An ERP for plant engineering has the task of production and control of mostly complex systems. The production of these systems is largely organised as a project. This results in the close intermeshing of the ERP Functions with the tools of the Project management. As the plants to be produced can also vary greatly from order to order, the ERP for plant manufacturers must be highly flexible.
The target companies for in ERP for plant engineering
The companies targeted by an ERP for plant engineering are not easy to summarise, as there are many different types of ERP. Essentially, we are talking about the areas of EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction), EPCI (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation) and EPCM (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Management). However, companies from the shipbuilding and shipyard sectors as well as construction companies and construction service providers are also addressed. Furthermore, many infrastructure companies are interested in such integrated ERP systems.
Calculation and project planning in ERP for plant construction
The project-orientated production of systems must be precisely planned and calculated. All resources and their costs must be taken into account before a quotation can be submitted. This includes employees, machines and equipment through to materials.
Planning must not be a rigid corset, but must be able to be quickly adapted to new circumstances and requirements.
Of course, the data of the Purchasing The system is available in an integrated manner in order to guarantee that the actual cost prices are used right from the quotation calculation stage.
Integration with upstream systems in plant engineering
Modern software landscapes expect an ERP for plant engineering to be able to integrate. The transfer of parts lists from upstream systems is almost a prerequisite. Many PDM or CAD systems build on these capabilities and provide corresponding interfaces.
Project progress and project costs in plant engineering
In plant construction, business is often conducted on the basis of fixed prices. This makes it essential to know exactly all the figures of an ongoing project. The ability to analyse the progress of the project and the corresponding costs incurred is therefore essential for an ERP system for plant engineering. It must be possible to compare planned and actual figures quickly and conveniently at all levels.
Manage documents in an integrated and correct way
Information on the manufacturing plant often needs to be managed in a variety of forms. An ERP for plant engineering therefore requires the ability to manage and provide documents. Access and version control are essential capabilities of such document management.
Maintenance and service control
The punctual delivery of a system is usually not enough. On top of this, the plant manufacturer often also takes on maintenance and service tasks after the plant has been installed. As a result, an ERP for plant engineering and construction also includes tasks relating to the Contract management to the control of service technicians.
Technically up to date
Of course, an ERP for plant engineering must be technically up to date. The mobile connectivity of employees can be taken for granted, as can access via the cloud. In the future, the ability to process large amounts of data quickly is also likely to become increasingly important.
