Deciding to invest in ERP software for your business is a huge milestone and signals your business is moving in the right direction for growth. Financing ERP software is one option you may want to consider if sticker shock has left you hesitant to proceed with purchasing a system for implementation.

Fortunately, it is not all that difficult to finance ERP. By leveraging these options, you can continue running your business as usual without committing a big chunk of your budget at once.

Another attractive option for businesses considering the purchase of an ERP system is the option to leverage a software tax deduction through IRS Section 179.

Contact Encompass Solutions today to learn more about your ERP financing options.

Why You Should Consider Financing ERP Software

If you’re already evaluating an ERP system and the price tag has put the brakes on your project, fear not. You don’t have to commit all that capital to an ERP software purchase all at once.

At this stage in the buying process, you likely understand how beneficial an ERP system can be for a growing business. Everything from accepting and processing orders to managing inventory and shipping to financial reporting can be completed in one, unified ERP system. Whether you purchase your ERP software as an out-of-the-box solution or customize it to your specific needs, the price may be high.

Fortunately, financing options are available to you that can make that purchase a far more manageable process.

Here are some things to consider in favor of financing your ERP implementation project:

  • Preserving capital through a financing option will allow you to start your implementation project immediately, leaving your precious capital available for use in other areas of your business.
  • Taking advantage of flexible payment options means you can structure the terms of your payment to fit your unique needs and business objectives.
  • Leasing ERP software is easy, simple, and intuitive. You can finance your ERP purchase as easily as you finance a home, car, or other common purchase.
  • Reduce long-term debt exposure through financing your ERP system to maintain a better Balance Sheet. With less debt, you will have access to more capital to further improve your business processes or expand operations.

Your ERP Software Financing Options

Manufacturers may be surprised to find that they have an array of options to consider when financing ERP software purchases. Loans and grants are just two of the most common options available.

Government programs allow manufacturers to apply for and be awarded grants and low-interest loans to put towards ERP software projects. A business needs to satisfy only a few criteria before it can be considered for such government-sponsored financing programs. You can find a sampling of such funding and grant programs at the manufacturing.gov website.

Alternatively, a company can work with an ERP implementation partner to scope out their project and approach private lenders who specialize in ERP financing.

Whichever option you choose to pursue, Encompass Solutions is experienced in financing ERP for manufacturers and can help you, from start to finish.

We’re Here to Help

Encompass Solutions works directly with companies that specialize in financing ERP software purchases. With our help and these strategic partnerships, you can manage your buying process more easily. That leaves you more energy to focus on things like implementation and training your employees on how to use ERP for the greatest benefit.

By working with us and our financing partners, you can break up payments into manageable sums spread out over time. This results in a powerful ERP system for your business and a low monthly payment that is easy to manage.

Our partners can help you finance ERP software and projects, including:

  • Software licenses – Perpetual and subscriptions.
  • Services such as implementation, project management, consulting, and training.
  • Prepaid, Multi-year SaaS agreements
  • Hosted Applications
  • Customized Website Development Costs

With financing terms available for between 24 and 60 months, you can reap the benefits of ERP now and worry about settling the bill later.

Consider working with Encompass and our partners on your next ERP project to leverage such benefits as:

  • Budget-friendly monthly payments with no large up-front costs
  • Conserve cash with 100% financing
  • Match cash outlay with benefits of the solution
  • Aggressive fixed rates
  • Credit approvals up to $250,000 without financial statements
  • Preservation of existing credit facilities

Want a better idea of how your financial plan will be structured? Use this intuitive ERP financing calculator to get answers to your ERP financing questions today.


If you have not read the writing on the wall, cloud-based technologies and digital transformation initiatives are quickly becoming the focus for enterprises around the world. Providing more security, reliability, and mobility, cloud technologies simply provide too many benefits to ignore. However, their adoption is not always easy. As with any significant change at the organizational level, cloud ERP implementation challenges can stack up quickly. Here are the top 5 challenges in cloud ERP implementation and how you can address them before they impact your success.

Cloud ERP Implementation Challenges

While there are far more than five challenges that cloud ERP implementation may present to an organization, these are what we have found to be the most common. Several of these challenges are compounded by the increased reliance on remote workforces and the inability to meet in person due to environmental factors.

1. Change Management

While the age-old adage is nothing is certain but death and taxes, in business the only constant changes. For most people who are comfortably entrenched in the predictability of a routine, change can be a “four-letter word”. In most cases, change will be unsurprisingly met with resistance.

Change management will be one of your biggest hurdles in moving towards a complete cloud ERP solution from a system that was either previously on-prem or a hybrid deployment model of on-prem and cloud-based.

The easiest way to address the inherent resistance to change is to illustrate where things will improve. This is done not just by saying things will be new and modern. Show where those improvements will take place, and the cost savings and gains in productivity that system users and the company can expect to reap.

2. Focus

The last several months have pretty much done away with the divide between work life and personal life for a significant portion of the global workforce. Transitioning to remote work from home has presented unique challenges for enterprises of every size.

The result has been a muddying of work hours, family obligations, self-care, and a host of other responsibilities in one venue, without end.

The ability to focus on implementation can be a challenge in the best conditions. In a completely remote environment, where distractions are abundant, maintaining focus will be a challenge that presents itself consistently.

To overcome distraction and maintain focus, set aside specific windows of time for core project components. Businesses need to be open to scheduling compromises with employees and their families when the lines blur between work and home. By compromising on specific project hours, there is a higher probability of remaining focused on the progress of your implementation project. The remaining work time can be more fluid as the separation of workday duties and household obligations continue to muddy.

