In a recent episode of the Advanced Manufacturing Now podcast, host Steve Plumb sat down with Stu Johnson, Vice President of Product Marketing for Rootstock, to discuss the role of ERP in the smart manufacturing ecosystem and the latest advancements in cloud-based solutions.
Johnson, who brings over 35 years of experience in the manufacturing industry to the table, emphasized the need for a smart manufacturing platform that integrates data from various systems, such as CAD, CAM, PLM, MES, and ERP. “The big thing, I think, is the topic of this session is a smart manufacturing platform, right?” Johnson explained. “And I think the biggest thing to talk about is the need for a smart manufacturing platform because sort of smart manufacturing is or relies on, you know, pulling streams of data from all of those different acronyms, right?”
One of the key challenges faced by companies in this regard is consolidating data from different silos. Rootstock, built on the Salesforce platform, focuses on providing a common data model where enterprise systems, point solutions, unstructured data, and data lakes can come together seamlessly. Johnson highlighted the importance of linking data rather than moving it, a concept he referred to as a “zero-copy framework,” which allows for greater collaboration and efficiency.
Imagine now, taking your MES data, for example, right? Very, very shop floor, very, very voluminous, lots and lots and lots of data. It doesn’t need to be hosted up in the cloud, or at least it doesn’t have to be hosted in the cloud. Every piece of data moved to the cloud, right? I’ve got edge devices, I’ve got edge technology, so I can leverage that information from my cloud ERP, right?
Johnson also discussed ERP’s role as a “traffic cop” for managing data streams from various sources, such as orders, production, and delivery. The impact of real-time data signals on decision-making and agility cannot be overstated, as it enables manufacturers to respond quickly to disruptions and changes in demand.
Addressing the human aspect of ERP adoption, Johnson stressed the importance of trust in ERP vendors and their ecosystem, as well as tailoring user experiences to make ERP easier to learn and use, especially for shop floor workers. He shared success stories from Rootstock customers, including Boston Dynamics, which achieved a 60% reduction in order-to-cash process time, and Architectural Fabrication, which saw a 150% increase in projects managed per worker.
Looking to the future, Johnson highlighted the growing adoption of AI by manufacturers and its potential to revolutionize planning processes and decision-making. “Imagine us being able to make more and more of the decisions that, the everyday decisions, thousands of decisions,” he proposed. “Let the software make the mundane decisions and leave it for the human to make the smart manufacturing decisions, to use the term.”
As manufacturers navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly changing landscape, the importance of connecting to real-time data streams for business success cannot be overstated. Rootstock’s State of Manufacturing Technology survey, now in its second year, offers valuable insights into the latest trends and the rapid changes taking place in the industry.
For those looking to learn more about Rootstock and its cloud ERP solutions, Johnson invites listeners to visit rootstock.com and download the latest survey results. As the manufacturing world continues to evolve, smart platforms like Rootstock are poised to play a critical role in helping companies stay agile, competitive, and ready for the challenges ahead.
