Industry

Mechanical & Plant Engineering

Your customers want a reliable partner who not only delivers high-quality work but also completes projects as quickly as possible? The right ERP software helps your company meet your clients’ requirements to their complete satisfaction.

Since the requirements within the mechanical and plant engineering industry are complex and constantly increasing, a comparably multifaceted ERP system is required, through which all process flows and development paths can be easily linked.

The following article provides you with all the necessary information about ERP systems, as well as any aspects you should consider when selecting suitable ERP software.

Mechanical & Plant Engineering mit AvERP

In addition to the standard modules of our free ERP system AvERP for sales (including CRM), purchasing, manufacturing and assembly, warehouse management, production planning, employee management and time tracking, and complaint handling, we offer optimized processes for mechanical engineering, including the following modules (also available completely free of charge):

Series, variant, and single-part or small-series production
Alternative position in parts lists
Serial number history and device file (purchasing and sales side)
Offer configurator with generation of sales bills of materials and configuration dependencies
Offer versioning
Tracking of externally manufactured parts/extended workbench
Serial number-specific complaint management
Management of wear parts

What is an ERP system?

ERP software is a software system that allows you to optimize all your business processes. The software supports you in automating processes in finance, human resources, supply chains, and manufacturing. Generally speaking, enterprise resource planning software is not a new phenomenon. in industry. Nevertheless, it must be noted that today’s ERP systems bear little resemblance to earlier software systems. The primary reason for this is the use of the latest technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, which ensures companies achieve maximum efficiency and automation in their production. Modern cloud ERP software also streamlines internal processes. Processes are linked with networks and stakeholders around the world, enabling competitive collaboration and agility in all areas of the business.

Special features in plant and mechanical engineering

In general, the plant and mechanical engineering sector is subject to constant change and modernization. Nevertheless, many internal processes, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises, are still handled manually.

A modern and tailored ERP software is designed to adapt flexibly to all changes and to master the typical challenges of plant and mechanical engineering.

The advantages of an ERP system in mechanical engineering are as follows:

Enterprise Resource Planning helps your company remain competitive despite increasing competitive pressure.

ERP software ensures access to all current information across departments at all times.

They can react flexibly to changing customer requirements and order schedules.

ERP software systems ensure straightforward evaluation of all relevant company data.

The last point is particularly important for efficient operations within a company. In mechanical and plant engineering, there are various manufacturing methods, such as series production, single-unit production, and variant production. These different production types require correspondingly individualized resource and production planning. For example, while the production of individual pieces and small batches necessitates flexible materials management and strategic production planning, series production prioritizes maximum automation. A unified database within the ERP system therefore ensures that all necessary data is always up-to-date and complete, thus preventing system disruptions.

Specialized tools are used to check and filter the data, enabling demand forecasts, reports, and liquidity checks at any time. This is crucial in mechanical and plant engineering, as certain risks must be identified as early as possible to modify and optimize existing processes accordingly. Furthermore, the ERP system significantly shortens and simplifies complex overall processes and lead times in design and manufacturing. This applies to both individual orders and small production runs made to customer specifications.

The license-free ERP system for small and medium-sized enterprises.

What should be considered when purchasing ERP software?

Generally speaking, ERP software for plant and mechanical engineering must specifically respond to the complex and growing requirements of the industry in order to secure long-term business success and competitiveness.

The focus is less on the individual functions of the software system, but rather on the interaction of the individual components.

Some of the most important capabilities that an ERP system in mechanical and plant engineering should possess are the following:

Essential capabilities of an ERP system

Growing parts lists

In the mechanical engineering industry, it is crucial that bills of materials (BOMs) for orders can be modified quickly and easily. Companies, especially those producing custom or small-batch items, are increasingly confronted with growing BOMs. With the help of a CAD interface, your company can easily modify and expand automated BOMs. These automatically updated BOMs also ensure that you can comprehensively document all orders.

PLM / CAD-Integration

In general, integrating a CAD system into ERP software helps to process orders more efficiently, thus saving valuable working time.

