ERP software is similar to an onion because of its many facets, layers and integrations. ERP can serve as a centralized hub for different departments and industries or as a one-sector solution. Getting your company’s ideal ERP industry solution is vital because not all ERPs serve every industry. You can also configure some systems with industry-specific modules and capabilities.

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This article covers an overview of ERP, top industries and honorable mentions.

Table of Contents

• What Is ERP?
• Top ERP Industries
  • Construction
  • Food and Beverage
  • Healthcare
  • Manufacturing
  • Distribution
  • Professional Services
• Honorable Mentions
• Final Thoughts

What Is an ERP?

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is a business solution consisting of modules that suit different departments or modules that fit one department. Allied Market Research predicts the global ERP market will hit a value of $117.09 billion by 2030.

There are several departments and integrations that ERP supports, from accounting to manufacturing, customer relationship management (CRM) and more.

• Accounting: Balance general ledgers, perform bank reconciliations and more with accounting integrations or standalone software that centralizes and automates routine bookkeeping procedures. You can also manage banks, assets, budgets, taxes and payroll.
• Manufacturing: Upkeep your inventory, review and govern BOMs and boost productivity with the ideal manufacturing software or manufacturing-specific modules and requirements.
• CRM: Keep tabs on client interactions, evaluate lead management, perform automated sales, leverage knowledge management and other requirements with the right CRM software.
• Business Intelligence (BI): Execute data analyses, review vendor qualifications, review KPIs on mobile devices and more with the proper BI tools and requirements.
• Product Lifecycle Management (PLM): Supervise all product design stages with the right PLM tools. Perform simulations, leverage CAD accessories, conduct quote process analyses, centralize team collaboration and more.

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Top ERP Industries

There are infinite ERPs for diverse sectors. We found and compiled a shortlist of the top ERP industries around. Let’s take a look.

Construction

Construction has unique challenges, often related to various worksite locations. These obstacles may include difficulty tracking resources, managing field productivity and accounting for last-minute budget increases.

Construction ERP and construction management solutions effectively manage your equipment, raw materials and labor in a coordinated effort to target common industry issues.

A preview of a construction ERP’s interface.

This ERP industry solution may also contain CRM aspects to encourage efficient communications between providers and buyers. Furthermore, this system may offer manufacturing management modules, such as building information modeling (BIM), inventory management, mobility and project management. You could also implement smooth manufacturing integrations.

Construction manufacturing systems may also include features that promote quality assurance and order tracking to produce quality and durable builds.

Food and Beverage

Food and beverage ERP supports the creation, quality and compliance of food and beverage-based products.

Think about cold chain storage, for example. New types of equipment and software ensure perishable products are kept at specific temperatures throughout their entire lifecycle from raw materials through production and distribution. Companies can establish different tags and markers with the right ERP industry software specialized for this sector.

An example of a food and beverage ERP.

You can also find vendors with ERP industries in alcoholic beverage production, meat and seafood processing, fresh produce handling, confectionery production and more.

This system also offers inventory management, recipe and formula management, reporting and analytics, lot and batch tracking and more. Many solutions may help your business target customer demand to develop new products and campaigns. You may also identify cost values in several business processes and detect bottlenecks.

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Healthcare

This ERP industry supervises multiple healthcare and medical tasks, including practice management, electronic health records (EHR), electronic medical records (EMR), medical billing and more. A healthcare ERP also supervises human resources and payroll.

Some systems may also integrate with accounting and BI tools for effective financial and KPI management.

A preview of an EHR’s interface.

Your practice may specialize in psychology. Maintaining ideal health records ensures you keep all of your client information in a safeguarded, centralized system. You can also invest in the best medical billing software to allocate and receive patient payments more effectively.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing ERP streamlines processes, manages productivity and assists with revenue tracking. It also maintains resources, such as machinery, employees, resources and more. You can also invest in disparate system types, such as machine and job shops, CAM, CAM-CAD, seed-to-sale CRM, process manufacturing and MRP.

An example of a manufacturing ERP’s interface.

For example, you may specialize in organic frozen waffles. You can utilize your process manufacturing system to manage successful recipes, replenish or track ingredients, manage batches to avoid contamination, adhere to FDA and other compliances and ensure you follow the proper steps in completing your waffle batches.

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Distribution

Leverage this ERP industry to manage order processing, simplify warehouse procedures, communicate and collaborate with business leaders and supervise transportation. Distribution ERP tools include procurement management, eCommerce, supply chain management (SCM) and other modules.

A preview of a distribution ERP.

Whether you’re a business similar to Amazon or specialize in manufacturing and shipping body lotions, this system ensures you keep up with your inventory. You can also manage productivity and bottlenecks in real time.

Professional Services

Whether you work in accounting, a law firm, marketing, engineering or other professional services, professional service automation (PSA) software streamlines repetitive tasks and boosts efficiency. Time and expense tracking, resource management, billing, invoicing and project accounting.

An example of a PSA system.

For example, a marketing firm specializing in environmentally friendly organizations can manage campaign projects more efficiently. You can also determine whether projects are worth your time and budget. This system can help you utilize the right employees and other resources to execute and complete projects on time without sacrificing quality.

Honorable Mentions

As aforementioned, there are so many ERP industries to browse and review. Here are some honorable mentions:

• Pharmaceutical: Manage and produce regulated drugs and medical devices.
• Metalworking: Work with various alloys and metals safely while monitoring chemical components.
• Aerospace and Defense: Supervise part generation for planes, aircraft, defense machinery and more.
• Paper and Packaging: Reduce waste by leveraging the right amount of materials for paper, cardboard, boxes and other materials.
• Automotive: Craft car parts with the right tools via ideal discrete manufacturing components.
• Education: Implement LMS software to reduce training costs, monitor learning progress, analytics, course management, scheduling and other features to streamline the learning process.

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Final Thoughts

Navigating the ERP industry market has its ups and downs. One way to overcome obstacles is to have a clear software selection plan. Understanding why you need a new ERP system, creating a requirements list with internal leaders, evaluating vendors and conducting software demos are a few software selection tips to follow. For more ERP industries, check out our in-depth comparison guide.

What other ERP industries might benefit from an ERP? Let us know if we missed any with a comment below!