Best ERP Software

ERP systems can boost productivity and efficiencies for your company plus enable you to operate compliantly and across borders with ease. 

At ERP Research we provide independent advice and analysis for top ERP systems, helping you find the best software, faster.

Top 10 ERP Software

Learn everything you need to know about the best ERP solutions for manufacturers in our detailed solution comparison report. We compare top manufacturing ERP software such as SAP, Microsoft, Oracle and more.

DOWNLOAD
best erp

Best ERP for Small Businesses

Small and medium sized (SME) businesses need ERP systems which are cost effective, fast to implement and scalable.
Many small organizations have adopted ERP solutions such as these to handle their growth efficiently:

Best ERP Software

infor-software-erp-system-solutions-enterprise-resource-planning-software

Infor CloudSuite Industrial (Syteline)

Infor CSI is a popular ERP solution for small and medium sized manufacturing companies in discrete and process manufacturing industries. See how Infor compares.

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

sap-business-one-logo-1-1

SAP Business One

SAP Business One has developed many manufacturing specific add-ons for various manufacturing sub-verticals including textiles, food and beverage production, making it a strong choice for small manufacturers.

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

oracle-netsuite-logo-enterprise-resource-planning-system

Oracle Netsuite

Netsuite has become a popular ERP system choice for small and medium manufacturers that are looking for a Cloud based ERP system to manage growth across sales, production, supply chain, inventory and financials.

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

odoo-erp-system-solutions-enterprise-resource-planning-software

Odoo

Odoo is an open source ERP platform which has been used by small and fast growing manufacturing organizations looking to unify their processes from shop floor to manufacturing execution and beyond.

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

sap-business-bydesign-logo-enterprise-resource-planning-erp

SAP Business ByDesign

SAP Business ByDesign is a Cloud ERP solution that serves as a stable solution with over 30 out of the box processes for manufacturing firms including make to stock, make to order and mixed mode.

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

microsoft-dynamics-365-business-central-logo

Microsoft Dynamics Business Central

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is used by SMB & SME manufacturers to cater for industry specific manufacturing industry challenges and requirements.

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Systems

syspro erp manufacturing

SYSPRO ERP

SYSPRO is a popular ERP solution for small business manufacturers in multiple industries, with a variety of process and discrete manufacturing capabilities.

LEARN MORE
Best ERP Systems

manufacturing erp acumatica

Acumatica

Acumatica is a powerful Cloud based ERP system which is used by SMB and small business manufacturers around the world and provides deep manufacturing ERP capabilities.

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Systems

ifs erp manufacturing

IFS Applications

IFS Applications is a strong ERP solution for manufacturers in the small and medium sized business space and is used by worldwide brands.

LEARN MORE
Best ERP

epicor-erp-system-solutions-enterprise-resource-planning-software

Epicor

Epicor is a powerful Cloud based ERP system which is used by SMB and small business manufacturers around the world and provides deep manufacturing ERP capabilities.

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP

qad-erp-system-solutions-enterprise-resource-planning-software

QAD Systems

QAD Systems is a popular ERP solution for small business manufacturers in multiple industries, with a variety of process and discrete manufacturing capabilities.

LEARN MORE
Best ERP

manufacturing erp syspro

SYSPRO

SYSPRO is a strong ERP solution for manufacturers in the small and medium-sized business space and is used by worldwide brands to manage production, sales orders and supply chain management.

LEARN MORE
Best ERP Software

global shop solutions erp

Global Shop Solutions

Global Shop Solutions is an ERP specificially designed for small and medium sized manufacturing companies and provides flexibility and deep production capabilities at a low cost - both On-Premise and in the Cloud.

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

deacom manufacturing erp

eci DEACOM

DEACOM by eci is an 'shop floor' first ERP solution designed specifically for process manufacturers and provides financial management, MRP, production, quality control and more in one ERP system.

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

 

plex erp

 

PLEX ERP

PLEX ERP is an ERP system popular with small manufacturing organizations and is owned by American corporation Rockwell Automation.

