Manufacturing

Manufacturing ERP KPI pack: what to baseline before go-live

A practical KPI baseline covering service levels, scheduling stability, and inventory performance.

You cannot prove ERP value if there is no baseline to compare against.

Track OTIF, schedule adherence, inventory turns, and rework rates before and after launch.

Make KPI ownership explicit across operations, finance, and IT.

Why this matters

• Focus on whether the ERP design will improve planning discipline, production visibility, and inventory integrity rather than simply digitising existing bad habits.
• Make planners, production supervisors, and finance leads jointly responsible for the KPI pack so operational improvement is measured from several angles.
• Use the KPI baseline to decide which plants, product families, or work centres need additional support during rollout.

What to check in practice

• You cannot prove ERP value if there is no baseline to compare against.
• Track OTIF, schedule adherence, inventory turns, and rework rates before and after launch.
• Make KPI ownership explicit across operations, finance, and IT.

Mistakes that create avoidable project pain

• Confusing software functionality with business readiness.
• Assuming a partner or vendor will solve unclear process ownership for you.
• Treating post-selection execution risks as someone else’s problem.

What to do next

• Translate the key points into a shortlist scorecard, project risk log, or operating checklist the team can use immediately.
• Use the article to shape the next vendor demo, partner workshop, or internal decision forum rather than leaving it as passive research.
• Pair this article with a relevant guide or comparison page before final decisions are made.