Mike on Manufacturing

Should QuickBooks Compatibility Be a Requirement for Your Manufacturing Software?

By Mike Hart

If your company uses QuickBooks and you are shopping for manufacturing software, should you make QuickBooks compatibility a requirement?  This only makes sense if you accept three premises: 

• First, QuickBooks has unique accounting capabilities that would be lost were you to change accounting systems.
• Second, manufacturing and accounting are separate functions where one can use "best of breed" software for each.
• Third, an accounting system conversion should be avoided because of its disruptive effect on operations.

If these three premises are true, then QuickBooks compatibility should indeed be a requirement of your manufacturing software.  But are these premises true?  Let's examine them one by one. 

Are You Too Small for a Manufacturing Software Package?

By Mike Hart

Can a manufacturing company be too small for a manufacturing software package?  Is a typical manufacturing software package "too much system" for a company with 5, 10, or 15 employees? 

The answer is -- yes and no.  It depends on which category of manufacturing software you are referring to.  A "mid-market" ERP system designed for companies with roughly 75-500 employees is without a doubt "too much system" for a micro-sized company.  On the other hand, a "small business" manufacturing system is a practical solution that is far more efficient than using general accounting software and spreadsheets.