• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Ultra Consultants

OUR INDEPENDENT ERP CONSULTANTS DELIVER 100% CLIENT SATISFACTION

  • Services
    • Back
      • Business Process Improvement
        • Business Process Reengineering
        • Business Process Analysis
        • Business Process Documentation
        • Business Process Mapping
        • Business Process Review
      • Enterprise Software Selection
        • ERP Selection
        • ERP RFP (Request for Proposal)
        • ERP RFP Preparation
        • ERP Readiness Assessment
        • ERP Selection Criteria
        • ERP Requirements Definition
      • Enterprise Software Implementation
        • ERP Implementation Plan Creation
        • ERP Data Conversion
        • ERP Reports
        • ERP Implementation
      • Industry Compliance Services
      • Business Process Transformation
      • Organizational Change Management
      • Enterprise Project Management
      • Get your roadmap for business process improvement
  • Industries & Clients
    • Back
      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Automotive
      • Chemical
      • Consumer Goods
      • Distribution
      • Electronic & Equipment
      • Food & Beverage
      • Industrial Equipment
      • Medical Devices & Products
      • Metal Fabrication
      • Pharmaceutical
      • Plastics
      • Read about driving ROI in your ERP project
  • Software & Vendors
    • Back
      • ERP
        • Discrete Manufacturing ERP Software
        • Process Manufacturing ERP Software
        • Distribution ERP Software
      • ERP Software for Sales and Marketing
        • CRM Software
        • Marketing Automation Software
        • eCommerce Solutions
      • Supply Chain Management Software
        • Demand Management Software
        • Transportation Management Software
        • Advanced Planning & DRP Software
        • Finite Scheduling Software
      • Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
      • Warehouse Management Software
      • Manufacturing Execution System Software Vendors
      • Field Service Management Software Vendors
      • Learn about software selection decision drivers
  • Education
    • Back
      • Resources
        • Events & Webinars
        • White Papers
        • ERP Case Studies
      • Media
        • On-Demand Webinars
        • ERP Podcast
        • ERP Videos
      • Take Your Free ERP Health Check
  • Company
    • Back
      • About Ultra
        • Our Team
        • History
        • Awards
        • Careers
        • Independent ERP Consultants
      • News
        • ERP Media Coverage
        • Press Releases
        • ERP Newsletter
      • Read about choosing an independent consultant.
  • ERP Blog
  • Contact Us
    • Back
Home / ERP Blog 11.06.16 / Continuous Improvement / ERP System Metrics: Get That Data Close to the Action
11.06.16

ERP System Metrics: Get That Data Close to the Action

Business ChartMost ERP systems today capture, store, and trend a range of information such as quality, production, shipping, financial, supply chain activity and much more.

With access to more timely and accurate information, the assumption is that manufacturers use that data to take the needed action to improve business processes. Data helps improve quality, minimize late shipments, reduce inventory, improve customer satisfaction and much more.

Essentially, the goal is to use ERP data to react to change, to maintain better relationships with customers and supply chain partners.

The key point as we see it is to use data to “take action” and that can only be done if the relevant data gets in the hands of those able to make improved business decisions.

HBR Weighs In

To this end, a recent Harvard Business Review entitled “Get Responsibility for Data out of IT” certainly caught our team’s attention.

The intriguing article makes the case that the management of data should be kept as close to the action as possible.

In our experience, this approach should resonate for manufacturers in terms of the data and metrics generated by their ERP systems.

Data Visualization

Manufacturers often grapple with the overwhelming amounts of data available from all parts of the enterprise, which can lead to information overload.

This is where “data visualization” comes into play – making that data actionable by visually aggregating numerous data points into displays that use colors, gauges, graphs, and other visual representations to display trends, averages, unusual results, compliance with goals or expectations, and other “actionable” information for managers and executives.

ERP Dashboards

The ERP dashboard is a good way to keep data as close to the action as possible.

ERP dashboards are real-time visualizations of data with pre-built performance indicators and the ability to customize the displays to fit the needs of the company and the interests of the individual users.

Dashboards consolidate and summarize information “at a glance” such as real time metrics about receiving, production, inventory, scrap, ordering, or shipping.

Taking Action

As noted in the HBR post cited above, in this scenario users themselves can manage dashboard data with the ability to “drill down” to successively lower levels of detail. As an example, an initial display reveals shipment reports for the enterprise, month-by-month. If a particular month is of concern, the user can click on that bar on the graph and step down to a graph of shipping by customer for that month to see any outstanding issues or concerns.

What’s key is that the data is in the hands of the department that can take the corrective action, not in a silo far away from the appropriate team.

By making mission-critical metrics available to the entire enterprise – in real-time – companies have a better chance to take action about decisions for a more competitive business process.

Further Reading

Check out previous Ultra blog posts about the importance of ERP Reports and Business Intelligence features of ERP systems.

Tweet
Share
Share

Categories: Continuous Improvement Tags: Business Metrics, Data Visualization, ERP Dashboards, ERP Systems

Related Articles

  • 01.10.16

    Can Lean and ERP Work Together?

    Posted in: Continuous Improvement
  • 12.11.16Exiting Excel: The Five Top Reasons for an Integrated ERP System

    Exiting Excel: The Five Top Reasons for an Integrated ERP System

    Posted in: Continuous Improvement, ERP Best Practices
  • 10.24.18Thinking Requirements?

    Seeking Better Business Decisions? Seek More Relevant Analytics

    Posted in: Continuous Improvement

About Jeff Carr

Jeff Carr

Jeff Carr is Founder and CEO of Ultra Consultants, independent advisors, researchers and consultants serving the manufacturing and distribution industries with enterprise technology expertise. Jeff is a leading independent voice in enterprise technology, ERP selection, evaluation, implementation and business process improvement. Jeff’s organizations have helped 1,200 manufacturing companies transform business operations. Jeff’s results-focused career spans four decades serving manufacturers. He leads Ultra’s high-impact process improvement programs that leverage today’s technology. Jeff is a graduate of University of Illinois.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel

sidebar

Blog Sidebar

Let's talk about
improving your
processes >>

Read an ERP success story >>

View white
paper library >>

Subscribe to the Ultra ERP Blog

Insight right into your in-box! Enter your email address for email notifications of new posts and be "in the know."

By filling out this form, I acknowledge that I have read, consent to, and agree to be bound by, the terms of Ultra's Privacy Policy, and that I am subscribing to Ultra's ERP Newsletter.

As an independent consultancy, Ultra does not endorse vendors participating in educational content.

Categories

  • Careers
  • Continuous Improvement
  • ERP Best Practices
  • ERP Software Vendors
  • ERP Success Stories
  • News and Events
  • Project Management
  • Stories from the Field
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Technology Evaluation
  • The ERP Industry
  • Uncategorized

Stay Connected

Stay informed about ERP evaluation, selection and
implementation. Subscribe to Ultra's eNewsletter.

Social Media

FacebookTwitterYoutubeLinkedin

312-319-1411 | Copyright © 2020 Ultra Corporation | All Rights Reserved | Sitemap |

Website by Web Savvy Marketing