Amid an exciting escalation in domestic natural gas reserves, manufacturers can stay one step ahead with ERP software.

The Wall Street Journal asserted that a sharp spike in natural gas production is occurring right now in the U.S. Since May 2014, the natural gas supply has increased 28 percent faster than the average rate of the previous five years.

Thanks to this natural gas boom, the U.S. manufacturing industry is experiencing a simultaneous expansion. Businessweek reported that international companies from Taiwan to Canada to Germany are investing billions of dollars in America’s natural gas industry. In fact, Germany’s Siemens is using natural gas to power wind turbines.

Vermont Public Radio stated that this trend is not just international – domestic companies are also looking to invest more in U.S. facilities instead of those overseas. Vermont Castings, a stove manufacturer, has closed a plant in Mexico and reassigned labor to U.S. workers instead of outsourcing those jobs to China.

Thankfully, the job creation trend is spreading throughout America, and Businessweek estimated that by 2020, 1.5 million new jobs will have been created in the manufacturing industry. This is in addition to the 3.5 million jobs that will come into existence due to the construction of new plants and the staffing needs of these facilities.

In order to keep up with the ever-evolving manufacturing industry and its demands, businesses would be keen to invest in ERP software technology to track their own supplies, inventories and deliveries. With a potential increase in international client shipments and a greater pressure to maintain a high level of service, it is imperative that U.S. companies stay on top of their game and give customers the best experience possible. In addition, ERP software can interpret data to better understand client needs.