The Best Manufacturing ERP Software for 2023

If you subscribe to a service from a link on this page, Reeves and Sons Limited may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

The best manufacturing ERP software is the technology companies use to help track crucial processes throughout their business.

With ERP technology, it’s much easier for manufacturing companies to examine everything from the flow of inventory to HR information and supply chain issues.

Used correctly, an ERP solution in manufacturing will give business leaders access to all the tools they need to combine information from around the company. This comprehensive visibility into critical operations means companies can make decisions more rapidly. What’s more, employees and groups in the business are more likely to operate efficiently with their colleagues.

The question is, which company offers the best ERP solution specifically for the manufacturing sector? With so many options to choose from, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the best manufacturing ERP tools for 2022 and beyond.

In this article:

What is a Manufacturing ERP System?

A manufacturing “ERP”, or Enterprise Resource Planning system, is an all-in-one tool used to plan, manage, and utilize specific resources within the manufacturing industry. Essentially, these software solutions help business leaders to manage every aspect of their everyday operations and processes, from the production of goods to payroll, and human resources. 

The purpose of these tools is to assist companies in not only tracking their resources, but ensuring assets are used as efficiently and effectively as possible. While the exact features of a manufacturing ERP can vary, common tools include solutions for supply chain and logistics management, financial reporting, human resource management, and productivity. 

The Benefits of Manufacturing ERP Software

Manufacturing ERP software can be a powerful tool for business leaders. Used correctly, ERP systems can reduce the number of resources a company needs to purchase and consume, improve planning strategies, and even enhance the profitability of a business. Depending on the features offered, the right software can deliver benefits like:

  • Improved efficiency with automated processes and workflows
  • Optimized manufacturing operations to boost productivity
  • Better supply chain, warehouse, inventory, and transportation management
  • Reduced risk and increased support around security and compliance
  • Improved customer service and higher-quality production cycles
  • Better alignment and collaboration between teams
  • Real-time and historical insights into business opportunities
  • Improved agility when responding to sudden issues in the business
  • Centralized operational and financial information for reporting

Overall, manufacturing ERP systems streamline operations, help manufacturers to grow their business, and boost the performance of central teams.

What are the Top ERP Systems for Manufacturing?

  1. Katana
  2. Poka
  3. Wrike
  4. NetSuite
  5. Dear Systems
  6. Prodsmart
  7. Statii
  8. Arena PLM
  9. Acumatica
  10. Infor

1. Katana

katana - best manufacturing erp software

Another tool specifically built to support companies in manufacturing, Katana is an immersive ERP solution which gives businesses absolute visibility and control over the various parts of their ecosystem. With a 14-day free trial to get you started, the ERP software includes features like inventory tracking, sales management, and order controls.

With a clean and simple back end, it’s easy to start using Katana almost immediately, and the free trial means you’ll have plenty of time to get used to the functionality before you start spending cash. You can track the manufacturing floor with end-to-end statistics and data, track omnichannel order management, and even trace batches, materials, and expiry dates.

Katana’s rich selection of features makes combining essential parts of your business operations as simple as possible. Your ERP can move as quickly as your sales and inventory, which means you never have to worry about inaccuracies in your report. You can even use barcodes with your stock, keep track of committed stock, and manage product variants.

Pricing 💰

Pricing for Katana is quite affordable. If you choose the annual pricing package, you can pay $99 per month for the Essential package, which gives you most of the major feature you need for one full-access user, and up to 3 warehouses. The Pro version of the product is $299 per month, with support for all of the features that Katana has to offer, including unlimited warehouses, and the option to add additional full-access users and shop floor operators.

Pros 👍

  • Access to multiple warehouses at once
  • Batch and expiry date tracking, with barcode scanning
  • Full access to integrations with tools like QuickBooks and Shopify
  • Email and chat support
  • Designed for manufacturing companies

Who is it Best For? ✅

If you’re looking for a quick and clean solution to help you track your inventory and manufacturing processes, Katana will help you to get up and running fast. The simple user interface is easier to get used to than many of the alternatives on the market.

2. Poka

poka - best manufacturing erp software

Available for both web and mobile access, the Poka app is one of the most popular on the market for driving better connectivity between workers, and stronger manufacturing productivity. This ERP solution powers companies like Bosch and Nestle, so you know it’s got plenty of industry clout. The technology supports frontline workers in sharing knowledge and helps you to get an insight into what’s going on within your manufacturing business.

The comprehensive Poka platform covers everything from knowledge management, so you can keep your teams informed, from HR management, communication and collaboration features, troubleshooting, forms, learning tools, and a range of additional solutions. More than just a way to keep track of how tools are moving in your factor, Poka is about connecting the knowledge, training, and collaboration needs of your team.

