Introduction
If you're running a manufacturing operation with spreadsheets and disconnected software tools, you're not alone; many shop owners have built their entire business around these adaptable files. But as orders grow and things get more complex, those spreadsheets start showing cracks.
You've probably felt it yourself. You're juggling five different spreadsheets through pivot tables to track inventory and a few more for purchase orders. A number gets entered wrong, and suddenly your inventory count is off by hundreds of units. And that doesn't even count the separate project management tool, the time tracking system, and the scheduling software that doesn't talk to any of your spreadsheets.
Sound familiar?
This is where an ERP system comes in. And no, it's not as complicated as it sounds.
Enterprise Resource Planning
Instead of having separate spreadsheets for inventory, purchase orders, scheduling, and shipping, everything lives in one place, an ERP acts as the central system that handles all the main parts of running your business. Everyone sees the same information at the same time.
Running a company without a connected system is like trying to plan a surprise party without a group chat. You call one person, text another, and email a third, but no one has the full picture. The caterer waits for the venue, the venue waits for the guest list, and everything slows down because the information is scattered instead of shared.
Why spreadsheets and disconnected tools?
With many businesses transitioning from paper to digital when the personal computer gained traction in the 90s, widely available file formats and point solutions became the logical place to maintain collective records for any growing business. But we are in the midst of the next technological transition, and we are relying on an outdated technology that fails to meet the needs of any modern business where orders come in faster, customers want updates immediately, and supply chains are more complex.
Most manufacturers reach a point where this system starts breaking down:
- You spend hours every week just updating files and fixing errors
- When someone asks “how many units do we have in stock?” you’re not entirely sure
- Your production schedule changes, and someone doesn't receive the updated spreadsheet
- You can’t easily see which orders are running late until it’s too late
- Making decisions takes longer because you need to pull data from ten different places
Want to dig deeper into the spreadsheet problem?
Read: The Hidden Costs in Manufacturing →
This isn’t a failure on your part. It’s just that spreadsheets and disconnected tools weren’t intended to run a modern manufacturing operation. A combination of these may be versatile to meet the needs of specific manufacturing operations, but they have limits.
Why is an ERP important?
The primary benefit of an ERP is that it gives your team one synced version of the truth. No one needs to manually update five different files or update information between multiple software tools. No one can work off the “wrong” version because there’s only one version. This enables your business in impactful ways.
When your project manager makes a purchase request , the system pulls real-time material costs and current inventory levels. When the shop floor marks a panel as complete, your production manager sees the update immediately. When materials arrive and are quickly scanned by receiving, inventory updates automatically.
An ERP eliminates information asymmetry and connects the dots between different parts of your business, so your team can effectively respond to changes in real-time.
But here's what matters for facade fabricators: Not all manufacturing operations are the same. If you're managing one-off projects where every facade is custom-designed, coordinating with architects and general contractors, and tracking products through installation on job sites; your operational reality is fundamentally different from a company making the same product repeatedly.
Those differences change what you need from an ERP system.
Want to explore the unique challenges facade fabricators face?
Read: Why Facade Fabrication is Different from Manufacturing →
Is an ERP just for big companies?
ERPs used to be expensive systems only large corporations could afford. By the early 2000s, software platforms like SAP and Oracle offered more sophisticated solutions than the spreadsheet, at a steep price. But times have changed.
How do these platforms still fall short for SMBs?
Read: Why SAP and Oracle Don't Work for Facade Fabricators (And What Does) →
Today, there are ERP systems built specifically for small and mid-sized manufacturers, which are more affordable and easier to use. Modern ERPs are cloud-hosted, which means no servers to maintain, no IT infrastructure to manage, and automatic updates that happen in the background. Many are as easy to use as checking your email or ordering something online.
But that doesn't mean that all ERP systems were made equal, or tailored to meet the needs of SMB facade fabricators.
So What Now?
You've experienced the problem with spreadsheets and disconnected software tools. You understand what an ERP does. You know the big platforms weren't built for businesses like yours.
Now comes the important part: finding what actually works for facade fabrication.
Most ERP systems assume you're making the same product over and over. But that's not your reality. Every facade project is unique. Architects change drawings. GCs shift schedules. Installation teams need real-time updates from the shop floor.
Generic manufacturing software can't handle that complexity. Spectr is the first ERP purpose-built for facade fabricators that does.
It is designed around your workflow, your challenges, and the way your team actually operates. No force-fitting. No workarounds. Just software that adapts to and supports your business from day one.
Ready to see how Spectr solves the specific challenges facade fabricators face every day?
Read: The Only ERP Built for Facade Fabricators →