3. Security

One of your project initiatives may be an effort to move towards heightened system security. This is a great feature of Cloud ERP. However, during the implementation phase, you may not have advanced security in place to maintain your sensitive data. This security becomes even more difficult to maintain between remote resources, like staff and their workstations.

Make it a point to understand the risks upfront. You can take on the challenge alone, hire a consultant, or work in tandem with your implementation partner to find the right protocol for your case. A simple step, like password-protecting Wi-Fi connections, not allowing users other than staff to utilize remote workstations is a necessary first layer of security.

Firewalls and network security software should follow. If you do not provide the hardware your staff will be working from while remote, you may want to consider doing so. A small investment in this area can result in big savings when you consider the alternative.

Lastly, have a plan in place, both documented and practiced, with your staff. Make sure they understand the risks and the results of a security breach and demonstrate the protocol they are going to follow moving forward.

4. Access, Permissions, and Productivity

Yeah, I know that’s three things but each build on the former to deliver a complete effort. So, in the interest of time and space, they’ve been combined.

Not everyone on your cloud ERP implementation project will need access to all components of your system. Working with IT to designate the proper permissions will be critical in ensuring that staff remain on task and don’t have an opportunity to ruin transitioning data, either by malice or mistake.

Provisioning web and mobile access may fit into this implementation scenario, too. If your staff has spotty connections based on their location, consider bolstering their coverage through their provider to ensure your project isn’t impeded by poor connectivity. This is usually as simple as flipping a switch on the provider’s end. This way, you won’t lose precious time in the event cloud cover conceals the satellite internet connection of your data analyst in rural Illinois.

5. Knowledge

When leaping on-prem and, in many cases, outdated data management systems, tribal knowledge, and training will be integral as you move forward.

By relying on your most knowledgeable IT professionals and department heads to deliver their expertise during the cloud ERP implementation process, you have your top minds tackling your biggest challenge yet. However, there will be scenarios for which even they are not prepared. This is where training can be one of your biggest assets. Whether training is provided by your vendor or consultant of choice, or you have chosen to produce your training plan, enabling your project staff with defined direction and knowledge will ensure their success.

Lack of familiarity with a new environment is sure to produce plenty of anxiety and opportunities for missteps. Proper planning can help to mitigate these pitfalls. Having an experienced and knowledgeable guide through the process can eliminate them. That is because every implementation is different, and every company is different. With the experience of an implementation professional, there is a wider breadth of experience to draw from in the event an obstacle presents itself.

There will inevitably be some unexpected challenges for even the most experienced vendors, VARs, and consultants to guide you through. However, doing your research and taking the time to get familiar with the nuances of a cloud ERP implementation will impart the confidence and understanding any business needs to go through the project on their own.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions is a business and software consulting firm that specializes in ERP systems, EDI, and Managed Services. Serving small and medium-sized businesses since 2001, Encompass modernizes operations and automates processes for hundreds of customers across the globe. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. By identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.

 


The recent Financial Service Network (FSN) survey on Planning, Budgeting, and Forecasting (PBF) showed two key characteristics for those organizations that produced the most insightful financial forecasts. First, was the ability to leverage non-financial data. Second, was the application of advanced analytics. We will look at how the most successful organizations expand their vision beyond the narrow financial view of the future to produce more valuable foresight in their PBF processes.

Finance: The Home of Truth

The financial component of enterprise resource planning, whether part of a full-fledged ERP system or a mom-and-pop shop running Quickbooks, has historically been the ‘home of truth’. Finance was where everyone turned for answers since the only quantitative test of performance and sustainability was the P&L and the balance sheet. Finance largely birthed the IT function in a bid to automate the production of some of these answers. Most famously, in the production of payroll. Despite this, finance has now lagged in technology investment for some years, being overtaken by marketing, sales, and operations.

With new technology at their fingertips and an increasingly scientific approach, other functions in the business have begun to answer their questions, collecting and analyzing their data. The numbers in marketing may still be a little hazier than in finance but marketing has begun to offer insight into things that finance cannot, or has not. Market trends and consumer behavior tell leaders not just about what is but what might be. This forward-looking insight has often contrasted with finance’s view of the future.

The Past, Give or Take

Finance’s view of tomorrow has, by contrast, been rather singular in its source – the past. Predictions of tomorrow have been based on the evidence of the most recent year, with management’s desire for growth most often being the biggest factor steering the positivity, or otherwise, the forecast for the year ahead. Only negative macro factors have dissuaded forecasters from positivity about the bottom line and all the pressure that brings to bear on sales for revenue growth and operations for ever greater efficiency.

The figures from FSN’s report might suggest this had changed. 72% of finance leaders say their forecasting processes are now inclusive, drawing on sources from across the company, but dig further into the figures and this starts to feel more like an aspiration than a reality.

78% of the senior finance executives surveyed agreed that greater use of non-financial data is the best way to improve their PBF process and outcomes. 76% recognized the importance of connecting with more stakeholders from outside of the finance function to improve the accuracy of forecasts. The need to connect with other functions and share data is acknowledged.
But 74% say they are struggling to identify all relevant non-financial data sources. Why? Over 55% of respondents say that the lack of involvement of non-finance personnel is amongst the greatest barriers to forecast accuracy.

The obvious conclusion is that the connections between finance and the rest of the organization just aren’t there.

Additional Barriers

The lack of cross-cutting relationships through the business is not the only issue blocking the better application of non-financial data for improved forecasts. A quarter of respondents say their senior managers do not appreciate the value of non-financial data. And surprisingly, 23% delegate non-financial data tasks to more junior staff despite 43% of respondents ranking it in their top 3 sources of ‘most insightful data’.