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

winman erp

WinMan

 

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

rootstock-erp-system-solutions-enterprise-resource-planning-software

Rootstock ERP

 

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

sage-brightpearl-logo

Brightpearl ERP

 

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

abas-logo-erp-it-solutions-enterprise-resource-planning

ABAS ERP

 

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

Intuit_QuickBooks_logo

Quickbooks Desktop Enterprise

 

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

erpresearch-erp-software-erpnext-logo

ERPNext

 

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

oracle-jdedwards-enterprise-one

JD Edwards Enterprise One

 

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

deltek_logo

Deltek CostPoint

 

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

deltek_logo

Deltek Maconomy

 

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

unanet govcon erp

UnaNet Govcon

 

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

BatchMaster_Software_logo.svg

Batchmaster ERP

 

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

aptean-logo-erpresearch.com

Aptean Process Manufacturing ERP

 

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

Xledger ERP-1

Xledger

 

FULL GUIDE
Best ERP Software

epromis-erp-logo

ePromis ERP

 

FULL GUIDE

Best ERP Software for Large Enterprises

What are some of the best ERP systems for large companies? See our highlighted best ERP software solutions for large companies below:

Best Enterprise Resource Planning Software

sap-s-4hana-logo (2)

SAP S/4 HANA

SAP S/4 HANA for many is the gold standard ERP solution for large manufacturers. It provides deep industry capabilities for manufacturing and offers the largest customer base of global manufacturing organizations.

FULL GUIDE
Best Enterprise Resource Planning Software

nobackground-microsoft-dynamics-365-logo-hd-png-download

Microsoft Dynamics 365

Microsoft Dynamics 365 has become extremely popular with manufacturing organizations that need a greater degree of flexibility in their ERP system. Microsoft has also heavily invested in AI & ML capabilities to improve automation and efficiencies.

FULL GUIDE
Best Enterprise Resource Planning Software

Oracle-ERP-Cloud1

Oracle ERP Cloud

Oracle ERP Cloud is a popular ERP solution amongst manufacturers, particularly in process industries. ERP Cloud offers integrated functionality across large enterprises including supply chain, production, HCM, financials and more.

LEARN MORE

Best Cloud ERP

What are some of the best Cloud ERP systems for manufacturers? See our highlighted best ERP software solutions for manufacturing that are Cloud based:

Best Cloud ERP

sap-s-4hana-logo (2)

SAP S/4 HANA

SAP S/4 HANA is one of the best Cloud ERP for manufacturing and is used by many manufacturing companies in the food, discrete, automotive and other manufacturing industries. This Cloud ERP solution is available in private or public Cloud deployments.

LEARN MORE
Best Cloud ERP

nobackground-microsoft-dynamics-365-logo-hd-png-download

Microsoft Dynamics 365

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a robust Cloud ERP for manufacturing system which comes in several editions built for small and large businesses alike. Dynamics is one of the best Cloud ERP for manufacturing, available in both private and public Cloud.

LEARN MORE
Best Cloud ERP

Oracle-ERP-Cloud1

Oracle ERP Cloud

Oracle ERP Cloud is a popular ERP solution amongst manufacturers, particularly in process industries. ERP Cloud offers integrated functionality across large enterprises including supply chain, production, HCM, financials and more.

LEARN MORE
Top Cloud ERP

sap-business-bydesign-logo-enterprise-resource-planning-erp

SAP Business ByDesign

SAP Business ByDesign is a  fully SaaS Cloud ERP for manufacturing solution that serves as a stable solution with over 30 out of the box processes for manufacturing firms.

FULL GUIDE
Top Cloud ERP

oracle-netsuite-logo-enterprise-resource-planning-system

Oracle Netsuite

Netsuite has become a popular ERP system choice for small and medium manufacturers that are looking for a Cloud based ERP system to manage growth across sales, production, supply chain, inventory and financials.

FULL GUIDE
Top Cloud ERP

infor-software-erp-system-solutions-enterprise-resource-planning-software

Infor CloudSuite Industrial (Syteline)

Infor CSI is a popular Cloud ERP solution for small and medium sized manufacturing companies in discrete and process manufacturing industries. See how Infor compares.

