With the value cloud ERP can provide for manufacturers, Manufacturing Digital highlights some of the best solutions being provided in the sector today.
Cloud-based ERP solutions provide significant value to the manufacturing sector, integrating inventory, finance, HR and logistics into one accessible platform.
As operations and supply chains grow more complex, cloud-based ERP helps manufacturers navigate them efficiently by streamlining complex workloads, automating tasks and enabling real-time data sharing.
With built-in scalability, cloud ERP enables manufacturers to better adapt to market changes and avoid large infrastructure costs.
This solution also helps optimise inventory management, cybersecurity and remote working, fostering secure and seamless cross-team collaboration.
As part of our Manufacturing Index, this article explores the companies excelling in the field of enterprise cloud-based ERP, highlighting how their solutions provide benefits for manufacturers today.
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
SAP S/4HANA Cloud integrates AI and ML to optimise intricate manufacturing operations, leveraging predictive analytics for automated insights, demand forecasting and anomaly detection.
All this gives manufacturers the information they need to make better decisions and enhance production efficiency.
The company’s solution boasts intelligent process automation that reduces manual errors and enhances productivity, with its embedded AI capabilities improving supply chain risk management by predicting potential disruptions and suggesting mitigation strategies.
SAP’s S/4 HANA Cloud was recently recognised as a leader in not just one, but two, Gartner® Magic Quadrants™ for 2024, for ‘Cloud ERP for Product-Centric Enterprises’ and ‘Cloud ERP for Service-Centric Enterprises’.
“This recognition, from our perspective, is a testament to our commitment to helping businesses thrive in today’s dynamic environment,” Jan Gilg, President and Chief Product Officer for Cloud ERP at SAP said on LinkedIn.
“Whether navigating expected or unforeseen challenges, SAP S/4HANA Cloud ERP equips organisations with the agility and resilience needed to innovate and grow.”
Look out for our in-depth discussion of this achievement, set to be shared here on our site very soon.
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP incorporates advanced AI and ML capabilities to help manufacturers pursue better financial forecasting supply chain optimisation and predictive maintenance.
The Fusion Cloud ERP’s machine learning algorithms analyse large datasets to identify prominent trends, helping manufacturers enhance their resource allocation and improv their overall agility.
This in turn reduces downtime, something the platform also does through its AI tools that automate procurement processes, monitor supplier performance and optimise inventory levels to prevent stockouts or overstocking.
Earlier in September 2024, Oracle announced new AI capabilities across the Oracle Cloud Fusion Suite designed to drive broader efficiency and optimisation.
“We are the only enterprise vendor to offer a complete suite of business applications on a fully integrated technology stack—from hardware to database to applications—and an infrastructure that is trusted by leading AI providers and the world’s leading large language models,” says Steve Miranda, Executive Vice President of Applications Development at Oracle.
“This puts us in unique position to help our customers quickly and easily take advantage of the latest AI innovations. The new AI capabilities in Oracle Fusion Applications, embedded at no extra cost, will help our customers increase the speed and accuracy of business processes, accelerate decision-making and drive more revenue.”
Microsoft Dynamics 365
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a cloud ERP platform that empowers manufacturers with enhanced supply chain visibility, real-time analytics and predictive maintenance.
With AI-driven insights and sophisticated ML tools, the platform supports anomaly detection, demand forecasting and process optimisation, helping to minimise production delays and streamline operations.
The platform’s AI capabilities also include guided manufacturing processes, quality control through image recognition and automated compliance checks.
Cloud Software Group Inc and Microsoft announced the deepening of their collaboration earlier this year through an eight-year strategic partnership agreement.
The agreement will strengthen the go-to-market collaboration for the Citrix® virtual application and desktop platform and support the development of new cloud and AI solutions with an integrated product roadmap.
“Our strategic partnership with Cloud Software Group is built on a shared vision for customer success through cloud and AI technology adoption. Together, we will enhance the customer experience with integrated solutions and go-to-market support for its Citrix business unit,” comments Judson Althoff, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Microsoft.
“With Microsoft 365 as its collaboration platform and Microsoft Azure as its preferred cloud solution, Citrix is well positioned to deliver transformative solutions for our mutual customers at scale.”
Workday
Best known for its finance and HR solutions, Workday’s Cloud ERP has an abundance of benefits for manufacturers.