Insightful it may be but there remain concerns about the quality of non-financial data when compared to the sources with which finance professionals are more familiar. 41% of CFOs are concerned about its integrity and believe it is less reliable than financial sources. This may well be true but these issues can be addressed, with appropriate weighting and analysis. The potential value of the data is clear, to ignore it would be nonsensical.

Taking Steps

So, how do finance leaders address these issues to improve insight into their planning, budgeting, and forecasting?

Relationships across the business rely on reciprocation and communication, not just shared goals. Finance has to be able to bring value to the other functions of the business if it is going to extract value back.

That value comes from the insight finance can bring. Most functions in the business are seeking better analysis of their situation and environment, and finance should have the skills to deliver that.

That comes with a time penalty of course but increasing automation of the base functions of finance should be releasing resources. This is a great way to apply the released resources to improve results.

Relationships will be hard to build without the soft skills of communication, and this is another area where finance has historically fallen. In our interactions with younger members of finance teams, we consistently find a lack of training on offer in anything beyond technical skills. This frustrates the ambitious and leads them to move on. Training then offers a two-fold benefit to the business: better collaboration and a greater chance of retention.

This isn’t to say technical skills aren’t important. Finance leaders need to be constantly up-skilling their teams in planning and analysis, and equipping them with the right tools to apply their learning. Then, they can efficiently integrate non-financial data into their models, improving forecasts and returning value to the other business functions.

As FSN says in its report, “Mastering non-financial data is the key to being able to forecast accurately and further into the future.” The only way to do this is to enhance the relationships that finance holds across the organization, by investing in the skills of its people.

For more information on ERP and the future of financial systems, read the FSN report on the topic – HERE

About Prophix

Prophix develops innovative software that automates critical financial processes such as budgeting, planning, consolidation, and reporting — improving a company’s profitability and minimizing its risks. Thousands of forward-looking organizations in more than 90 countries use software from Prophix to gain increased visibility and insight into their business performance.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions is a business and software consulting firm that specializes in ERP systems, EDI, and Managed Services support for Manufacturers and Distributors. Serving small and medium-sized businesses since 2001, Encompass modernizes operations and automates processes for hundreds of customers across the globe. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. By identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.


Once upon a time, ERP systems were reserved for companies with hundreds and often thousands of employees, multiple locations, and even global points of operation. Who ever thought of evaluating ERP For start-ups?

Those days are gone, ERP has been re-imagined and redesigned to fit the build for companies of just about any size. These powerful and affordable software solutions can streamline your daily operations and make your start-ups success much easier to achieve.

While you may still think your start-up, small or medium business isn’t ready for ERP, you may be missing out on some essential tools that will set you up for positive outcomes and scale as you grow. You may be small now, but that won’t be the case for long. You may already have more business than you can handle.

In any case, you need to be able to manage the company operations and responsibilities to your stakeholders, staff, and customers. Evaluating ERP for start-ups is the first step into satisfying those responsibilities and making good on your obligations.

ERP will make your start-up run more efficiently, drive consistent outcomes, and deliver the data you need to inform business decisions.

This data comes from all the departments of your organization, including finance, sales, operations, inventory, and more. It delivers your staff a single source of truth they can rely on to improve their performance and deliver on the expectations your start-up must satisfy to succeed.

Here are just a few ways to begin evaluating ERP for start-ups.

When to Begin Evaluating ERP For Start-Ups

While each unique situation will dictate the process of evaluating ERP for start-ups, these indicators will reinforce the idea that it’s time to start looking. The more these examples crop up in your day to day, the stronger a candidate you are for implementation.

Waste Is Plentiful – Whether it’s time or capital, waste is one of the biggest contributing factors to a start-up’s success. Whether you are building widgets or delivering a service, processes that produce waste leave room for improvement. This is one of the areas of business management that ERP shines most.

Consolidating software and housing all your data in one central location is perhaps one of the most valuable moves your start-up can make. It cuts out the time spent searching for reports and invoices or delays when production materials can’t be found in the warehouse or worse, were never ordered when safety stock ran low.

Demand Is Outpacing Delivery – Not entirely a bad problem to have, right? Think again. If you get a reputation for missing deadlines and leaving customers with a sour taste in their mouth after doing business with you, know your competitors are waiting to step in and deliver.

Customer Relationship Management, production planning, scheduling, and Sales Management tools provided by ERP solutions ensure you have the tools you need to manage volume with a lean staff, budgets, and space.

Erroneous and Duplicate Data Is Abundant – Multiple points of data entry between disparate systems slow down your operations. It also leaves room for errors and errors can end up costing your critical customer accounts.

ERP ensures you only need to enter data once. That data can easily be verified within that same system. Add to that the risk of human error at the point of entry is kept to a minimum and your business does not suffer.

This means data used downstream is more likely to be accurate and ensure your orders, supply chain, and analytics give a true picture of your start-up’s performance.

You’re Missing the Forest For The Trees – the metaphor may seem obscure, but it’s about as apt as can be when we’re talking about access to the bigger picture of your business’ performance.

ERP will give your start-up the visibility it needs to see how you’re delivering on KPIs, grant access to analytics that illustrate where investments need to be made or scaled back, and superior reporting tools that show everyone you’re on the right track.

What to look for when Evaluating ERP For Start-Ups

By now, it should be clear that ERP can be a real boon to businesses at any size. However, for the start-up environment, there are specific qualities that make some ERP solutions better suited than others. Here are the most basic qualities you can evaluate in your search.

