How To Choose A Right-sized Manufacturing System
Chapter 8 - Web Searches
When it comes to finding the best manufacturing software ever developed, I suggest you stay at home, go back to the computer, and use the greatest marketing tool ever developed: the Internet search engine. Whatever search engine you prefer, the key to success is not producing the largest selection of manufacturing systems. Instead, I recommend that you focus on manufacturing systems that are designed to work with your existing accounting system.
Unless you are planning to ditch the accounting system as part of the acquisition of a new manufacturing system, this will allow you to focus on products that fairly match your existing accounting system in size, complexity, and price. (If you are planning to implement a new accounting system, stop reading this now and don't come back until you have arrived at your short list of accounting systems.)
Instead of searching for "manufacturing software" which will yield over 17 million results in Google, try something like "manufacturing software for sage 50" or "manufacturing software for quickbooks" which will narrow the search to a mere 75,000. This is still far too many, but the good news is that the most relevant hits (the ones at the top) point to products that are likely to work with your existing accounting system.
Your short list of likely manufacturing systems should consist of products that offer "seamless" integration with your accounting system. That is, your manufacturing system should have the ability to read and write data directly into your accounting system. Ultimately, the more your manufacturing and accounting systems function as one, the happier you and your staff will be.