FULL GUIDE

ERP for Manufacturing Industry Guide

When considering ERP software for manufacturing, savvy ERP buyers tend to have a lot of questions. Below we answer some of the most frequently asked questions around manufacturing ERP:

What is manufacturing ERP software?

ERP for manufacturing enables companies including automotive manufacturers, aerospace and defence, food and consumer products manufacturers and more to centralise data and business processes into one ERP platform to support faster transfer of data between departments and decision making.

ERP software for manufacturing typically includes modules for sales, production, quality management, accounting and financials and often warehouse management, stock and procurement.

Which manufacturers use ERP software?

We see manufacturers of all sizes and in multiple industries using ERP software, ranging from startups to small businesses (SMB) and small and medium enterprises (SME) through to large multinationals with hundreds of thousands of employees. 

Although almost all manufacturers will or intend to implement ERP software at some point in their journey, many manufacturers will use different ERP software or adopt different IT strategies according to their needs.

Some larger manufacturing companies choose to run large single instance ERP systems that manage multiple brands, legal entities and business units in one suite. Other, more federated manufacturers may choose to run multiple ERP solutions within their group.

What is the best ERP software for manufacturing?

There are many ERP solutions for manufacturers available and each is designed for companies in different industries and manufacturing sub-sectors and to suit companies of different sizes. 

The best possible manufacturing ERP software on the market may not be cost effective for your business and may do more to hinder than help you. We therefore recommend evaluating multiple potential manufacturing ERP solutions to work out which one suits you best. You can check our recommended manufacturing ERP solutions for businesses of different sizes above or use our ERP comparison tool to find ERP solutions based on your industry, business size or choice of deployment.

What is the best manufacturing ERP software for SMB and small businesses?

There are dozens of ERP systems available for small business manufacturers. Some of the most popular ERP software for SMB manufacturers is SAP Business One, Odoo, NetSuite, Acumatica, Infor CloudSuite Industrial, SAP Business ByDesign and Syspro.

What is the best ERP for process manufacturing?

Process manufacturing ERP software has different needs to discrete manufacturing software. In particular, the yield management and measurement capabilities need to be geared towards your particular use case.

Some of the best process manufacturing ERP software solutions are supplied by vendors such as SAP, Infor & Microsoft. Check our solution briefs above to find out more.

What is the best ERP for discrete manufacturing?

Discrete manufacturing ERP software meets the needs of manufacturers in the automotive, high tech and other discrete industries. 

The best ERP software for discrete manufacturing therefore includes capabilities such as push and pull manufacturing, make to order, assemble to order, available to promise (ATP), capable to promise (CTP), (MRP) material requirements planning as well as product configuration and variant production.

Some of the best discrete manufacturing ERP software solutions include SAP, Infor, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics.

What are the benefits of manufacturing ERP software?

ERP software for manufacturers can provide many benefits including:

  • Reducing stock holdings by optimising supply chains.
  • Better visibility and reporting across your business.
  • Less quality management issues.
  • Faster product recall and fault detection processes. 
  • Enhanced customer satisfaction.
  • Lower administrative and accounting costs.
  • Higher adherence to compliance across accounting, quality and more. 
  • Lower IT and systems integration costs.

How much does manufacturing ERP cost?

Manufacturing ERP software can vary in cost depending on the size of your business, the complexity of your business processes and the manufacturing ERP system that you choose to implement. Generally speaking, the cost of a manufacturing ERP cost can be broken into manufacturing ERP software licensing costs, implementation fees and support costs.

How do I choose ERP for manufacturing?

Its highly recommended that you begin your ERP evaluation process by building an ERP requirements document when choosing manufacturing ERP software. You can use a prebuilt ERP requirements document to do this, or create one from scratch.

Once you've completed this, we then recommend evaluating 4-8 ERP solutions and vendors. You can reach out to ERP vendors and implementation partners yourself, however this can be time consuming which is why many companies use a comparison service like ERP Research to help them shortlist the best manufacturing ERP software for their needs. You can compare over 100+ ERP solutions for manufacturing as well as other industries in under 15 minutes by talking to one of our experts here.

How do I implement ERP for manufacturing?

