Five Key Factors in the Evolution of Modern ERP Systems

‘Industry 4.0’ is transforming what it means to manufacture.

Connected machines, intelligent insights, rapidly advancing technologies and automated processes are enabling the world’s factories to produce more, quicker, with less waste, at a lower cost. And the need couldn’t be more pressing.

Customers now expect personalization, constant innovation and exemplary user experiences as standard, and they don’t want to have to wait for delivery.

Traditional markets are being disrupted and turned upside down by innovative entrants, exciting new markets are being built, and competition – always fierce – is intensifying. In the battle for commercial success, working smarter isn’t just important, it’s essential.

As physical manufacturing environments become increasingly managed by, and merged with, digital technologies, the dream of the ‘Smart Factory’ has become a reality.

But with digital disruption so rife, how manufacturers remain competitive in this new age remains a crucial question. All businesses, including large global players, are wrestling with how best to leverage the capabilities of digital technologies to gain that necessary edge.

That’s where modern, cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms are playing a vital role. In the same way that Industry 4.0 is transforming manufacturing, ERP has also had to evolve and through Dynamics 365, Microsoft is doing exactly that, offering manufacturers a platform for innovation, growth and driving increased profitability.

Manufacturers require business systems capable of keeping pace with a constantly changing world, and today’s cutting-edge ERP platforms are helping to achieve - and sustain – the three primary drivers of business growth: agility, flexibility and efficiency.

As the manufacturing sector stands on the cusp of its greatest transformation, ERP has become more integrated, intelligent, userfriendly, scalable and secure.

This whitepaper sets out the five key factors in the evolution of modern ERP and shares real examples of how leading businesses are using the capabilities it offers to drive substantial bottom-line benefits and more profitable decisions.