A manufacturer looking to upgrade their management software from a legacy system or implement an ERP software for the first time is faced with a multitude of choices. Each part of the manufacturing process is covered by its own software. For example, a manufacturer might run MRP software to plan production, MES to manage the shop floor, CMMS to manage maintenance, QMS for quality control, and WMS to track inventory. Most ERP systems on the market cover several of these functional areas, but few truly do everything out of the box. Most rely on third-party add-ons and integrations to provide complete coverage. This is particularly common for operations outside the core manufacturing workflow, such as maintenance, PLM, and quality management.