Cost vs. Price – while the two words may seem interchangeable, when it comes to ERP they most certainly are not. The true cost of not implementing an ERP system can easily be higher than shouldering the price of purchase.

Price is also not about what you can afford right here, right now. Keep in mind that sticker shock is just as real for enterprise-wise software. However, we have to remember that these are powerful systems that take a lot of time and engineering to develop. Not to mention save resources immensely but cutting down errors and non-revenue generating tasks. Fortunately, grants, tax write-offs, and financing are available to make the lessen the impact of the purchasing process on your overall business operations.

That said, the price of your system should be in line not only for the tools you need now but also those necessary to facilitate easy expansion as you grow. Which leads to the next characteristic to consider when Evaluating ERP for start-ups, scalability.

Scalability – Often, businesses evaluate ERP software vendors and decide what they have to offer is too rich and expansive for what they need here and now. That may be true. Instead, they may opt for a static product that is meant for small-scale operations that don’t expand capability or functionality as a business grows.

You also need to consider the future development of the product. Patches, updates, and versions that build on the ERP’s current state are essential to keep up with Industry as a whole.

It’s important to understand where your ERP vendor’s vision for their product will lead. Does that vision for the future include the functionality your business will need to remain competitive? Are they developing tools to enhance UI, automate manual processes, and facilitate superior eCommerce or self-service portal interactions?

Scalability is also a consideration for those evaluating open-source ERP solutions. Open source ERP vendors might only develop a product up to a certain point, package it, and sell it. Further development may cost significantly, fall on your shoulders directly, or be left up to the user community at large.

Accessibilitythink about who is going to use this system. Will they find it intuitive? How much training will they need before they can use the ERP system to its full potential? What about ongoing maintenance and customization to your unique business components?

Accessibility also means permission. Can you easily segment who gets to see what in the system or is it a free for all with the data available?

When evaluating ERP for start-ups, make sure to get plenty of demos that include your company workflow. If possible, get an NDA in place so you can see that workflow in real-time with your own data. This will give you the best picture of what is possible and how transactions, projects, and reporting progress within any given ERP solution.

Who to consider as a partner when Evaluating ERP for Start-Ups

If you’re currently Evaluating ERP for a start-up, this information is probably quite intimidating. Fortunately, you don’t have to go through the process alone. Vendors, consultants, value-added resellers, industry peers, investors and stakeholders all have a vested interest in your success.

Consider what it means to partner with an experienced implementer and reap the benefits of streamlined project methodology, knowing where to avoid pitfalls, achieve quantifiable milestones, and lead to Go-Live success.

Encompass Solutions here to help, let’s talk about where you’re going next.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions is a business and software consulting firm that specializes in ERP systems, EDI, and Managed Services support for Manufacturers. Serving small and medium-sized businesses since 2001, Encompass modernizes operations and automates processes for hundreds of customers across the globe. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. By identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of Industry.


Cloud ERP deployments benefit businesses in a big way. They offer security, agility, and can enable your business’ adoption of other modern technologies. However, Information Technology (IT) departments can be one of the greatest sources of resistance when it comes to the adoption of cloud ERP solutions.

Cloud ERP Solutions

Business leaders looking to leverage the benefits of cloud ERP solutions don’t just need to do their own research on cloud ERP deployments. They also have to be able to make the compelling case for transition and convert resistance from IT staff. Adopting a Cloud ERP system is a significant change for the business as well as the departments charged with maintaining integral systems. Namely, your IT department. Here are 7 ways to get IT teams on board with cloud ERP software.

1. Understand And Communicate The Need To Take Action

A healthy sense of urgency can move things in the right direction more quickly than one might think. The call to action from the top of the food chain can grab attention and get all of your business’ moving parts moving towards a much-needed change. It takes compelling arguments and exceptional storytelling skills to communicate why the move to the cloud is what your company needs.

Features, functionality, and, most importantly, benefits to how business gets done every day need to be conveyed. Help your staff to understand that if you are not in control of your digital transformation, your competitors will make that choice for you. Doing nothing can leave you in a poor position to capitalize on beneficial tools as well as leave you vulnerable to the shortcomings of traditional ERP deployments. Advancing your business with more advanced technology signals to top talent that your business is doing what it takes to excel in a competitive marketplace.

2. Don’t Short-Sell The Impact Of This Transition

Transition to the cloud isn’t just an infrastructure change, it’s a change in how your company operates both physically and philosophically. A new way of thinking and working can upset the way your IT department has functioned for years, if not decades. Acknowledge it is a huge change and show your teams you are committed to equipping them with the tools they need to thrive in a new environment.

3. Actively Listen To IT Concerns

Spending time with your IT employees and listening to their questions and concerns will impact buy-in considerably. In many ways, it is your IT staff’s job to think about what could go wrong in ay given scenario involving your business’ technology. Here are some examples of what you might hear:

  • “Cloud ERP providers won’t understand how unique and complicated our business is.”
  • “Putting our data in the cloud is way too risky.”
  • “Our compliance regulations won’t allow us to use the cloud.”
  • “What will my job be after we move to cloud-based ERP?”

Show your staff that you are actively listening by taking notes, repeating back what you heard, and commit to coming back with answers at a later time. This effort of active listening and showing that you are genuinely interested may well be the best thing you can do to remedy concerns.

4. Get Help In Addressing Concerns And Answering Questions

You may have the perspective needed to move the business forward, but IT staff have the benefit of boots on the ground when it comes to working with technology hands-on. Their concerns are valid and may appear as imposing roadblocks. However, their intent isn’t to scare you into submission. The challenges created by new technology are those keeping your IT staff up late at night and working long weekends. If you are not equipped to provide answers to their concerns, consider enlisting the help of experts to make your case. An experienced partner, vendor, or consultant can provide credibility to your arguments and lay IT fears to rest with the information they are looking for to confidently follow your lead.

