Voice of MOM Partner Series – SmarterMRP and Siemens: Bridging the gap between ERP and manufacturing
For many manufacturers, production planning sits between two worlds. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems manage the broader business, while Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) solutions address what happens on the shop floor. But according to Carlos Bayona, CEO of SmarterMRP and Planning Manufacturing, an important gap remains between the two.
With 30 years of experience selling and deploying manufacturing software, Bayona has seen manufacturers increasingly rely on tailor-made developments and spreadsheets to fill this gap. SmarterMRP, recently named Partner of the Month, was created to address this challenge by connecting ERP and manufacturing operations while helping companies avoid additional complexity in their core systems.
Moving beyond spreadsheets and tailor-made development
Over three decades working with manufacturers, Bayona has seen planning processes become increasingly dependent on custom developments and spreadsheets.
These developments may encode important manufacturing and planning rules, but they can also make systems more difficult to maintain and evolve. The challenge becomes particularly relevant as companies move their ERP and manufacturing systems to the cloud and look to introduce AI.
For Bayona, the answer is not to recreate the customization-heavy approach of the past, but to separate the core systems from the specific manufacturing rules and requirements that need to be adapted.
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Keeping the core clean
The concept of a “clean core” is central to SmarterMRP. Rather than developing customer-specific manufacturing rules directly inside the ERP or manufacturing system, the company has developed its solution externally using Mendix (a Siemens Business).
Bayona explains that SmarterMRP was built from the ground up to capture the manufacturing and planning knowledge his team had accumulated over decades.
“We never developed inside the ERP, never developed inside Opcenter. We did it outside,” he says. “We have developed from scratch all this knowledge of the business rules or manufacturing rules in this new product.”
This approach is designed to help manufacturers maintain the core of their ERP and manufacturing systems while still addressing specific business requirements. SmarterMRP has a native connection with Siemens Opcenter Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS), while its Mendix foundation also enables integration with SAP and other ERP systems.
For manufacturers moving to the cloud, this provides an alternative to repeating the customization-heavy approach of the past. Instead, Bayona recommends using standard products where the required functionality is already available and applying low-code development where specific adaptations are needed.
Bridging ERP and manufacturing operations
The core objective of SmarterMRP is to connect the information and processes between ERP and manufacturing operations.
According to Bayona, ERP systems do not always provide the detailed production information required for effective scheduling. In complex manufacturing environments, accurate master data, work orders and purchase orders are essential for generating optimized schedules. SmarterMRP is designed to address these requirements before the information reaches the scheduling process.
“What we try to cover is that you have really connection between IT and OT, between the ERP and the manufacturing system or manufacturing operation management system.”
The approach is particularly relevant for manufacturers with complex processes or materials. Bayona points to industries including automotive, high-tech, food and beverage, chemical and pharmaceutical as examples of sectors where SmarterMRP can provide value.
Addressing complexity across industries
The challenges vary depending on the manufacturing environment.In process industries, for example, recipes and different production order sizes can have a significant impact on planning. SmarterMRP can help manage these requirements without relying on additional spreadsheet-based planning.
In material-intensive industries such as high-tech and electronics, the challenge can be the large number of components required for production. Bayona describes how the solution can help manufacturers identify alternative components and adapt the bill of materials for an order based on the materials available. For complex manufacturing environments, having the right data and production information is a prerequisite for effective scheduling.
“If they don’t have all this master data, if they don’t have these work orders and purchase orders right, it is not possible to deploy a scheduling correctly.”
Turning planning improvements into measurable value
Some benefits of better planning, such as faster decision-making, can be difficult to measure directly. Bayona nevertheless points to several areas where SmarterMRP has delivered measurable results.
In companies with complex and material-intensive manufacturing, he says the company has seen customers achieve more than 30% savings in purchases and around 20% in inventory. He also points to improvements in due-date performance, with customers able to achieve up to 95% on-time delivery to customers.
In process manufacturing, the focus can be different. Optimizing the size and sequence of production orders can help reduce inventory and setup times. The objective is therefore not simply to generate a schedule. It is to ensure that scheduling starts with the right production information and order parameters.
Complementing the Siemens portfolio
The relationship between SmarterMRP and Siemens is based on complementary capabilities. SmarterMRP is both a Mendix software vendor and a Siemens technology partner. The company has a native integration with Opcenter APS and is working toward further integration with other elements of the Siemens portfolio. For manufacturers, the combination is intended to cover the journey from ERP through planning and scheduling to manufacturing operations.
Bayona sees particular potential as manufacturers migrate their ERP systems to the cloud. He points to the move toward SAP public cloud environments and the need for production planning and scheduling capabilities alongside the ERP.
With the portfolio of Siemens and with SmarterMRP we can offer to the end customer all they need from the ERP to the shop-floor.
Supporting the move to cloud
For Bayona, the industry is reaching an important transition point as software providers move their solutions to the cloud. SmarterMRP is cloud-native through its Mendix foundation, while also being available for on-premises deployment. This gives manufacturers an option for addressing the planning capabilities between ERP and manufacturing operations as they modernize their IT landscape.
Bayona sees this as an opportunity for both manufacturers and the Siemens partner ecosystem. As customers focus heavily on ERP migration, other areas of their manufacturing landscape can risk receiving less attention.
“We think with SmarterMRP we can help the customer do the ERP migration and have the opportunity to sell and connect the manufacturing operations management of Siemens.”
For manufacturers, the message is straightforward: cloud migration does not have to mean recreating the complexity of the past. By keeping the ERP and manufacturing cores clean while addressing specific planning requirements through complementary solutions, companies can create a more maintainable connection between enterprise systems and the shop floor.
For SmarterMRP and Siemens, that connection is where the partnership creates its value – bridging the gap between ERP and manufacturing operations and helping manufacturers build a planning environment ready for the next stage of digital transformation.
About SmarterMRP
SmarterMRP is a Siemens Xcelerator ‘Build’ solution that closes the gap between ERP and Opcenter APS, feeding it with clean, ready-to-use master data, optimized work and purchase orders, and dynamic Work Order BOMs based on real material availability.
For more information:
- Partner of the month: SmarterMRP – Enabling Clean Core manufacturing planning with Opcenter APS
- SmarterMRP in the Siemens Xcelerator Marketplace
- Contact: Carlos Bayona – carlos@smarterMRP.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/smartermrp
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is SmarterMRP?
SmarterMRP is a manufacturing planning solution designed to bridge ERP systems and manufacturing operations. It addresses manufacturing and planning requirements outside the ERP core and integrates natively with Siemens Opcenter APS.
How does SmarterMRP help bridge ERP and manufacturing operations?
SmarterMRP connects information and processes between ERP and manufacturing operations, helping ensure that master data, work orders, purchase orders and other production information are prepared for effective planning and scheduling.
What does “clean core” mean in manufacturing planning?
A clean core approach means keeping the core ERP and manufacturing systems as standard as possible rather than embedding customer-specific rules and customizations directly into them. SmarterMRP applies manufacturing and planning rules externally, using Mendix as its technology foundation.
How does SmarterMRP complement Siemens Opcenter APS?
SmarterMRP provides manufacturing and planning information needed before scheduling, while Opcenter APS supports advanced production planning and scheduling. Together, they can help connect ERP processes with detailed manufacturing planning and execution requirements.
Why is the ERP-to-MOM connection important for cloud migration?
As manufacturers move ERP systems to the cloud, they need to maintain access to detailed manufacturing planning and scheduling capabilities without recreating complex customizations. A complementary, cloud-ready approach can help keep the ERP and manufacturing cores maintainable while addressing specific manufacturing requirements.
