Shop Management Software and ERP

Simple spreadsheets and MRP systems that were once used by machine shops to manage and schedule jobs have been replaced by ERP (enterprise resource planning) software. Some of the functions associated with ERP include estimating the time and cost of production, scheduling a job for production, in-process job tracking, and logging each step in a part’s progress, so a part’s current status can be immediately known. ERP systems also provide a historical view of resources required on prior jobs, which can be helpful in planning new work. Some new ERP systems are based on a cloud platform as opposed to an on-premises network.