5. Learn From Experience

At this point, your company isn’t the first in your industry to move to the cloud. More and more companies are making the move to cloud ERP, from small and medium business to enterprise-sized organizations. Your industry counterparts can deliver invaluable wisdom when it comes to approaching the problem of how best to make the transition to cloud-based ERP systems. This includes both what to do and what not to do. Alternatively, you can enlist the help of a trusted ERP partner to connect you with reference customers that can share their experiences. Value can often be found in following.

6. Make It Clear What IT Will Look Like Post-Transition

IT arguably has the best vantage of a company’s business processes, not to mention how data and customers “move” through the organization. Cloud ERP is designed to help free them of cumbersome tasks, like troubleshooting. When left unencumbered by the burden of these activities, opportunities for cross-functional business process improvements emerge. This can take the form of helping users leverage technology more effectively or assisting with the cleaning and maintaining important data. Essentially, IT transitions from a non-revenue generating department and one of enabling your revenue-generating business components.

It’s important to understand and communicate that the nature of technology work will change for your IT staff. Though, development, configuration, and break/fix work will still exist—along with the need to manage your relationship and activities with cloud ERP vendors. Help your IT employees understand the tremendous technology and business value they will provide after you’ve made the move to the cloud.

7. Create The Plan. Execute The Plan.

Undertaking digital transformation and owning your company’s technological evolution is wrought with distractions and pitfalls. It can be easy to lose your way along the path to your goal. Without a sound change management strategy, you may find yourself very far from your intended outcome, if you ever reach your destination at all. Set up milestones and clear goals for your IT staff to ensure your project is a success.

Maintaining a team mentality may be your biggest asset of all. It cannot be overstated how important it is to offer consistent support and provide the assistance and advice teams need. Don’t forget to celebrate the little victories along the way to complete your transition to the cloud. With discipline and determination, your project will be a success and you’ll be experiencing the benefits of cloud solutions before you know it.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm, NetSuite Solution Provider and Epicor Gold Partner that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing the emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of Industry.


The needs of aerospace and defense manufacturers are increasingly complex, requiring coordination and efficiency from decision-makers to staff carrying out day-to-day operations, just like the teams they are empowering in the field. Those needs are growing more complex by the day according to this review of the defense industrial base, conducted in 2018 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Here’s how ERP Software For Aerospace and Defense manufacturers delivers on those unique needs.

Benefits Of ERP Software for Aerospace And Defense Manufacturers

What you may want to consider is a purpose-built solution for manufacturing. In this case, Epicor ERP software for aerospace and defense manufacturers delivers:

  • Constant visibility of product scope and the entire manufacturing process
  • Project predictions and adjustments using comparisons to previous project data
  • Improve lead times and reduce waste through the implementation of lean strategies
  • Automate the compliance process
  • Recording and reviewing of the entire product lifecycle including audit trails and records of all project purchases
  • Framework and support for on-the-fly changes in the supply chain
  • Immediate recognition of deviation from product specification
  • Fully-embedded project management tools capable of facilitating the entire quote-to-cash cycle and supporting both cost and scheduling visibility to maximize efficiency
  • Product life-cycle management from cradle to grave
  • A complete audit trail of compliance standards for design, production, sourcing, and delivery stages
  • A proven framework to streamline business processes and workflows
  • A service-oriented architecture built around lean methodologies, which improves lead times and reduces waste
  • Complete workflows that include customer sign off at each critical stage, from design concept to final estimate
  • Seamless communication of project data
  • Intuitive and clear reporting for stakeholders

With more than 40 years of combined experience serving midmarket organizations and divisions of Global 1000 companies, Epicor has more than 20,000 customers in over 150 countries. Going beyond just ERP software, Epicor’s intimate understanding of aerospace and defense industries drives increased efficiency and improves profitability. By providing product management, project management, customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain management (SCM) and other essential tools, Epicor equips businesses in an increasingly regulated sector to succeed.

Epicor ERP Software For Aerospace And Defense Manufacturers

Epicor ERP software meets these complex needs by providing the tools necessary to refine operations, glean actionable insights from data, and maintain successful relationships with partners and customers. By streamlining processes to meet demand, without sacrificing quality or increasing costs, business performance improves. It’s one thing to make the essential goods that support critical infrastructure and defense systems, but are you paying the same attention to the quality of you in-house systems and processes that support your business’ longevity? Here’s how ERP software for aerospace and defense manufacturers addresses these unique needs.

Regulatory Standards, Compliance, And Quality

Manufacturing in aerospace and defense industries is highly regulated, and for good reason. Production is complex and due to the nature of use and products need to perform consistently over the course of a long service life. The slightest defect or deviation from highly-engineered components can lead to catastrophe. Managing a business in line with these standards is difficult, to say the least. Compliance, quality assurance, and meeting mission-critical deadlines means there is no room for error. Manufacturers must juggle these standards while maintaining a profitable business.

An image of epicor erp software for aerospace and defense manufacturers advanced quality management

Fortunately, Epicor ERP software for aerospace and defense manufacturers delivers the visibility, governance, auditing capabilities, and management tools needed to satisfy intense regulatory frameworks such as ITAR, IFRS, and SOX.

