7 ERP Dashboards That Are Highly Effective for Manufacturing Business

Before we try to get into Dashboards or KPIs let us understand what is a manufacturing ERP and why small business owners really need a dashboard.

In order to understand what Manufacturing ERP Software is, it is important to first understand what ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning stands for. It is software that helps businesses manage and automate various processes including inventory management, manufacturing, order processing, financials, and more.

A Manufacturing ERP Software specifically helps businesses with their manufacturing processes. This can include managing production schedules, material requirements, and quality control. Thus, manufacturers pass through an end-to-end process every single day which often complicates the flow of manufacturing within an enterprise.

And that is where the ERP software comes into play, and therefore the dashboards & KPIs even become more important for manufacturers to keep track of their shop floors and work centres to get the red alerts instantly on time as to what is wrong within an enterprise.

What is the use of dashboards and why do small businesses need them?

Small business owners in the manufacturing industry need a dashboard in their ERP software for a number of reasons. First, it provides them with a clear overview of their business operation. Second, it helps them track progress and performance. Third, it allows them to make better decisions by identifying areas that need improvement. Fourth, it reduces the risk of errors and mistakes. Finally, it increases efficiency and productivity by automating tasks and processes.

Moreover, a dashboard is not just a static picture; it’s a dynamic tool that can help to make better decisions for a business.

Efficient production is key to a successful bottom line and integrating a dashboard into your manufacturing ERP software solves the problem.

A dashboard saves time by giving a quick overview of the production process, machine breakdowns, delays, and idle resources. It can also help to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies so you can address them quickly.

However, the ultimate reason why manufacturers really require a dashboard is the ability to get instant reports on screen upfront visually through graphs, charts, and KPIs and not drill down to boring and time-consuming lengthy text-based reports.

7 ERP Dashboards To support manufacturers in improved decisions making

Manufacturers have different viewpoints compared to non-manufacturer because manufacturing is not only about knowing order to cash or procure to pay life cycle. It is more than that and hence the following dashboard may provide comprehensive KPIs for a manufacturing unit to take better decisions.

1. Work Center Dashboard

A work centre is a location where workers are stationed and where machines are operated in a factory. The term work centre is also used to describe the group of workers who are assigned to a particular area in a factory. In some factories, work centres are also organized into teams.

Therefore, a manufacturing ERP having a work centre dashboard can reveal critical information within the assigned area. A work centre ERP dashboard is a graphical display that shows Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to the production process in a manufacturing or assembly organization.

The purpose of a work centre ERP dashboard is to provide plant managers and other decision-makers with a quick, at-a-glance view of the performance of their running operations, operation ready to start, operation paused, partially fulfilled operations, operation setup time, and expected operations run time versus actual time.

2. Manufacturing or Work Order Dashboard

A manufacturing order is an internal document that is used to track the production of a product. It contains information such as the product name and code, the quantity to be produced, the date the order was created, and the status of the order.

The manufacturing order is an important tool for ensuring that products are produced on time and in the correct quantities. The order may also include information about raw materials and components needed to make the product.

Work Order dashboard in an ERP enables users to track work orders, as well as view and update the status of those orders. This dashboard makes it easy for business owners to find the information they need. The dashboard also includes a number of tools that users can use to manage their work orders, such as creating and assigning tasks, setting deadlines, and tracking progress, and may also include KPIs such as late production orders, work orders with scrap percentage, and late order count over time.

Work Order dashboards may also include shortage of inventory per order and expected purchase versus total purchase required to fulfill the orders on time and actual inventory versus total inventory available on hand.

3. Monthly Production Dashboard

A monthly production report KPI is a key performance indicator that helps organizations track their progress in meeting production goals. This type of report can be used to identify areas of improvement and gauge the effectiveness of current production processes. Additionally, monthly production report KPIs can help predict future production needs and trends.

By measuring and monitoring the KPI metric, companies can make necessary adjustments to improve their efficiency and productivity. Additionally, analysts may use the monthly production report KPI to identify industry trends. So the KPI specifically tracks and reports on the progress of production. This is important data for any business as it can help to improve processes and make sure that deadlines are being met.

Essentially, a monthly production report KPI ensures that the production process is running smoothly and efficiently and may also make available visually present graphs and charts categorized by item and category, early days and late by date production and work order wise production status such as complete and in the progress report and weekly, monthly and Yearly production comparisons.

4. Cost KPI Report

A cost report in manufacturing ERP is a document that contains information about the costs incurred by a company during the production process. It includes data on raw materials, labor, and overhead costs. The report can be used to help managers make decisions about where to allocate resources and how to reduce costs.

An effective cost report can help a company to improve its bottom line by making informed decisions about pricing, production methods, and more.

A typical cost KPI report may contain information regarding manufacturing cost, production order line cost, over and under expense cost, cost variance, budgeted vs actual cost, and other cost analysis reports.

Cost KPI Report may also reveal cost by order, cost by operations, and cost by route (direct versus overhead) associated with shipping.

5. Production Workload KPI

Production workload refers to the total amount of work that a manufacturing company produces during a given time period. This includes both the number of products produced and the number of hours worked. Production workload can be measured in terms of output per hour, or as a percentage of capacity.

It also includes everything from raw materials acquisition and handling to finished product packaging and shipping. In order to streamline the production process and minimize waste, manufacturers often use various types of production planning and control systems dashboard to track the workload and efficiency of production and that is where workload KPI play a huge role.

Workload KPIs are a set of metrics that help organizations measure their performance in terms of how they utilize their resources to produce work. By understanding and tracking these KPIs, organizations can make better decisions about how to optimize their production processes. The most important thing to remember about workload KPIs is that they should be tailored as per the needs of the organization. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to measuring workload KPIs.

6. Machines Breakdown KPI Report

An organization's machine breakdown KPI report in ERP is a critical document that details the frequency and duration of equipment downtime. This information is used to identify and rectify issues within the company's operations. The report includes data on the types of machines, their locations, and the causes of breakdowns. This information is essential for developing an effective maintenance plan and ensuring the smooth running of manufacturing operations.

This KPI report also helps business owners to identify a machine that needs calibration and maintenance on a particular day or month else a breakdown might occur. Therefore, take necessary steps to avoid future discrepancies which would otherwise lead to idle machines and labor hours waste, and delays in maintenance.

7. Idle Resources Dashboard

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are designed to help businesses manage their core processes, including human resources, accounting, and supply chain management. However, ERP systems can also be used to track and manage idle resources.

The Idle Resource Dashboard is a tool within an ERP system that can be used to track and manage idle resources. The dashboard allows businesses to see which resources are idle and how long they have been idle allowing organizations to make informed decisions about how to best allocate their resources. By reducing idle time and maximizing the use of resources, organizations can improve their efficiency and profitability.

The dashboard typically includes data on equipment utilization, labor availability, and other factors that can affect production. By tracking this information, organizations can make better decisions about when to ramp up or down production.

To conclude, ERP dashboards help business owners and help managers to make informed decisions and improve efficiency. By using an ERP dashboard, manufacturers can increase transparency, communication, and collaboration within the organization. ERP dashboards are highly effective for manufacturers because they provide real-time data that can be used to make informed decisions.

Additionally, ERP dashboards are user-friendly and can be customized to meet the specific needs of a manufacturer. Manufacturers who implement ERP Software for their manufacturing firms should have dashboards that are able to improve their operations and increase their profitability.

Biplob is a business software consultant for ERP Software, a digital entrepreneur, an SEO consultant, and occasionally loves to write. He also loves to travel and when he is not working he can be seen playing his favourite game table tennis.