The word “integrate” has one connotation to technical people, and it usually involves making systems work together. I would like to use the word in another way: combining the best of two things so that they become a whole.

In this case the two things I am talking about are:

1. Your Manufacturing Business
2. Manufacturing Cloud ERP

In order to integrate these two, you need five very important elements. Without them, it will be difficult to make the best of each shine through. But when you have all five, your business thrives and you continue doing what you do best while leveraging all the capabilities of a powerful cloud ERP system.

Security 

Your data is the lifeblood of your business. It needs to remain safe and secure at all times. A cloud ERP system needs to support identity and access management, role-based security, and compliance with security regulations.

Scalability

When your business grows, you need to focus on meeting the challenges ahead—not on worries about whether your ERP system can support continued growth. Make sure your cloud ERP software has the availability and scalability that you need to expand. You should also be able to use your system on any device, anywhere. No matter how many users, devices, and machines are corrected to your ERP and no matter how large the transaction volume is—you should expect a high-performing system for both transaction processing and analytics.

Flexibility 

In a production environment, things can change fast and you need a system that enables you to remain agile and responsive. Your cloud ERP needs to provide information integration flexibility at the database level (ODBC), application level (APIs), and transaction level (EDI) so you can focus on improving operations and meeting customer demands. The ability to configure the system to your requirements gives you the ultimate flexibility to conduct business your way.

Industry Standards

Your customers expect you to perform at an appropriate level of standardization, and you should demand the same of your ERP system. Ensure that your manufacturing cloud ERP not only publishing industry standard APIs], but also supports manufacturing industry standards like PPAP, APQP, HACCP, and more. You won’t get this from generic ERP.

Support

The best way to get the most out of your system is to leverage those who are already using it. A rich, vibrant community of manufacturers, like you, with ideas and insights can add an incredible amount of value to your ERP and your business. A cloud ERP also gives you one common version of software across all its users globally. When you talk to other customers, you don’t need to ask, “Which version are you on?” Combine all that with comprehensive documentation and developer portals, and you know you are gaining a return on your investment.

When you are looking to integrate a cloud ERP into your manufacturing business, be sure you are as stringent with your requirements as you are with your production processes. Then you’ll know you made the right choice.

For even more resources, download Ten Critical Questions to Ask a Manufacturing ERP Vendor.