How to Choose the Best ERP Software for Manufacturing

Learn about the top-rated ERP software among small manufacturers in 2025 and find how ERP innovation brings strong improvements to business operations and supply chains of SMEs.

Heard about it ≠ Right for you. A popular ERP isn’t automatically the right ERP for your company or industry. A company I recently came across invested heavily in a “big name” ERP system. The demos looked impressive, and the vendor promised endless possibilities. But here’s what happened: 1. The system was far bigger (and more expensive) than what the business really needed. 2. They later discovered their needs could have been fully met by SAP Business One, at a fraction of the cost. 3. On top of that, they had to pay for multiple integrations, when a right-fit ERP could have handled those processes natively. All of this could have been avoided with one simple step, requirements gathering before shopping for systems. This is where ERP Consultants and Business Analysts add value. They map business processes, identify true needs, and recommend the right-fit solution not just the flashiest demo. Yes, hiring experts may feel like an extra expense. But it often saves companies hundreds of thousands by avoiding rework, oversized systems, and unnecessary integrations. ERP upgrades are strategic, not cosmetic. Get the foundation right, and the system will drive real business value. Have you seen companies overspend on ERP systems that didn’t really fit their needs? Or are companies choosing ERPs based on hype, or on their actual business needs?

🚀 Custom ERP in 2025: A Roadmap to Efficiency In 2025, businesses can no longer rely on “one-size-fits-all” ERP systems. The future lies in custom ERP solutions that adapt to your workflows, streamline operations, and empower smarter decision-making. In our latest blog, we break down a step-by-step roadmap for implementing a tailored ERP system—covering everything from defining business needs and involving stakeholders to development, integration, training, and ongoing support. ✅ Simplify processes ✅ Reduce costs ✅ Improve decision-making ✅ Stay future-ready 📖 Read the full blog here: https://lnkd.in/gKPgybkb #ERP #CustomERP #BusinessGrowth #DigitalTransformation #TrickyDot

It's day 6 and I'm sure you are tired of me by now, but here we go again. In case you don't want to wait 3 weeks for the series of posts to finish, you can see my thoughts on the 15 ways the ERP industry is broken here: https://lnkd.in/gd9CKVUe If you want to see what Stellar One is doing differently, feel free to go to this link: https://lnkd.in/gqzhVsQX 5.     You should never have to pay for implementation For decades, a big chunk of an ERP company’s revenue came from implementation. The old rule of thumb was 1x – 3x of perpetual license cost for implementation. With the subscription model the multiple went up for a while and has settled into the range of roughly 1x – 3x of the first year subscription amount. Of course, good luck finding someone to quote you a fixed price and timeline for this. After 40 years you would think this industry could have figured out how to run an implementation by now. Even worse, the implementation process has hardly evolved since the dawn of ERP systems. Certainly, there is a lot less reliance on customization than in the past which has reduced costs, but the ease of implementation hasn’t changed much. As an ERP buyer, you are stuck with the inefficiency of implementers everywhere. There is little incentive for those selling ERP systems to reduce or remove this cost, because professional services is on your partner's income statement as a Cost of Goods item. There is a strong focus on making a profit on services. Additionally, most consultants have bonus plans tied to “billable hours” or revenue generation. This drives up billing rates and creates incentives for the services team to bill more time to customers. Sounds to me like this isn’t in your best interest as an ERP buyer. ERP systems can be very easy and fast to implement if you are willing to follow some guiding principles. The process can be very efficient. Most of the “choices” have to make shouldn’t even enter into the conversation because: a) they are immaterial to your business process, and b) make no difference to the outcomes you are trying to achieve. Here’s another little secret about our industry. The lifetime value of a customer is typically 7 times the revenue of the initial purchase. Let’s say that half of the initial purchase is for implementation. That means the company selling you the ERP system will generate at least 10 times more revenue from you over the lifetime of your relationship. The number is much higher if the ERP partner is truly focused on your long-term success and business outcomes. If this is the case, then why are you being charged for implementation? A better question is, why are you willing to pay for implementation? Finally, paying anything before you start the implementation process you end up double-paying for capability until you go live. That’s a really bad deal for the ERP buyer, especially since 6 – 9 month implementations are the norm. Why pay for duplicate systems for that long?

