Product

 Comments 

For the Entry level market (ELA)
(companies with revenues up to $5 million)

BusinessWorks Gold

BusinessWorks Gold includes the ability to build kits from individual inventory items. For more functionality, there are several third party manufacturing and MRP products such as Alliance Manufacturing in Santa Barbara, CA and Invertech Corporation in West Chester, OH. You can see the latest list of BusinessWorks add-on applications here

Peachtree Complete Accounting

Peachtree Complete for Windows offers inventory assembly capabilities and the third-party vendor - Wizard Business Solutions provides additional capabilities such as the Assembly Wizard module. Peachtree also offers a manufacturing edition.

Peachtree users looking for a more comprehensive manufacturing solution, but still desiring to stay with Peachtree for traditional accounting should consider MISys Manufacturing Software http://www.misysinc.com/misbm/peachtree/index.php

For Small Medium Business (SMB)
(companies with revenues from $2 million to $50 million)

AccountMate

AccountMate offers a very good and proven manufacturing solution beginning with the Visual AccountMate manufacturing modules for manufacturer's Inventory and numerous third-party solutions including  MKT's GridPro Manufacturing, Kitting and Lot Control, Tamlin Software's Discrete Manufacturing solution, and COSS' manufacturing & Shop Floor Software. Click here for a complete listing of Visual AccountMate third party add-ons.

Sage Accpac

Sage Accpac provides an extensive 92-page list of add-on solutions which you can see by clicking here, this list does include a comprehensive manufacturing solution called MISys Manufacturing Software, which is a complete manufacturing products including MRP, shop floor flow, capacity planning and more...

Sage Accpac Pro ERP

Sage Accpac's Pro ERP has 4 manufacturing modules: Production Entry, Work Orders, Shop Control, and Project Accounting.  Their strategy is to provide only core financial modules to encourage the development of third party solutions. This strategy works well as there are  23 manufacturing solutions available including a Machine Shop solution from COSS Systems; a process formula solution from EMR Innovations; a configurator, MRP, and routing solution from Lahey Software; a workshop factory management solution from TIW Technology, and more.

BatchmasterPFW

Strong mid-market process manufacturing solution with over 1,000 installations.

Dynamics GP

MBS Dynamics GP includes strong inventory and bill of materials processing capabilities. A third party add-on MRP application is available from Alliance Manufacturing in Santa Barbara, CA. An assortment of various manufacturing-related third party add-on applications can be seen by clicking here.

Please note that in 1999, MBS Dynamics GP introduced a manufacturing module that is exceptionally powerful. 

Macola ES 

Macola has offered the most dominant manufacturing solution in the mid-range and beginning ERP markets for the past fifteen years. only recently have other vendors stepped up to the table in attempts to match Macolas' wide breadth of manufacturing modules and features. Macola includes the following 13 manufacturing related modules: 

1. Manufacturing, Planning & Control
2. Manufacturing Cost Accounting
3. Materials Requirements Planning
4. Labor Performance
5. Shop Floor Control
6. Finite Capacity Scheduling
7. Master Scheduling
8. Standard Costing
9. Advanced Distribution
10. Production Order Processing
11. Bill of Materials
12. Bar Coding & Data Collection
13. Serial/Lot Tracking Controls

Macola also offers e-commerce and Visual Basic for Applications. Macola also offers a host of third-party add-on manufacturing enhancements such as a Manufacturing Scheduler from Reference Systems, Inc., Manifest/Transportation software from TranScape, Warehouse Management from Computerized Solutions, Machine Monitoring from Mattec Corporation.

MAS 90 & MAS 200

MAS 90 for Windows includes several light manufacturing related capabilities with its' strong inventory, bill of materials, materials requirements planning, and a bar code master modules. 

Dynamics NAV

Dynamics NAV offers an excellent light manufacturing solution which includes strong inventory, materials resource planning (MRP), and bill of materials modules. First released in 1998, we've heard nothing but good reviews for this solution.

Platinum for Windows

Platinum for Windows does not offer any manufacturing specific modules However there are several third party add-on manufacturing solutions available for this product such as Maynard Software's Manufacturing 2000 Suite, and OptiPro's Manufacturing Solution, IndustriOS Manufacturing, DataStream Systems' MP2 Manufacturing, BatchMaster's Bar Coding, BatchMaster's Formula Module, and more. Check it out at the Sage web site here.

SAP Business One

SAP offers the "grand daddy" of all manufacturing and supply-chain solutions, but has developed a new entry level player with Business One.

Dynamics SL

Dynamics SL offers a very good offering of manufacturing solutions which include modules for Manufacturing Work Order, Equipment Maintenance, and Bill of Materials. In addition Dynamics SL offers several third party add-on manufacturing solutions including CompInfo Fabric Tracking, Batch Master Process Manufacturing, Datamason's Vantage Bar Coding, and others as well. You can view a complete listing of Dynamics SL add-on applications here.