The Poka ERP software easily integrates with a host of other leading systems in your business too, such as your learning management system, your CMMS and MES. Although you may need to connect things like supply tracking separately, you will have an all-in-one environment for standardizing employee asset tracking and support.

Pricing 💰

Like many of the top tools available for manufacturing companies today, Poka isn’t quite as transparent as it could be about pricing. You will need to send a request for a quote to the team, as the service is licensed per user according to your specific needs.

Pros 👍

  • Excellent for knowledge and information tracking
  • Helps to connect teams for better knowledge sharing
  • Support for business training and development
  • Powerful approval workflows and productivity tools
  • Equipment tacking and issues management

Who is it Best For? ✅

Poka is best for manufacturing companies looking to improve communication and collaboration in their business. The factory feed feature, problem escalation workflows, skills matrix tools and similar features will help you make the most out of your teams.

3. Wrike

wrike - best manufacturing erp software

Wrike has earned a reputation around the world for being one of the most reliable project management solutions around. The company has attracted the attention of a number of major brands, ranging from Google and Okta, to Siemens, Dell, and Ogilvy. As part of the Ctrix ecosystem, Wrike is currently in the process of updating its already impressive set of features and functionality.

Although not designed specifically for manufacturing teams, Wrike is an excellent product for companies in search of a reliable way to empower their teams in any landscape. The extensive enterprise collaboration software means you can streamline your processes with ease, getting full visibility into company objectives, accomplishments, and even potential roadblocks.

If you tend to have trouble keeping all of your manufacturing information in the same place, the Wrike environment helps to eliminate silos and streamline the flow of data. You can collaborate in real-time with colleagues through chat tools, assign specific projects to different team members, and even streamline the approval process to get work done faster.

Pricing 💰

There’s a free version of Wrike for teams just getting started, where you can access virtualized task management tool for centralizing your teams. If you want a specific premium service built for your business, you’ll need to request a quote.

Pros 👍

  • Makes it easier to improve transparency among teams
  • Helps with keeping everyone on the same page
  • Reduces silos within the manufacturing environment
  • Great security features in place
  • Free version for beginners.

Who is it Best For? ✅

Digitally transforming companies searching for a way to manage information and reduce silos will love Wrike. One of the best things about Wrike is its ability to promote more transparency in the manufacturing space. You can track exactly what’s going on from one segment of your company to another, pinpointing where bottlenecks may happen.

4. NetSuite

netsuite - best manufacturing erp systems

NetSuite is one of the better-known ERP technologies on the market today. The solution can combine all of the most valuable parts of your manufacturing business’s operations, from planning to purchasing, invoicing, marketing, sales, and inventory management. By placing all of your data in one convenient environment, NetSuite gives you the functionality you need to keep your company running smoothly. You can even customize your environment to help with tracking the right information more effectively.

NetSuite is particularly valuable for the manufacturing industry because it offers a specific version of its software just for manufacturing. This software is brimming with useful modules for tracking data, like accounting and financial management software, demand planning, manufacturing management, warehouse management, and procurement software.

NetSuite supports both small, and large businesses alike, with pricing to suit a range of environments. The manufacturing technology even features a host of intelligent features like dynamic replenishment, financial accounting, customer and partner relationship management tools, and more.

NetSuite’s manufacturing technology also breaks down even further into specific solutions for different kinds of manufacturing company. For instance, you can build environment specifically for lean manufacturing, or track ecommerce for manufacturing information. Because NetSuite is powered by Oracle technology, you know it’s going to offer excellent uptime and reliability.

Pricing 💰

Perhaps one of the major downsides of the NetSuite solution for ERP is there aren’t any specific guides on what you can expect to pay on the NetSuite website. Rather, you’ll need to contact the team to build a specific solution for you. This does mean you’ll only pay exactly for what you need and nothing more, however.

Pros 👍

  • Excellent range of tools specifically for manufacturing
  • Powered by Oracle for excellent reliability
  • Fantastic cloud-based tools with customization options
  • Access to a range of financial and resource planning tools in one place
  • Clean and accessible backend

Who is it Best For? ✅

We’d recommend NetSuite as the ERP solution for your company if you’re searching for something scalable, and customizable to suit your specific needs. Access to tools for learn manufacturing and product management make this a highly competitive product.

5. Dear Systems

dear - best manufacturing erp software

Another excellent product for companies in search of a reliable ERP system, Dear Systems combines automation with supply chain tracking and inventory information. If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your on-premises MRP technology, Dear Systems is an excellent SaaS alternative. The ERP technology is rated highly around the world by customers of all sizes. Designed to streamline sales for smoother operations, the Dear Systems technology enhances business processes and business intelligence.

With Dear Systems, you can keep track of each customer relationship, your distributors, and even engineer to order requests and bill of materials documents. With all the right data connected at your fingertips, this ERP platform simplifies everything from forecasting to inventory control.

