Industry Overview
Chemical companies transform raw materials from the natural environment into products that are useful in industrial and consumer goods ERP markets.
The industry also includes companies that manufacture specialty chemical products, including:
- Adhesives and sealants
- Carbon black
- Explosives
- Fatty acids
- Glycerin
- Printing ink
- Repellents
- Cleaning solutions
Although some chemical manufacturers produce and sell consumer products such as soap, bleach, and cosmetics, most chemical products are used as intermediate products for other goods.
Segments of the Chemical Industry
Chemical manufacturing is divided into the following segments. Note that pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing are covered separately by the pharma ERP industry.
- Basic chemicals, such as synthetic materials including resin, synthetic rubber, and artificial and synthetic fibers and filaments
- Agricultural chemicals, such as pesticides, fertilizer, and other agricultural products
- Paint, coatings and adhesives
- Cleaning preparations, including soap, cleaning compounds, and toilet preparations
- Other chemical products
Critical Requirements for Chemical ERP Solutions
There are a few main drivers of an ideal chemical ERP solution, including:
- Heavy regulation
- Formulation
- Compliance documentation
- Quality control
- Inventory management
Enterprise systems are required to manage data flow from formula to manufacturing and then to shipping, in accordance with regulatory requirements.
Manufacturing companies should evaluate the following critical requirements when reviewing chemical ERP software:
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM Software)
- Quoting and Estimating
- Order Processing
- Formulation
- Document Management
- Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS)
- Forecasting/Demand Planning
- Supply Chain Management Software
- Advanced Manufacturing Planning
- Quality
- Lot Control, Traceability and Recall Management
- Laboratory Management
- Warehouse Management Software
- Plant Equipment
- Cost Accounting
- Accounting
- Hazardous Materials Shipment Information
