Systems & Tech

ERPEnterprise Resource Planning

Integrated software that manages core business processes — finance, inventory, planning, procurement — on a shared database.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a centralized software platform that connects finance, inventory, purchasing, production planning, HR, and sales on one data model. It evolved from MRP by extending beyond materials to the whole enterprise.

ERP is only as good as its data: accurate BOMs, routings, and inventory counts are prerequisites. On the shop floor it is complemented by MES, which manages real-time execution.

Go Deeper
ERP Systems guide→MES Systems guide→
Related Terms
MRP
A planning logic that explodes a production schedule through the BOM to calculate what to order or make, and when.
MES
Software that manages and tracks production execution on the shop floor in real time, bridging ERP and the machines.
Bill of Materials
A hierarchical list of all components, sub-assemblies, and raw materials needed to build a product.
Inventory
Raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods held in the system — one of the eight wastes when excessive.

Put ERP into practice

SymplProcess turns these concepts into working models, calculators, and templates your whole team can use — no spreadsheets required.

Open the App → Try the Process Modeler
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