the maximum extent traditional/legacy ERP systems to manage their business operations. Low operating margins, slow order-to-cash cycles, delayed customer payments, and increased overhead, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, have made their survival even more difficult. Many of them have been operating with minimal staff, while some of them have closed their stores entirely.

Modern ERP systems are more advanced in handling business processes and manufacturing workflows. Features such as mobility, cloud installation, plug-and-play integration, and advanced customization help manufacturers improve operational speed, flexibility, and efficiency.
Let's take a look at some of the features of modern ERP systems and their associated benefits to small and medium-sized manufacturers.
Get up and running quickly with flexible installation
Modern enterprise resource planning systems are built in such a way that they can be installed anywhere. Whether on a public or private cloud or in a manufacturing facility. They can even be moved from the cloud to on-premises and vice versa, providing maximum operational flexibility. Cloud installation means manufacturers can reduce hardware costs, data storage costs, IT maintenance, and dedicated IT teams. Because cloud packages have advanced data security features, there is no need to worry about security.
All ERP functions under one roof
One of the main features that modern ERP offers is an integrated setup. Sales, purchasing, finance, inventory, warehouse, shipping, shop floor, production planning, and scheduling management are tightly integrated and connected to a single database.
This means that data entered from all sources is updated in real-time to a centralized database and reflected in all modules.