Linking all data through CAD integration ensures that all key information can be accessed at any time for fast and seamless communication.

Integration of a document management tool

Any documents in physical form contribute to a disruption of workflow. Work files can get lost, quickly become disorganized, and take up a lot of space in the office.

An integrated document management tool greatly simplifies the processing and sharing of documents within a company.

Integration of a project management tool

Project management is playing an increasingly important role in almost every company. It is also becoming ever more significant in the mechanical and plant engineering sector.

The automated and simple assignment of tasks also creates greater process reliability for the workers and ensures a successful process flow.

Production planning and control

A high-quality ERP software system supports your company in scheduling by, among other things, enabling better calculation of completion dates.

Furthermore, the system uses graphical capacity planning to ensure a comprehensive overview of all processes, so that appointment information can be reliably provided to customers.

Therefore, the ERP system enables efficient, cross-departmental production and resource planning.

Find the optimal inventory management system for your mechanical engineering company

In principle, an ERP system for the mechanical and plant engineering sector should always be able to react flexibly and precisely to the growing demands of the industry if your company’s long-term success is to be secured.

Therefore, when selecting an ERP software system, it is essential to ensure that the software supports all features relevant to your company.

There are some basic principles you should consider when choosing the right system:

Easy integration into various processes

When choosing an ERP system, you should ensure beforehand that it is an integrated ERP solution. These are generally less prone to errors and offer a unified user interface for your company. Easy integration into various processes offers the advantage of significantly simplifying data exchange with external partners. A mobile application for the software system also allows work processes to be managed remotely. This is a crucial benefit, especially for service technicians and sales staff.

Flexibility and customization

Within a production process in the field of mechanical and plant engineering, customer needs and market requirements can constantly change, so production must be adapted accordingly.

To work efficiently, minimize process costs and ensure the competitiveness of your company, your ERP system should be able to react flexibly to new processes and changes.

Comprehensive support during implementation

Generally speaking, you should consider external development, implementation, and support of an ERP system even before its actual implementation. Therefore, request realistic project plans from various ERP system providers to ensure you are optimally prepared for implementation and can ultimately save resources within your company.

Investing in an integrated ERP system is worthwhile in mechanical and plant engineering.

Generally speaking, investing in an ERP system tailored to the specific and flexible requirements of the plant and mechanical engineering sector can always be advantageous for your company. Through specific functions adapted to the industry’s needs, the ERP software solution contributes to increased competitiveness and business success.

With a high-quality ERP system like AvERP, your company will no longer face problems such as faulty internal communication, unclear documents, or incorrect bills of materials. For many companies, the focus isn’t solely on manufacturing perfect machines. Enterprise resource planning software also optimizes order processing, leading to an overall increase in your company’s efficiency.

To ensure your company achieves the greatest possible success with the ERP system, it is crucial that you define in advance which functions your software system should have to handle everyday business tasks.

Frequently asked questions

Why are ERP systems important for mechanical engineering?

In mechanical engineering, complex processes and efficient resource planning are of paramount importance. An ERP system enables companies to optimize their production processes, utilize material and human resources effectively, and better manage the supply chain. It also supports compliance with quality standards and the fulfillment of customer requirements.

How much does an ERP system for mechanical engineering cost?

The cost of an ERP system in mechanical engineering varies depending on the provider, system scope, implementation effort, and licensing model. There are both cloud-based ERP systems with monthly subscriptions and on-premises installations with one-time license fees. It’s important to consider the total cost, including implementation, customization, training, and ongoing maintenance. Learn more in our guide, “What Does an ERP System Cost?”

How long does it take to implement an ERP system in mechanical engineering?

Die Implementierungsdauer eines ERP-Systems im Maschinenbau kann je nach Unternehmensgröße, Komplexität der Geschäftsprozesse und Anpassungen variieren. In der Regel dauert die Implementierung mehrere Monate bis hin zu einem Jahr. Es ist wichtig, realistische Zeitpläne festzulegen und die erforderlichen Ressourcen für eine erfolgreiche Implementierung einzuplanen.