With the power to trace compliance standards throughout the supply chain, businesses can maintain detailed accounts of their adherence to regulation every step of the way. These milestones and forms of compliance documentation are recorded and easily relayed to individuals and organizations that need to know they’ve been satisfied. By delivering superior visibility and making it easy to communicate compliance, costly fines and errors can be avoided. Examples of data visibility output include:

  • Leverage audit intelligence and apply global searches for results in seconds
  • Track and manage when internal audits are scheduled, due, and overdue
  • Report on nonconformance/corrective actions by type, category, area, personnel, etc.
  • Report on and analyze audit data across departments, plants, regions, and the entire organization

Managing the quality of assembly, component or subassemblies is a complex undertaking. Fortunately, ERP systems take the heavy lifting out of quality management with tools that make compliance a simple affair. They provide detailed audit trails of data, records, and other documentation throughout the supply chain. This can manifest in the form of a single data point, a full report or any combination of manufacturing data in-between. ERP systems provide critical data associated with jobs, parts, inspection plans, serial numbers, lot numbers, and more.

Managing Multiple Suppliers

Small and midsized manufacturers are typically not self-sufficient in that they rely on outside suppliers to provide certain parts for manufacturing operations. However, relying on a single source for critical components is an all too common practice among manufacturers supplying the U.S defense industry. The glaring problem being that if a manufacturers single source of parts goes belly up or can’t provide their necessary parts, manufacturing comes to a halt and the business can’t deliver on its orders.

Managing supplier relationships and building a network of reliable partnerships is critical to maintaining the quality and consistency customers depend on. Supplier relationship tools provided by ERP software make this job easier on the manufacturer. Not only can many processes throughout the supply chain be automated through Epicor ERP software, but it also empowers businesses to make better decisions and secure a more beneficial position in a competitive marketplace.

An image of epicor erp software for aerospace and defense manufacturers supply chain management

 

Your ERP system serves as your single source of truth and operates as a repository for buyer, part and supplier records, it helps you preserve accuracy, streamline workflows and remove redundant data entry, as well. Epicor ERP goes far beyond just supplier relationship management tools with a full suite of supply chain management tools, which includes:

  • Purchase Management
  • Supplier Connect
  • Supplier Relationship Management
  • Inventory Management
  • Advanced Material Management
  • Manifesting and Freight Management
  • Shipping and Receiving
  • Warehouse Management
  • Handhelds

Build stronger relationships with suppliers and own supply chain management processes. By leveraging the ability to request quotes for raw materials from multiple suppliers at once and filter RFQ criteria based on your company’s specific needs.

Product Lifecycle Management And Enterprise Security

A component of the Product Management module within Epicor ERP, Product Lifecycle Management is a key component of aerospace and defense industries. This component of the Epicor ERP system serves as the central command center containing all data and documentation associated with your products. Capable of integrating with more than a dozen computer-aided design (CAD) and electronic design automation (EDA) software systems, Epicor ERP offers a hub where changes are made and recorded. This makes essential review and response operations easy and efficient at every stage.

An image of epicor erp software for aerospace and defense manufacturers product lifecycle management

The topic of digital security is one that has been increasingly placed at the forefront of business’ internal and external conversations. Epicor Cloud ERP and Epicor ERP on-premise deployments utilize state-of-the-art security measure to ensure the security of digital assets, IP, and communications. In Epicor PLM specifically, users only have as much access as they are granted by the Epicor ERP admin. CAD models, engineering designs, drawings, communications, contracts, and private documents are all kept under lock and key with fully-encrypted password protection. Minimize risk and secure your essential data using industry-leading Epicor ERP software for aerospace and defense manufacturers.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions is a business and software consulting firm that specializes in ERP systems, EDI, and Managed Services support for Manufacturers and Distributors. Serving small and medium-sized businesses since 2001, Encompass modernizes operations and automates processes for hundreds of customers across the globe. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. By identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of Industry.


When it comes to medical device manufacturing, the FDA has maintained rigorous standards for manufacturers to satisfy. Traceability, quality management, and reporting are among the many areas in that manufacturers need superior performance to meet those standards. The FDA’s push for digital means of achieving and providing a record of how standards are met has many businesses looking to ERP software for medical device manufacturing.

Fortunately, ERP systems have been delivering on these demands and more for decades and are suited to meet the changes in regulatory environments. Such powerful systems help to increase the reliability of processes and reduce instances of failures, recalls, and corrective actions. Not only this, but the benefits of ERP make maintaining compliance and records easier and more cost-effective.

The Benefits Of ERP Software For Medical Device Manufacturing

When it comes to the requirements placed on manufacturers by the FDA, it’s easy to see why ERP is increasingly being leveraged to reduce the difficulty in meeting those obligations.

Data is available at every turn in the manufacturing process and ERP systems can help medical device manufacturers leverage that data in the validation process. This data enables management regulatory obligations, optimization of manufacturing processes, and the resulting increase in customer satisfaction. ERP systems capture this vital information to lessen the risks associated with compliance standards and turn efficiency concepts into real-world results with ease.

How Medical Device Manufacturers Use ERP

Compliance is the top motivator for adopting ERP software for medical device manufacturers. FDA regulations, as well as those for international regulatory bodies, are constantly evolving alongside new technologies, products, and research. ERP provides a means of establishing protocols and processes to satisfy the latest regulations at every stage in the manufacturing life cycle.

Accessibility is another important factor driving the adoption of modern ERP systems. Whether in the board room or on the shop floor, teams need the latest data and documentation to make informed decisions, in real-time. Legacy ERP systems lack the connectivity to this data that modern, cloud-based ERP systems provide. Even sales teams on the road require such access when a customer wants to know how a manufacturer’s products conform to the latest regulations, as well as the proof to back it up.

