You may not be aware of it, but if you have a CRM module in your ERP software system, then you have a potentially robust marketing tool at your fingertips. And, in a soft economy, any marketing help to can get helps get business to your shop. More than just a means of keeping contact information in an easily accessible computer database, your CRM is also a place of customer purchase decision and behavior wealth. Rather than a sedate depository of information, your CRM is a dynamic fount for your potential growth.

To be sure, there are many marketing automation modules emerging into the software scene that are designed to exist independent of your ERP system and to interface with traditional CRM modules. Short of adding an additional hierarchy in the flow of data from CRM to the marketing module, most instances of these set-ups are perfectly adequate to get the marketing job done. (more…)

The continuous collection and analysis of shop floor data to increase profitability through efficiency, is one of the most underestimated practices in manufacturing. Information is everything, and employee management of time and attendance provides an easy way to shave costs and increase margins. In Part 1 of this title, we discussed how Touch Screen Data Systems (TSDC) are best used to fulfill Lean missions. When it comes to information management, enterprise resource planning (ERP) grows in importance and TSDC use is on the rise.

To this end, ERP shop floor data entry and collection systems are tied to a “timeclock” Graphical User Interface (GUI) concept. Often quite user friendly, GUI input is made through any number of movements—traditional keystroke, bar/card scanning, and/or touch-screen technology. The user is presented with a visual online systems menu in an easy to read, “clean screen” format. From this timekeeping screen, the employee can identify him/herself (relative to security clearance, if necessary), clock in and clock out, accept jobs listed in order of priority, review work order details, log onto and off of jobs, and all other functions associated with operation and time management. (more…)