How can manufacturers get into pole position?

The hype around F1 is huge this summer, not least because of the new movie, F1, starring Brad Pitt and co-produced by Lewis Hamilton.

Right now, McLaren is leading the charge, with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri taking multiple race wins in the first half of the season. But as important as the drivers are it’s the mechanics, engineers and factory workers behind the scenes who fuel the sport. And just like in manufacturing, winning a race depends on collaboration and technical innovation.

For any manufacturer aiming for pole position – or teams like Red Bull who are looking to return to form following a dip in performance – a powerful digital engine is essential.

That’s why many manufacturers are starting their digital transformation with cloud-based ERP systems that speed up production and make collaboration across departments easier, with a single system that improves visibility.

Five ways an ERP speeds up your operations

To compete like a front-running F1 team, every department in your business needs to operate at peak performance – from the CEO making strategic calls to the engineers and operators executing flawlessly under pressure. That’s where a modern ERP system like Ridder iQ comes into play.

Just as McLaren’s 2025 success is built on more than driver skill with precise coordination, timing and data, your business needs a system that keeps everyone aligned, informed and moving at speed.

Here are five ways an ERP like Ridder iQ helps your team perform like a championship-winning crew:

The lead driver

Whether it’s Lewis Hamilton chasing his legacy at Ferrari, or Max Verstappen defending his dominance at Red Bull, the F1 driver is the face of the team – but their win depends on quality data, fast analysis and execution behind the scenes. It’s no different to a modern manufacturing facility, where company owners and managers use data-driven insights to set the strategic course of the business.

With Ridder iQ, you gain access to:

• Real-time dashboards with critical KPIs
• Clear visibility into profitability per customer, order or project
• Strategic reports based on live company data

Example: Your CEO can instantly identify which projects are delayed, customers are most profitable and where bottlenecks occur. Decisions are made with confidence and data – not gut feeling.

Production as the pit crew

In F1, every second counts. The average pit stop time is up to 2.7 seconds, so the pit crew has to perform immaculately under pressure. The same applies to your production floor, who are often working against tight deadlines.

Ridder iQ equips your production team with:

• Integrated shop floor planning and capacity control
• Real-time production feedback via Shopfloor Web
• Digital work orders with linked drawings and operations

Example: Operators receive clear work instructions on-screen, can report progress in real time and always see the current material status.

Engineering as R&D

In F1, races are won in the factory. Red Bull reported it lost key players ahead of the 2025 season, so wasn’t able to maintain its edge against teams like McLaren and Mercedes, who have taken big steps forward. Competitive advantage is achieved through smart designs and technical innovation, and your engineering team plays this same critical role.

With Ridder iQ, engineering benefits from:

• Advanced multi-level BOM management for ETO and CTO production
• Operations and recipes linked to articles
• CAD/PDM integration for automated data flow

Example: When an engineer modifies a product in the CAD system, the update flows automatically through to purchasing, planning and costing. No manual duplication, no errors.

Strategic support as purchasing and supply chain team

In F1, the right parts have to be ready at exactly the right moment. At the Austrian Grand Prix, Ferrari introduced an all-new floor for their car, which helped Charles Leclerc secure third place in Spielberg – one of his best results of the year. Your purchasing team performs the same role, ensuring smooth operation and zero downtime.

Ridder iQ makes this possible through:

• Automated material requirements planning
• Intelligent purchasing suggestions based on stock levels, planning and lead times
• Supplier management with contracts and pricing history

Example: Purchasing receives automatic order suggestions based on real-time needs, helping to reduce stock levels, while avoiding urgent orders or production delays.

Race strategists as sales and service

Race strategists in F1 monitor conditions, adjust tactics and seize every opportunity. Your sales and service teams should operate like a successful F1 team: responsive, informed and fast.

With Ridder iQ, your commercial teams can:

• Use a CRM with full customer and quotation history
• Generate accurate, margin-based quotations using real-time costs
• Seamlessly convert quotations into orders – no rekeying required
• Integrate with service and maintenance modules for full customer lifecycle support

Example: A salesperson generates a quotation including realistic pricing and margins. Once approved, it’s converted into a production or project order with a single click – fast, professional and error-free.

Ridder iQ as your digital control centre

Ridder iQ helps your business operate like a successful F1 team with data-driven insights and real-time visibility into production. Teams across departments can better collaborate on tasks to get them done more accurately and quickly, while slow manual processes can be replaced by automated ones.

Push for pole position with Ridder iQ.