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After years of using your current ERP in the manufacturing industry, we know that the cost of transitioning to a new platform is expensive. While many developers would often continue writing code for your ERP long after the base technology became outdated, that option will eventually run its course.
Now that modern technology has advanced so far beyond when your ERP was first created, there is simply no way that original ERP creators can rewrite the code to match today’s systems. Because your legacy ERP has a rich, industry-specific business functionality, and your team has extensive knowledge of its use, how do you continue business while learning and integrating with a new ERP?
Luckily, there’s a solution that does not involve replacing your legacy ERP.
Document Management and Workflow Solutions
Your business has grown, and so has the need for your ERP to better handle digital documentation in a variety of ways. Whether it’s storing documents in a way that’s easier to find or pushing them to the right people for approvals and signatures when needed, there are many ways that your legacy ERP could be falling short.
That doesn’t mean you still don’t need it, however. That’s why a document management and workflow solution is your best and most cost-efficient option. You keep your ERP and all that goes with it but include a modern solution that is built with current technologies.
Saving Money
There is no question that replacing your ERP is a hurdle—in terms of not only operations but also your budget. It is not a financially-friendly solution, usually costing between $75,000 and $750,000 for SMBs. With new licenses, user training, implementation, and on-site maintenance, and professional services, the cost is astounding and frankly impossible for many businesses to take on.
Improving your legacy system with a document management and workflow solution comes at a fraction of a new ERP’s cost, even when you consider your business’s size and needs. A document management and workflow solution like Optix uses the industry-specific capabilities of your legacy ERP to maintain current operational processes but adds to it the rich technological advancements of recent years.
What Does a Document Management System Do?
In short, a document management and workflow solution streamlines your business processes and increases profitability. Currently, you’re most likely increasing labor costs due to your legacy ERP’s failure to handle modern tasks. According to PWC, it can cost $20 to simply file a single sheet of paper and cost up to $120 to find a lost document (physical or digital) with a legacy ERP. If the document needs to be recreated, then you’re looking at $220 for the replacement labor. This can be detrimental to time management and profits.
A document management and workflow system like Optix can fix this problem and more by integrating with your legacy ERP. Currently, you’re having to provide in-house customer support when a document cannot be found, or managing shipment orders in queues manually. All of this is difficult and time-consuming but can be transformed with Optix.
Optix gives you a new dashboard and interface for all of your departments, customer service, shipping, and accounting. It can add data exchange with inexpensive CRM systems. You can extract documents, index them in Optix, and then send the record identifier to the CRM. If you’re using the workflow component, you have the ability to set up email and text alerts for when problems arise that need management’s attention. Our workflow even lets you create work queues for individuals or groups to keep production flowing smoothly.
Optix can capture needed content directly from emails and put it into the system, breaking down information silos between departments. If you place 12 orders once a year but need to change them each month, Optix makes it easy to do so. By using a document management system to store all of your information, you can make it available to the internal supply chain without the steep learning curve of an entirely new ERP.
Final Thoughts
With a document management and workflow solution like Optix, you can breathe new life into your legacy ERP. In short, you’ll remove the steep learning curve and the price tag of a new ERP while upgrading all of your processes to use modern technology.
Contact us today to learn more about Optix for manufacturing and how our other clients in your industry are thriving with a document management and workflow integration.
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