A manufacturer needs more from an ERP than a trading company does. Materials, machines, quality and costs all have to line up. Here is what to check before you choose.
Core capabilities to expect
- Bills of material (BOM) with multiple levels and versions.
- Production planning and work orders that reflect your shop floor.
- Inventory control across stores, batches, lots and serial numbers.
- Purchase and vendor management with approvals.
- Quality checks at receiving, in process and at dispatch.
- Costing of materials, labour and overheads per product.
- Sales, dispatch and invoicing linked to stock.
- GST, e-invoicing and e-way bills built for Indian rules. See GST e-invoicing and your ERP.
Things that depend on your plant
- Job work and sub-contracting flows.
- Make-to-order versus make-to-stock.
- Scrap, rework and by-products.
- Barcode or QR scanning on the floor.
- Maintenance schedules for machines.
How to run the selection
- Write down how an order moves from enquiry to delivery in your plant.
- Mark where today's process breaks or slows down.
- Ask each partner to show those exact steps in a demo using your data, not a generic one.
- Speak to a manufacturer of similar size that uses the system.
Common mistakes
- Buying for features you will not use in the first year.
- Skipping a clean-up of item and BOM data.
- Underestimating training for shop-floor staff.
- Not deciding who owns the system inside your company.
Regional note
Many manufacturing clusters are around cities such as Pune, Ahmedabad and Mumbai, where experienced partners are easier to find. Browse ERP partners on SARVO and filter by city.
FAQ
Do I need a separate system for production? Most modern ERPs include a manufacturing module. Check that it covers your process.
How do I keep the project on track? Start with a core set of processes, go live, then add more.