Auditing is a process required both internally and externally for medical device manufacturers. Audits may be scheduled or conducted at random. In any case, a manufacturer wants to know if they can retrieve and report data on every process in the manufacturing life-cycle. ERP software provides all that in a centralized and secure location.

The tracking and traceability ERP software provides will ensure that each stage of the manufacturing process comes with oversight. Easy-to-follow audit trails streamline the process and identify where, when, and how problems emerge. Recalls, while never an easy process, are swift and efficient thanks to ERP software that leverages automated lot and serial tracking to keep customers safe and businesses insulated from risk.

Through automation, manufacturers can remove the manual tasks associated with logging data, such as billing and manufacturing execution. This cuts down on human error that causes most delays and downtime in manufacturing and sales cycles. While not necessarily a matter of regulatory compliance, the efficiency ERP software provides in this regard only strengthens the case for its adoption.

FDA Requirements Of ERP Software For Medical Device Manufacturing

The electronic records and signatures requirements set by the FDA are stringent and any system of manufacturing must comply with the regulations to receive approval. The full body and outline of these regulations as they relate to ERP software for medical device manufacturing can be found in 21 CFR part 11 – ELECTRONIC RECORDS; ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES:

Subpart A-General Provisions 
§ 11.1 – Scope.
§ 11.2 – Implementation.
§ 11.3 – Definitions.

Subpart B–Electronic Records 
§ 11.10 – Controls for closed systems.
§ 11.30 – Controls for open systems.
§ 11.50 – Signature manifestations.
§ 11.70 – Signature/record linking.

Subpart C–Electronic Signatures 
§ 11.100 – General requirements.
§ 11.200 – Electronic signature components and controls.
§ 11.300 – Controls for identification codes/passwords.

and 21 CFR §820 regarding quality:

PART 820—QUALITY SYSTEM REGULATION

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm, NetSuite Solution Provider, and Epicor Gold Partner that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.


When it comes to running a business, everyone has a business management system. Such a system can be as simple as a whiteboard on a breakroom wall but more often will take the form of spreadsheets and emails. These systems may even fall into the category of Enterprise Resource Planning software, even if users don’t know it by that name.

Businesses need to know the point at which they’re outgrowing a homegrown or siloed business management system. Here, we’ll detail What an ERP system is, the benefits derived from those systems, and how to evaluate an ERP system for your business.

What Is Enterprise Resource Planning Software?

ERP software is a means of communicating processes and resources to a business’ personnel. This information is then used by personnel to complete tasks such as how many parts to build for a purchase order or how many orders to fulfill by specified deadlines. The level of depth ERP software provides is virtually limitless.

Why Do Businesses Use ERP Software?

Unfortunately, businesses relying on spreadsheets miss out on putting a lot of their valuable data to use. Not only this, but they divide their teams into siloed departments that leave them working less efficiently. ERP software bridges gaps in communicating processes and resources with personnel. The result is accurate and relevant data delivered to those who need it, in real-time and across departments. Businesses will find ERP applications that enable better communication, increased efficiency, increased order accuracy and fulfillment, reduced inventory and labor costs, and happier customers.

The most modern examples of enterprise resource planning software deliver automation capabilities. Today, ERP software offers virtual assistants, workflow automation capabilities, automated data capture and entry, intelligent robot interfaces, predictive maintenance tools, and systems to connect manufacturing businesses from the shop floor to the top floor.

What Is The best ERP software?

The best ERP software is the one that checks all the boxes, or the most, when it comes to meeting the needs of your business now and into the future. That said, evaluating and selecting the ERP software that’s right for your business is not an overnight decision. Once you’ve decided that a more robust enterprise resource planning system is what you need, begin evaluating options.

The typical ERP evaluation process from the buyer’s end begins with research, then engaging those vendors or their certified resellers, discovery follows to ensure the ERP software is the right fit for a business, then demonstrations, agreements, implementation, and finally training. Some vendors and VARs will stop there, only reaching out to continue selling add-on services and upgrades. However, you will want to find a partnership with experts in the ERP software of your choosing. That’s because these systems will potentially help run your business for decades as you grow and expand. Finding the right fit for both ERP software and partnership among providers is important.

How To Select ERP Software

In short, every business is different and has different needs for ERP software. Though, there are core functionalities that all ERP systems will include, like financials and operations. Beyond that, there are systems geared towards retailers, manufacturers, healthcare, and just about every other industry vertical one can name. That said, no matter what ERP software you may need, there are reliable ways to evaluate ERP software that apply to the evaluation process regardless of industry and purpose.

Don’t get hamstrung by inaccurate data, lost information, and poor response time when unforeseen events take place. When the time is right to choose an ERP system that’s right for your business, big or small, talk to the experts at Encompass Solutions. We’ll connect you with a system that fits your build.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions is a business and software consulting firm that specializes in ERP systems, EDI, and Managed Services support for Manufacturers. Serving small and medium-sized businesses since 2001, Encompass modernizes operations and automates processes for hundreds of customers across the globe. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, or renovation of existing systems, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. By identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.


Change within an organization is never easy. However, when the competition is forcing you to increase efficiency around lead times and manufacturing process improvement, ERP may be the secret weapon that can get your business on the right track to innovation. In an industry where agility is rarely a recognized quality, ERP solutions can bridge the gap between traditional manufacturing processes and modern technology. Here are 5 ways to improve manufacturing processes with ERP.