Highly rated among manufacturing ERP systems, the Dear Systems solution also comes with various integrations too. You can access VAT-compliant accounting as part of your production management process, and even create automated online portals for customers.

Pricing 💰

As a Top ERP among software systems for manufacturing companies, Dear Systems allows for 14 days of free access. You can also get one month of access for free with the annual subscription. For a premium subscription, you’ll need to pay around $2739 per year.

Pros 👍

  • Access to lots of aligned information
  • Excellent for integrations
  • All cloud-based technology for easy access
  • VAT-compliant accounting integrations supported
  • Money savings on annual subscription

Who is it Best For? ✅

If you’re looking for a fantastic cloud-based solution which helps with not just your ERP strategy, but financial management tool, Dear Systems gives you everything you need in one package. There are even deals for annual subscriptions.

6. Prodsmart

prodsmart - best manufacturing erp software

Prodsmart promises companies an effortless solution for production insights. The all-in-one ecosystem digitizes and automates your operations, so you can spend more of your time focusing on the things that matter most to your business growth. With a 14-day free trial, it’s easy enough to get started too.

Named a Gartner frontrunner for manufacturing software, and one of the leading solutions for manufacturing execution, ProdSmart is quickly gaining attention from companies worldwide. You can use the system to track everything from orders to shipping. There’s even the option to assign a “status” to something in your ecosystem, so it’s easy to assess the flow of your business.

Prodsmart is a beautiful, easy-to-use back-end, where you can unlock real-time visibility into your production processes, schedule and manage various aspects of your team, and experiment with customizable dashboards. You’ll even have segments of the dashboard dedicated to warehouse status, material resource planning and procurement.

Pricing 💰

Prodsmart is one of the few companies offering enterprise resource management with a pricing option on the website. The “Core” package is available for $600 per month, with access to unlimited seats, operators, and devices. You can also purchase additional products and services.

Pros 👍

  • Fully comprehensive solution for tracking manufacturing
  • Intelligent production insights
  • Inventory management, lean manufacturing tools, and production orders management
  • Convenient real-time support
  • Great integrations

Who is it Best For? ✅

If you need a truly end-to-end solution for tracking all of your production information, it’s hard to find something more comprehensive than Prodsmart. The all-in-one environment is clean and easy to use, with plenty of valuable information included.

7. Statii

statii - best manufacturing erp systems

Designed specifically for smaller manufacturing businesses, Statii is a comprehensive tool for tracking all the information you might need in your manufacturing landscape. At the heart of the Statii software is a dashboard, where you can get a live snapshot of business operations in ten seconds, with no spreadsheets or complex searching involved.

There’s a customer management section, where you can track useful information about your clients, and a section for enquiries and quotations too. The Statii environment also provides access to all kinds of crucial information about sale orders, work orders, and purchase orders, so you can ensure there are no bottlenecks in your path to market.

Though simple enough for smaller businesses to use, Statii is still surprisingly extensive, with support for things like Shop Floor Data Collection, routing cards, and inventory management. You’ll even be able to automatically allocate costs to projects in seconds.

Pricing 💰

There’s no transparent pricing structure available on the Statii website, but you can contact the team to get a full detailed quote for the services you need. You’ll need to provide information about things like the size of your business and number of users.

Pros 👍

  • Easy to use backend environment
  • Tons of information on work, purchase, and sales orders
  • Customer and inventory management tracking
  • Routing cards, and shop floor data collection
  • Helpful automated elements

Who is it Best For? ✅

Statii is an enterprise resource planning and project management solution intended specifically for smaller companies in the manufacturing space. It’s great if you want an easy and effective way to star managing your information.

8. Arena PLM

arena - best manufacturing erp systems

Widely regarded to be one of the best Product Lifecycle Management and ERP solutions on the market, the Arena software solution is purpose-built to support engineering and manufacturing companies with product development. The solution helps internal teams and supply chain partners to stay on the same page for speeder product launches.

Arena PLM is a great option for global product companies, with access to a fully scalable environment, where you can track things like inventory and production processes. The PLM environment also integrates with a quality management system from Arena too, so you can learn more about the quality of your products.

Arena PLM’s full portfolio features specialized tools specifically for different industries, as well as supply chain collaboration systems, training management, compliance and regulatory tools, analytics, and integrations for all kinds of use cases.

Pricing 💰

To get a price for your required software, you’ll need to contact the Arena PLM team. You can access a demo of the software for free to begin with, so you can ensure you’re confident with what you’re buying.

Pros 👍

  • Great product development and quality management features
  • Analytics, regulatory tools and compliance features
  • Specialized tools for the manufacturing industry
  • Supply chain collaboration
  • Training management features

Who is it Best For? ✅

If you’re looking for a modern cloud-based experience to improve the collaboration between you and your partners, Arena has you covered. You’ll have comprehensive role-based access at any time, anywhere with Arena PLM.