Typically most manufacturers will select a third party ERP partner or systems integrator to implement their manufacturing ERP software. You will need to have your own internal team dedicated to steering the project. By using a third party implementation company specialized in your chosen manufacturing ERP software, your chances of success are much higher and will prevent ERP failure.

Compare ERP Software for Manufacturing Industry

At ERP Research we are specialised in comparing ERP software for manufacturing companies. We provide in depth comparisons of ERP systems for the manufacturing industry.

Our experts have dealt with hundreds of CXO's and IT leaders in the manufacturing industry. Our first. focus is to understand the goals of your manufacturing business before recommending the best ERP software for your needs. Once we understand your goals and challenges, we compare dozens of ERP software for manufacturing to find the best fit.

We have worked with thousands of businesses in multiple industries and commonly work with those looking for ERP for small business manufacturing as well as larger organizations too.

Can manufacturers use Cloud ERP?

Cloud ERP software for manufacturing is becoming increasingly popular and in short, yes, manufacturers can use Cloud ERP solutions. Cloud ERP can come in many guises including hosting On-Premise licenses in the Cloud, as well as Private Cloud hosted ERP solutions as well as fully managed SaaS Cloud ERP solutions for manufacturing.

What is the best Cloud ERP software for manufacturing?

Cloud ERP software for manufacturing is becoming increasingly popular as more and more manufacturers look to migrate their enterprise resource planning software into a software as a service model. Manufacturing Cloud ERP allows organizations to harness the benefits of the Cloud and hyperscalers such as Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services, whilst also improving their day to day processes.

We recommend reviewing popular Cloud ERP systems for manufacturing such as SAP Business ByDesign, Netsuite and Infor Cloudsuite Industrial as well as Odoo if you are a small business.

If your organization is larger, we recommend evaluating Oracle ERP Cloud, SAP S/4 HANA or Microsoft Dynamics.

Key Features of ERP for Manufacturing

ERP for manufacturing can cover a variety of features and modules, including:

  • Bill of materials (BOM)
  • Engineering change management
  • Material Resource Planning (MRP)
  • Production Management
  • Variant and Configuration Change Management
  • Available to Promise (ATP)
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Supply Chain Forecasting
  • Sales & Demand Forecasting
  • Plant Maintenance
  • Field Service Maintenance
  • Work Order Management
  • Production Orders
  • Quality Management
  • Quality Inspection
  • Traceability
  • Lot Management
  • Batch Management
  • Inventory Management
  • Sales Order Management
  • Product Lifecycle Management

Start Your ERP Journey With ERP Research

We help manufacturing firms to prepare for ERP change by guiding them through each stage of the process:

  • Build An ERP Business Case 2-3 weeks
    A solid business case is a foundation you need if you are going to persuade your organization to consider enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation. Download Business Case Template
  • Compare ERP Vendors 2-3 weeks
    It’s critical to understand which ERP vendor is right for your business. Before you decide on the vendor for your company, take a look at our solution pages to find out which vendor would be best. Compare ERP Vendors
  • Get Pricing Estimates 1-2 weeks
    Our exclusive process removes all the salesmen from the equation and gets you real pricing estimates from every qualified vendor. Contact Us For Pricing
  • Organize A Solution Demo 1-2 weeks
    During a demo, you will learn about how large corporations are making use of ERP software and how they are improving their business practices. Book A Demo
  • Build ERP Requirements 3-4 weeks
    If you're looking to buy an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system or upgrade your internal systems you will need a clear definition of all the functions, features and capabilities that you expect. You can approach this challenge by building what's called an ERP requirements document. Download ERP Requirements Template
  • Shortlist 4-8 Vendors 1 week
    One of the most important phases in the ERP project lifecycle is selecting the right software vendor. Ideally, you should shortlist 4-8 vendors - based on their credentials and your requirements. Contact Us To Shortlist Vendors
Compare Manufacturing ERP Software

Find & Compare ERP Software for Manufacturing

Use our free tool to find and compare the market leading ERP software and solutions for manufacturing. See how ERP system solutions including Oracle NetSuite, Epicor, Infor & SAP Business One stack up against the competition.