1. Connect Your Organization At Every Level With A Single Source of Truth

An ERP solution is not just about manufacturing execution systems and financial reporting. It delivers all the data you need to run your business from the shop floor to the top floor. This includes your essential accounting practices and manufacturing operations and expands into demand planning, MRP, corporate performance analysis, human capital management, e-commerce, CRM, and so much more. ERP systems are purpose-built to link your machine, device, team, supplier, and customer data in one location. As an accessible repository for all your business data, ERP systems provide a digital gateway to your records and the essential visibility into the supply chain you need for control, traceability, and reliability. By breaking down the silos that keep your business’ departments separated and utilizing a single system of record, you can improve your corporate and operational agility to make real-time decisions and facilitate each new stage of growth when it matters most.

2. Leverage Superior Visibility In Real-Time, Across The Globe

When customers expect manufacturers to turn on a dime and manufacturers need to know what’s happening on all fronts, not just in-house, but with suppliers and partners, too, there is no substitute for the superior visibility derived from a powerful ERP solution. Every aspect of a manufacturing operation can benefit from the utility an ERP system provides. Among the most valuable benefits is real-time visibility which allows a business to manage all its moving parts at once, with accurate and up-to-date data. This visibility also lends timely and accurate communication between internal teams, external suppliers, and partners. The result is on-time delivery, accuracy, quality, and reliability in the eyes of the customer.

3. A Culture Of Best Practices Will Improve Manufacturing Processes

Just because the old way of doing things has worked up to this point in time, doesn’t mean it will continue down the road. Bringing your operation’s processes in line with a modern sensibility and making an effort to utilize all the proven tools and tactics available can improve manufacturing processes and bring performance from patchy to prosperous. Established ERP vendors have incorporated the best practices of their targeted industries into their software solutions. These best practices are collected through decades of working with manufacturers in a variety of verticals and those best practices are designed to eliminate waste and inefficiencies from quote to cash. By training staff to utilize the new tools in their hands the way they are most effective, rather than conforming to the old way of doing things, a culture of best practices will emerge and steer your business toward new growth.

4. ERP Gives Your Business Tools To Expand

As the world grows more interconnected, shipping and sourcing nationally and internationally become viable options. As a result, doing business in a single currency, presenting your brand’s story and products in a single language, and abiding by just one region’s regulation may leave your company in a position of exclusion. Not only this, but the capability of modern ERP systems enables your business to easily tackle the challenges of corporate and operational growth as you scale to include bigger teams, bigger facilities, and multiple sites, at home or abroad. With global supply chains reaching around the world many times over, sourcing quality and affordable materials from international suppliers and partners are far less daunting hurdles to overcome with the help of ERP. EDI goes further in helping automate traditionally manual processes using data sourced from your ERP system.

5. ERP Allows You To Be Proactive, Not Reactive

Modern ERP systems are all about data and connectivity. delivering that crucial data to those who need it most. This data will inform and improve manufacturing processes, allowing decision-makers to see just how teams, machines, and processes are working together. When advanced technologies like machine learning and AI come into play, you can identify patterns that will lead to breakdowns further down the road. This is most evident in maintenance cycles, where a breakdown lasting just hours can cost a company hundreds of thousands of dollars. Leveraging ERP analytics you can identify problematic events before they affect your bottom line. Drive time and utilization for your machines to new heights with ERP, while process and quality improvement are the results.

As the most indispensable tool for modern manufacturers, ERP is essential to improve manufacturing processes. Use these systems to drive your business’s digital transformation, gather data to make informed decisions in real-time, stay connected on a global scale, and see around the next big turn for your business.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions is a business and software consulting firm that specializes in ERP systems, EDI, and Managed Services support for Manufacturers. Serving small and medium-sized businesses since 2001, Encompass modernizes operations and automates processes for hundreds of customers across the globe. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. By identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.


Medical device manufacturing has grown more and more complicated as products become more intricate and regulators become stricter about conformity to rigid standards. These two industry trends have driven Medical Device Manufacturing ERP systems to command an increasingly larger portion of the conversation on where the industry is headed.

an image of items that can be created through medical device manufacturing erp with encompass solutions consulting services

Medical Device Manufacturing ERP And Encompass Solutions 

As a result of the growing trend, Medical Device Manufacturing ERP implementations and integrations into existing business systems are in high demand. But that doesn’t mean all implementation specialists are created equal. Encompass Solutions delivers proven implementation and consulting experience to an array of medical device and bio-science clients. The longstanding partnership with ERP vendor Epicor has kept Encompass at the forefront of ERP and manufacturing industry developments.

What A Medical Device Manufacturing ERP Can Do For You

The platform allows all facets of the business to derive data from a single source. Epicor ERP allows users to control accounting, production, forecasting, performance metrics, product lifecycle management, 360-degree visibility, and much more. Encompass Solutions empowers clients with the training and support to utilize these powerful tools to their fullest extent in heavily regulated markets like medical devices, aerospace and defense, and aviation.

Whether a medical device manufacturer is regional, national, or international, the same essential tools can be leveraged to manage quality, meet demand, and facilitate the corporate and operational growth of their organization. Automating manual and non-value-added back-office tasks with an ERP system will provide talented staff to take on more value-added tasks, such as customer care, and sales, and ensure conformity to government and industry standards.

Encompass Solutions Is Your Medical Device Manufacturing ERP Partner

Encompass clients utilizing medical device manufacturing ERP systems work with our consultants regularly to automate manual tasks, improve processes and maintain their organization from the shop floor to the top floor with less effort and fewer costs.

Our position as subject matter experts ensures that clients not only have a partner that speaks their language but can value-add to their organization for the lifetime of their partnership. From implementation, to upgrade, and beyond, you bring the vision and bring the tools with business systems to fit the build.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm and Epicor Gold Partner that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.