How can data visibility improve decision-making?

Being able to collect data from across your business is one thing, making sense of it is another. Nowadays, you can harness data on almost any business process, from energy and water consumption to financials to production. It’s only by turning it into actionable insights that you’re able to make better decisions. These decisions might lead to improved waste reduction or speeding up the fulfillment process, or even product development and the capability to tap into new markets.

The challenge for many small manufacturers is that they still rely on spreadsheets to store data. This makes it difficult to find information and stay up-to-date. Your team is also required to manually enter data, which can lead to errors and oversights. Interpreting your business data can also be difficult if it’s not presented in an intuitive way. This is why ambitious firms are looking for modern ERP systems that can analyse and present data via easy to understand dashboards.

Data-driven manufacturing 

As manufacturers look ahead to a future, where advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT) are likely to become part of their operations, the need for quality data becomes even more pressing. We’re already seeing what this could look like in reality: BMW’s iFactory in Birmingham welcomed a robot dog named SpOTTO in 2024, which collects data for the factory's digital twin. It’s also fitted with visual, thermal and acoustic sensors, which capture data that’s analysed to spot inefficiencies.

Even if you’re not ready to invest in advanced technologies, you can still use your data to gain valuable insights. Real-time data on product defects, for example, can alert you to a problem in production, while recent sales trends can help you to predict demand more accurately. For this to be possible, you’ll need to store your data in a single location like an ERP, so that it’s updated in real time. Integrating your ERP with other business software, like your finance system and CRM, means you have a comprehensive and accurate view of every part of your operation.

Here are just a few examples of the data you could use in your decision-making:

• Number of materials or products in stock
• Number of defects
• Cycle times
• Machine breakdowns or downtime
• Energy consumption
• Sales
• Temperature

What role does an ERP play? 

A cloud-based (ERP) provides a central location for your sales, production and inventory data from across your organisation. ECI’s Ridder iQ is an industry-specific ERP, designed to improve data visibility for discrete manufacturers in sectors like metals, plastics and machinery. With built-in data analysis tools and automation support, it also speeds up processes like data entry.

Five ways an ERP can help to improve data visibility 

1. Real-time and quick access
   With a cloud-based ERP, you’ll be able to see exactly how many materials are in stock, products sold or energy usage, so you can make informed decisions.
   The data is live, therefore it’s much more accurate than historical or manually-inputted information. Ridder iQ’s PDA Logistics module – designed to optimise inventory management – ensures the right amount of stock is scanned into the system, helping your teams view quantities to manage orders and prevent things like overstocking.
2. Data sharing across departments
   With an ERP, you’ll have access to data across the organisation, so you can make critical decisions like hiring, purchasing or investment. Better visibility means you'll be able to manage your resources more effectively. HR and finance departments may share data for budgeting or deciding salaries, while sales and production might need access to inventory levels. It’ll save your employees time chasing information and promote business-wide collaboration.
3. Key insights in a centralised dashboard
   ECI’s Ridder iQ provides key insights like sales or purchase orders, projects or bottlenecks on a dashboard. At a glance, you’ll see the latest figures and can view detailed data on specific modules including sales, purchasing, stock or quality control. You can customise the homescreen/dashboard in line with your goals – and it can be optimised for different service users or job roles to help them meet targets.
4. Automatic reporting
   Data analysis tools are an important part of any ERP. Ridder iQ allows you to automatically generate reports, saving hours of work. If you’re creating a sustainability report, you’ll be able to draw out key information like waste and energy consumption quickly.
5. Alerts and notifications
   Manually checking data is not only time consuming, it can mean important information is missed. This is why we developed Ridder iQ with custom alerts which proactively alert teams to potential issues, such as stock falling below a defined threshold.

Supercharge your decision making by improving data visibility with Ridder iQ – an industry-built solution designed to help discrete manufacturers enhance operations.