SYSPRO

SYSPRO has the most modules available from any single publisher related to manufacturing. It is clear that manufacturing and distribution is the focus of this company. Their Material Yield System (MYS) is a unique module for companies that need to accurately estimate yield in sheet and bar stock. They have added innovative modules to help manufacturers better position their company in a competitive market place with outsourcing common. SYSPRO is currently the best value in mid-market manufacturing in the U.S. Read about their comprehensive ERP as well as other sophisticated modules like Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) and their e.NET solutions.

Dynamics SL

Dynamics SL offers a very good offering of manufacturing solutions which include modules for Manufacturing Work Order, Equipment Maintenance, and Bill of Materials. In addition Dynamics SL offers several third party add-on manufacturing solutions including CompInfo Fabric Tracking, Batch Master Process Manufacturing, Datamason's Vantage Bar Coding, and others as well. You can view a complete listing of Dynamics SL add-on applications here.

TRAVERSE

Open Systems, Inc. has announced the general release of a suite of four manufacturing applications for the company?s TRAVERSE product line. Released as part of TRAVERSE version 10, the suite includes Bill of Materials, Routing and Resources, Production, and Material Requirements Planning. 

These applications were designed with a focus on the flexibility that is required in make-to-order and mixed-mode manufacturing environments. They are best suited for small- to mid-market manufacturers who may be using an inefficient legacy system and have been reluctant to switch because they fear expensive replacement systems and complicated implementations. You can read more about the suite here.

For the Enterprise (SME) market
(companies with revenues from $25 million to $500 million)

MAS500

MAS500 offers a great manufacturing solution with strong visual scheduling.

Macola ES

Macola has offered the most dominant manufacturing solution in the mid-range and beginning ERP markets for the past fifteen years. only recently have other vendors stepped up to the table in attempts to match Macola's wide breadth of manufacturing modules and features. Macola includes the following 13 manufacturing related modules: 

1. Manufacturing, Planning & Control
2. Manufacturing Cost Accounting
3. Materials Requirements Planning
4. Labor Performance
5. Shop Floor Control
6. Finite Capacity Scheduling
7. Master Scheduling
8. Standard Costing
9. Advanced Distribution
10. Production Order Processing
11. Bill of Materials
12. Bar Coding & Data Collection
13. Serial/Lot Tracking Controls

Macola also offers e-commerce and Visual Basic for Applications. Macola also offers a host of third-party add-on manufacturing enhancements such as a Manufacturing Scheduler from Reference Systems, Inc., Manifest/Transportation software from TranScape, Warehouse Management from Computerized Solutions, Machine Monitoring from Mattec Corporation.

Epicor e

Epicor eFinancials offers one of the most proven manufacturing solutions in the market with more than 4,000 Epicor eFinancials customers and 6,000 Dataworks customers. In recent years, Epicor has acquired several proven third party manufacturing solutions and integrated those solutions with Epicor eFinancials. Epicor eFinancials manufacturing related modules include: Advanced Planning & Scheduling, Production Control, Product Configurator, Purchasing, Sales Order, Inventory, Quality Control, and ERA.net Order. In addition the Epicor Avante' manufacturing solution offers strong capabilities including CAD integration, workflow controls, event triggered reporting, multi-currency, etc. There are also many third-party manufacturing add-on products which you can see here. 

SAP Accelerated Financials R/3 

SAP offers the "grand daddy" of all manufacturing and supply-chain solutions.  Large corporations all over the world such as Coca-Cola and Microsoft use SAP. However SAP is weaker in pure manufacturing solutions compared to other ERP players such as BAAN and Oracle Financials.

It may surprise you to learn that SAP is not really that expensive. Consider that 37% of SAP's customers have less than $200 million in revenue, 57% have less than $500 million in revenue. Priced at just $4,500 per user for all the modules, chances are good that you can afford this product. The trick is to call SAP direct and avoid paying for a drawn out three year consulting engagement loaded with dozens of high priced consultants. The SAP direct sales person to call is Ken Bernstein at 973-331-6000.

SYSPRO

SYSPRO has the most modules available from any single publisher related to manufacturing. It is clear that manufacturing and distribution is the focus of this company. Their Material Yield System (MYS) is a unique module for companies that need to accurately estimate yield in sheet and bar stock. They have added innovative modules to help manufacturers better position their company in a competitive market place with outsourcing common. SYSPRO is currently the best value in mid-market manufacturing in the U.S. Read about their comprehensive ERP as well as other sophisticated modules like Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) and their e.NET solutions.