Manufacturing business software plays a significant role in helping manufacturing companies reduce manufacturing costs. However, the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) significantly influences manufacturing business software strategies and decisions. Over the past decade, manufacturing business software providers and users have focused on reducing the TCO of manufacturing business software. However, with the decline of the economy, many manufacturing business software projects and implementations are being delayed at the time they are most needed; showing that sole focus on TCO is not enough. To truly justify the continued investment, and maximize the business benefits of manufacturing business software, companies must also consider the Return on Investment (ROI).
What Should Be Included in ‘Total Costs’?
The total costs, in this case, do not encompass the wide range of factors usually included in a total cost estimate. In this instance, total costs only include the total cost of software, services and maintenance per year. These services could include the implementation, training and any type of customization to the manufacturing business software.
When evaluating manufacturing business software and measuring their ROI, companies should keep in mind that true total cost includes hardware and infrastructure costs, internal costs, and continued care and support. While few companies fully understand and measure internal costs, these costs are crucial when calculating the ROI of manufacturing business software. Due to the fact that costs change as a company grows, the expected business benefits will vary from company to company.
How Does the Growth of a Company Affect the Total Costs?
As a company continues to grow and expand, the total cost of the software and services continues to rise. Therefore, companies that wish to take the manufacturing business software plunge should invest in the software as early as possible. Fortunately, companies wishing to make an investment in ERP are given a variety of options to do so.
While the total cost of software, services and maintenance increases as companies grow, the cost per user decreases as the company expands. Generally speaking, manufacturing business software vendors price the software by the number of users; however, users can be defined and priced in a variety of ways depending on the company.
The True Cost of Achieving Business Benefits
So far, we’ve only discussed TCO; however, cost without value is useless. You must also take the ROI of manufacturing business software into consideration to find the full value that it brings to a business. Often, the success of manufacturing business software is judged by the time, cost and effort to implement it. However, in order to find the full value, you must base its performance on specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that measure both the value it brings to the company and the overall health of the company. The specific business benefits that can be obtained will vary depending on the goals of the company and the opportunity for improvement.
By expanding our view beyond TCO to include ROI, the following business benefits achieved through implementation can be considered:
- 16% reduction in inventory
- 19% reduction in operational costs
- 17% reduction in administrative costs
- 17% improvements in complete and on-time shipments
You might expect the manufacturing business software implementations that derive the best or most results to be the most expensive; however, you need to consider the total cost per user and other factors to determine the true price. If you divide the cost per user by the average percentage point of improvement, we will see the price decrease as performance increases.
The ability to quantify the results obtained through manufacturing business software implementations is critical in determining its success. Without the ability to measure and quantify savings and improvements, it is difficult to justify the investment in both time and money to reach further improvements. Companies need to continually measure ROI after it has been achieved, not just initially. Continued measurement leads to continued business success and improvement.
While the total cost of ownership is important to monitor, focusing on TCO alone will not justify the time and money spent on a manufacturing business software investment. Companies must also focus on the ROI of these projects in order to justify continued investment and maximize benefits.
If you are considering making an investment in manufacturing business software or want to fully utilize your current solution, measuring the TCO and ROI of your investment is key. Download “ERP: Is High ROI with Low TCO Possible?” now to discover how to properly measure the benefits and total costs of your manufacturing business software investment.
If you are ready to take action and need practical advice on the next steps toward reducing costs, click here to sign up for a free 30-minute business consultation.