9. Acumatica Cloud ERP

acumatica - best manufacturing erp systems

Intended for companies in need of more intelligent and scalable ERP software, Acumatica is a flexible solution capable of adapting to suit any business. The technology is widely regarded as some of the easiest to use in the marketplace, with tools specifically designed for specific industries. You can access features like CRM management, project accounting and financials all in the same package.

If you’re looking for a distribution service, Acumatica has distribution tools for managing orders, quotes, and tracking inventory. You can also unlock features for automating purchasing and improving customer service at the same time. Complete visibility across your entire business should make it quick and easy to learn more about your business operations.

The dedicated manufacturing tool from Acumatica is great for integrating production planning, purchasing, shop floor scheduling and other matters with things like sales orders, customer management, inventory, and accounting.

Pricing 💰

Like most of the ERP tools we’ve covered so far, the only way to get an accurate price for Acumatica is to make sure you contact the team and explain everything you need. You should be able to get a service tailored to your business.

Pros 👍

  • Specific tools for manufacturing industry
  • Accounting and financial information in real-time
  • Shop floor scheduling and employee management
  • Customer management and CRM tools
  • Production planning features

Who is it Best For? ✅

If you’re looking for an easy-to-use solution that integrates all kinds of production planning, shop floor scheduling and material planning in one place, this could be the right tool for you. There’s even the option to use tablets and phones to capture material information.

10. Infor

infor - best manufacturing erp systems

Finally, a relatively well-known name among manufacturing operations and job shops, Infor combines scalability with simplicity in the ERP environment. A tool well-worth a position on any ERP shortlist, Infor competes with leading tools like Syspro for shop floor control, material requirements planning and more.

The cloud-based manufacturing and distribution ERP system leverages the latest technology innovations to create an exceptional platform for user experience and powerful analytics. You can access global financial visibility with a consumer-grade user interface. There’s support for dozens of different languages, and you’ll get industry-focused specialist tools to suit your sector.

Recognized by Gartner and similar publications, Infor ensures companies can access game-changing analytics, secure deployment at speed, and integrations with leading tools from Amazon, Microsoft, and other leaders.

Pricing 💰

To choose Infor as your new ERP, you’ll need to contact the brand for a specialist quote tailored to your business management needs. The software you access can vary depending on which industry you’re in.

Pros 👍

  • Excellent high-level analytics
  • Global financial visibility
  • Easy-to-use environment after some training
  • Powerful integrations and leading tools
  • Great integrations with the tools you already use

Who is it Best For? ✅

Infor is one of the most impressive tools in the world for analytics, according to publications like Gartner and Forrester. If you need in-depth insights into your shop floor and manufacturing landscape, Infor may be the best choice. 

Choosing the Best Manufacturing ERP Software

Choosing the right software for your manufacturing ERP needs can be tough. There are a lot of names out there to consider, from market-leaders like SAP, to Epicor, and IQMS. Whether you’re looking for an ETO software, or something that can help with supply chain management, process tracking and financial reporting, there’s a solution available for everyone.

Our best advice is to have a go at using some of the tools available with the demo versions you can access online. If you have questions about the tools you need, reach out to one of the professionals from the company you want to buy from.

The following tips can help you to make the right decision when selecting the ideal software:

  • Evaluate your current manufacturing processes: Define your current business processes, pain points and strengths to define which tools will deliver the best outcomes for your company.
  • Prioritize essential features: Determine what kind of functionality you need from your ERP tool, such as logistics and supply chain planning tools, or employee scheduling features.
  • Examine innovative tech: Pay attention to solution providers offering transformative solutions like access to artificial intelligence, automation, or advanced analytical tools.
  • Know your budget: Think about how much you can afford to spend on a system, and make sure your solution delivers the right technologies, according to your budget.
  • Analyze customer support: Make sure you’ll be able to access support and guidance from the software vendor if you have any issues with your toolkit.

The Best Manufacturing ERP System: Finishing Thoughts

There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy to choosing the best manufacturing ERP system. However, with a little luck, our extensive research into the marketplace has given you the insights you need to get started on your search. Remember, when picking the ideal product, it’s worth thinking both he functionality you need now, and the features you may need in the future.

The ideal ERP solution for your company will be able to scale with your business, offering access to new tools and resources as your team grows. 

Rebekah Carter

Rebekah Carter is an experienced content creator, news reporter, and blogger specializing in marketing, business development, and technology. Her expertise covers everything from artificial intelligence to email marketing software and extended reality devices. When she’s not writing, Rebekah spends most of her time reading, exploring the great outdoors, and gaming.

Comments 0 Responses

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rating *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.