In many instances choosing an ERP solution is driven by name recognition and brand recognition. Many of the large ERP solutions offer a very nice collection of canned systems and working with these products is a natural decision and in many cases the correct decision. But a case can also be made that the decision should be looked at from the perspective of the best solution at the user level. As and example in manufacturing ERP the best choice is often the choice that will deliver the most advantage on the shop floor.

As our society continually tries to do more work with less resources a system that services it’s users at the base level is the natural best choice. ERP solutions that are chosen from a front often perspective can often be the wrong choice. Even if a given system does have its’ act together at an enterprise level if it’s not the right choice at the base level the organization will pay for the mistake in lost competitive advantage.

Using manufacturing as our example the best choice for an effective ERP would more likely include solutions that are strong or can be highly configured to provide agility on the shop floor. The deployment of a specialized manufacturing solution on the floor can give an organization huge advantage over competitors that don’t have a good system at it’s base.

Many companies overlook shop floor solutions when considering ERP choices and pursue a best of breed approach, implementing a collection of shop floor systems and spreadsheet workarounds. This can be a costly miscalculation.

If you’re interested in more info on ERP you should check out Find ERP Systems. Find ERP Systems has some good references on it if you’re interested in and agile ERP solution. The sight offers reviews and info on ERP providers and SaaS offering for ERP.