5 Reasons to Use an ERP System for Your Small Business As your small business grows, managing day-to-day operations becomes more complex. An ERP system helps integrate various functions such as inventory, production, and sales, offering greater visibility and control over your resources and commitments. This article highlights how ERP systems can streamline operations, improve decision-making, and drive efficiency in a growing business. Key learning points include: 📊 How ERP helps track resources, from cash to production capacity 📊 The importance of syncing resources with business commitments 📊 How to analyse consumer behaviour for better market share 📊 The role of ERP in managing information flow across departments 📊 How ERP saves time and reduces waste through automation Implementing an ERP system not only smooths your growth path but also frees you to focus on the strategic decisions. #SmallBusinessGrowth #ERP #BusinessEfficiency #Automation #ResourceManagement #DataDriven #BusinessOperations #Scalability

5 Reasons to Use an ERP System for Your Small Business As your small business grows, managing day-to-day operations becomes more complex. An ERP system helps integrate various functions such as inventory, production, and sales, offering greater visibility and control over your resources and commitments. This article highlights how ERP systems can streamline operations, improve decision-making, and drive efficiency in a growing business. Key learning points include: 📊 How ERP helps track resources, from cash to production capacity 📊 The importance of syncing resources with business commitments 📊 How to analyse consumer behaviour for better market share 📊 The role of ERP in managing information flow across departments 📊 How ERP saves time and reduces waste through automation Implementing an ERP system not only smooths your growth path but also frees you to focus on the strategic decisions. #SmallBusinessGrowth #ERP #BusinessEfficiency #Automation #ResourceManagement #DataDriven #BusinessOperations #Scalability

5 Reasons to Use an ERP System for Your Small Business As your small business grows, managing day-to-day operations becomes more complex. An ERP system helps integrate various functions such as inventory, production, and sales, offering greater visibility and control over your resources and commitments. This article highlights how ERP systems can streamline operations, improve decision-making, and drive efficiency in a growing business. Key learning points include: 📊 How ERP helps track resources, from cash to production capacity 📊 The importance of syncing resources with business commitments 📊 How to analyse consumer behaviour for better market share 📊 The role of ERP in managing information flow across departments 📊 How ERP saves time and reduces waste through automation Implementing an ERP system not only smooths your growth path but also frees you to focus on the strategic decisions. #SmallBusinessGrowth #ERP #BusinessEfficiency #Automation #ResourceManagement #DataDriven #BusinessOperations #Scalability

5 Reasons to Use an ERP System for Your Small Business As your small business grows, managing day-to-day operations becomes more complex. An ERP system helps integrate various functions such as inventory, production, and sales, offering greater visibility and control over your resources and commitments. This article highlights how ERP systems can streamline operations, improve decision-making, and drive efficiency in a growing business. Key learning points include: 📊 How ERP helps track resources, from cash to production capacity 📊 The importance of syncing resources with business commitments 📊 How to analyse consumer behaviour for better market share 📊 The role of ERP in managing information flow across departments 📊 How ERP saves time and reduces waste through automation Implementing an ERP system not only smooths your growth path but also frees you to focus on the strategic decisions. #SmallBusinessGrowth #ERP #BusinessEfficiency #Automation #ResourceManagement #DataDriven #BusinessOperations #Scalability

5 Reasons to Use an ERP System for Your Small Business As your small business grows, managing day-to-day operations becomes more complex. An ERP system helps integrate various functions such as inventory, production, and sales, offering greater visibility and control over your resources and commitments. This article highlights how ERP systems can streamline operations, improve decision-making, and drive efficiency in a growing business. Key learning points include: 📊 How ERP helps track resources, from cash to production capacity 📊 The importance of syncing resources with business commitments 📊 How to analyse consumer behaviour for better market share 📊 The role of ERP in managing information flow across departments 📊 How ERP saves time and reduces waste through automation Implementing an ERP system not only smooths your growth path but also frees you to focus on the strategic decisions. #SmallBusinessGrowth #ERP #BusinessEfficiency #Automation #ResourceManagement #DataDriven #BusinessOperations #Scalability

5 Reasons to Use an ERP System for Your Small Business As your small business grows, managing day-to-day operations becomes more complex. An ERP system helps integrate various functions such as inventory, production, and sales, offering greater visibility and control over your resources and commitments. This article highlights how ERP systems can streamline operations, improve decision-making, and drive efficiency in a growing business. Key learning points include: 📊 How ERP helps track resources, from cash to production capacity 📊 The importance of syncing resources with business commitments 📊 How to analyse consumer behaviour for better market share 📊 The role of ERP in managing information flow across departments 📊 How ERP saves time and reduces waste through automation Implementing an ERP system not only smooths your growth path but also frees you to focus on the strategic decisions. #SmallBusinessGrowth #ERP #BusinessEfficiency #Automation #ResourceManagement #DataDriven #BusinessOperations #Scalability