Its ML and AI tools can help with financial forecasting and workforce planning, improving resource management and strategic alignment across operations.
Workday’s platform also aids in addressing the digital skills gap, analysing potential areas for improvement to optimise the workforce and enhance manufacturers approach to talent acquisition.
Workday’s AI can also aid in skill gap analysis and workforce optimization, ensuring that manufacturers have the right talent in place for operational needs.
Workday like SAP has also been recognised as a leader in the 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Cloud ERP.
This is the third consecutive year Workday’s Cloud ERP solutions for Service-Centric Enterprises have been recognised by Gartner.
“Workday’s AI-powered solutions drive efficiency, productivity and cost savings by unifying people and financial data for actionable insights and accelerated growth,” says Terrance Wampler, Group General Manager at Workday.
“We believe this recognition affirms our commitment to delivering continuous innovation that empowers our customers to propel their businesses forward and enhance profitability.”
IFS Cloud ERP
IFS provides industry-specific Cloud ERP solutions tailored to manufacturing, designed to boost predictive maintenance, quality management and real-time production analytics.
Its embedded AI helps manufacturers enhance equipment reliability and streamline operations, elevating productivity and cost savings.
The platform’s ML tools also support adaptive scheduling, dynamic planning adjustments and automated work order prioritisation based on real-time data inputs.
Recently, Rolls Royce chose IFS Cloud on the strength of its industrial AI to optimise its global service operations and support its strategic objectives of efficiency, sustainability and growth.
“After speaking with various potential partners, it was quite clear that IFS Cloud’s capabilities would mark a significant step in transforming our service operations and IFS was therefore, the clear choice,” says Joern Lindstaedt, VP Global Customer Service for Power Systems at Rolls-Royce.
“With enhanced real-time insights and dynamic scheduling, we expect to achieve substantial improvements in service delivery and customer satisfaction, supporting our goals for efficiency and sustainability.”
Oracle NetSuite
Oracle NetSuite’s ERP platform integrates AI to enable manufacturers to better harness predictive analytics and supply chain management tools.
The solution’s ML models assist manufacturers by improving demand forecasting and optimising production schedules.
NetSuite’s AI-driven analytics provide actionable insights into cost structures, helping manufacturers identify cost-saving opportunities and streamline budget allocation.
Earlier this year, Oracle NetSuite announced a series of new product innovations to help businesses in the UK optimise finance processes, expand insights and increase efficiency.
The latest updates for customers in the UK include new generative AI, enterprise performance management and e-invoicing capabilities, along with the ability to combine insights from multiple NetSuite instances into a single NetSuite Analytics Warehouse environment.
“With continued economic uncertainty, organisations in the UK need to find new efficiencies to remain profitable and drive further growth,” adds Evan Goldberg, Founder and EVP, Oracle NetSuite.
“We continue to add new capabilities to NetSuite that will enable customers in the UK to improve the speed and accuracy of business processes, derive more insights from their data and gain the highest possible return from their NetSuite investment.”
Epicor ERP
Epicor’s ERP platform offers manufacturers vital tools for predictive maintenance, supply chain insights and process automation.
It’s ML tools help identify inefficiencies and optimise workflows, enhancing production throughput and cost management.
Epicor’s AI capabilities also extend to real-time inventory tracking, automated demand planning and enhanced machine performance monitoring to maximise uptime and output.
These AI-powered capabilities help manufacturers enhance precision, reduce downtime and streamline production processes for improved competitive advantage.
Epicor has also been recognised as a Leader in the 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Cloud ERP for Product-Centric Enterprises.
This is the second consecutive year the company has been recognised.
“We are incredibly proud to be recognized once again as a Leader for our commitment to empowering essential industries with cloud ERP solutions,” says Steve Murphy, CEO of Epicor.
“This recognition reaffirms our dedication to innovation and helping businesses across the make, move and sell industries operate with greater agility and resilience to drive productivity and growth.”
Ultimately all of these companies provide premium Cloud ERP solutions that are immensely beneficial to manufacturers, distinguished by the quality of their software, the extent of their innovation and the tailored nature of their services.
For manufacturers seeking to stay competitive and collaborative today ERP is a must.
These solutions go one step further, by enabling superior productivity, supply chain management and data-driven decision making.
