Manufacturing Magazine July 2015 | Page 16

LEAN

SOCIAL MEDIA

73 percent of Americans and 25 percent of the world population are connected via social media . It is estimated that emerging economies will experience 100 percent year-over-year growth of users connected to social media . This is where your customers are and so it is safe to say this is where you should be too . Social media allows for greater insight into individuals , driving more collaborative and informed relationships - completely changing the B2B dynamic . Modern ERP systems are equipped with enhanced social media capabilities allowing manufacturers to connect with their customers and know what they are thinking and doing faster and easier than ever before . Some ERP systems have Twitter feeds integrated into the platform and send out automated tweets , helping you to better connect and serve your customers .

CLOUD

Reports show that nearly 80 percent of small businesses in USA will be fully adapted to cloud computing by 2020 , more than doubling the current rate of 37 percent . Cloud-based ERP solutions provide a cost-effective way to harness other technologies and deploy them without additional capital investment . Because cloud supports more agile capabilities , manufacturers are able to do more with less . All of this contributes to a new way of thinking and doing business , which means that manufacturers that don ’ t embrace the cloud for their ERP systems will be at a competitive disadvantage .
16 July 2015