ERP Selection
How Formula Manufacturing and Formula ERP Software Can Solve 3 Common Mistakes
We are going to talk about the three most common and critical R&D mistakes and how a formula ERP software system like Vicinity can help formula manufacturers correct them or avoid them altogether. 1. Overuse of Excel As I travel to clients and prospects, I find one of the most used R&D database tools…
Read MoreWhat the Heck is Microsoft Dynamics®?
If you are running a process manufacturing company, you probably know that an accounting/distribution system is necessary to keep your business growing. Your business needs a software system to manage financials, reporting, daily operations, and more. Vicinity Software integrates with Quickbooks Online® for the smaller businesses who aren’t ready to switch to a formal ERP,…
Read MoreMaking Intelligent Decisions with Your Data
Using Excel Report Builder with Microsoft Dynamics GP Imagine making an ERP report such as “Inventory Stock Status” available to be viewed and formatted in Excel… All a user needs to do is open Excel and there is the data refreshed in real time. All of this done from the comfort of Excel. Microsoft Dynamics GP Excel Report Builder…
Read MoreBusiness Intelligence for Beginners: Excel Pivot Tables
Excel Pivot Tables By utilizing Business Intelligence (BI), manufacturing operations will have increased visibility, improved efficiency, and most importantly the ability to turn data into actionable information. So let’s begin by looking at your options for bringing BI into your manufacturing organization. The most basic way to begin with BI is Excel Pivot Tables. This is a free tool that…
Read MoreEvolution of Production Scheduling for the Process Manufacturer
From my perspective, companies evolve into their production scheduling process as their business evolves. Attempting to implement a complex master production schedule model when a company is beginning to automate their ERP manufacturing process is often a mistake. The key is to take a realistic view of what stage the company is in and grow…
Read MoreIncrease Profits by Managing Material Costs
In previous articles, we talked about how to increase profits using batch manufacturing software. The next in our series is to increase profits by managing material costs. Read how to increase manufacturing profits by managing material costs using batch manufacturing software.
Read MoreGoing Green – Increase Batch Yields
Increase Batch Yields to Consume Fewer Raw Materials Per Finished Goods Produced. You would be amazed at how few companies actually look at their yield analysis by formula over time. It is more common than not that a company looking back at production over the past six months will find certain formulas or processes that…
Read More10 Reasons Manufacturing Software Projects Fail
Every project, no matter the size, has a certain level of risk – the bigger the project, the bigger the risk. The best way to manage project risk is to understand the causes of project failure. In the 1990’s, I read an article that resulted from a study commissioned by APICS. The article spoke about how…
Read MoreHow Can You Improve Your Manufacturing Schedule?
Every formula manufacturer performs some level of scheduling. Without a schedule or a plan, no plant could function for very long. Based on our experience at Vicinity most of the schedules are manual in nature. However, as a manufacturing company keeps growing, the manual processes become burdensome and a drag on the manufacturing process. Generally, you…
Read MoreWill the Real BatchMaster Please Stand Up?
From 1985 through 2000, BatchMaster software ruled the roost when it came to batch manufacturing software. Especially for the paint industry. So, what happened to the product and where does it stand today? BatchMaster is currently offered in two flavors. BatchMaster Enterprise by eWorkplace (renamed to BatchMaster Software Corporation out of India) and BatchMaster Platinum by Sage (renamed…
Read More