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ERP Challenges & Opportunities in
Engineering Industry

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Discover how engineering companies in the DACH region can optimise complex project management, ensure compliance with technical standards and strengthen supply chain collaboration. Dreher Consulting helps turn engineering challenges into measurable results.

Identify Your ERP Success Factors
"The industry affiliation as well as the size of the company play an important role in the requirements for an ERP system ..." - Dr. Harald Dreher.
Why Dreher Consulting

ERP Mechanical Engineering: between customer needs and competitiveness

The requirements a company from the mechanical and plant engineering sector places on suitable ERP software are strongly related to its industry affiliation.

Whilst the size of the company inherently influences the scope of application, the specific functions of a company are primarily determined by its industry affiliation, not only to meet customer needs but also to remain competitive with other companies in the same vertical market segments.

In this way, it can maintain its long-term success and achieve growth targets through innovation-driven business practices that benefit all stakeholders.

Analyse Your Growth Pain Points

Why digitalisation is not software. It is the future of your company. image

Why digitalisation is not software. It is the future of your company.
Why independent advice makes the difference and why we deliberately reject up to 30% of inquiries image

Why independent advice makes the difference and why we deliberately reject up to 30% of inquiries
Why the first-principle approach saves ERP and digitalisation projects

Independent consulting: Why the first-principle approach saves ERP and digitalisation projects

Common challenges within the Plant & Mechanical Engineering Sector

Special requirements are placed on an ERP system:

Your Challenges
  • Coordination of multidisciplinary teams
  • Tracking project costs and budgets
  • Adhering to project timelines and milestones
  • Sustainability in resource usage
Dreher Solutions
ERP Implementation (1) Process Mapping: Analyses and standardises coordination workflows, ensuring alignment and streamlined communication between multidisciplinary teams
Process Optimisation ERP Project Manangement: Integrates cost-tracking and timeline management into a single ERP system, providing real-time budget insights and milestone tracking to help stay on schedule and within budget
It Strategy Consulting Sustainability Full Service: Implements resource monitoring and CO2 baseline reporting, helping reduce material waste and track energy use to meet sustainability goals
Your Challenges
  • Ensuring compatibility across diverse machinery types
  • Complexity in real-time machine data integration
  • Difficulty in syncing CAD data with systems
Dreher Solutions
robot-automation ERP Implementation: Centralises BOM data, allowing easy access and management of multiple BOM variants to streamline customisation
Process Optimisation Process Optimisation & Management: Streamlines production processes to reduce lead times and improve efficiency. Our approach minimizes downtime and maximizes resources for sustainable growth
ERP Implementation (1) Digital Strategy Consulting: Develops a digital inventory strategy to improve component forecasting and ensure timely availability for customised projects:
Process Mapping Sustainability CO2 Baseline Reporting: Tracks material usage and waste generation, helping identify areas to reduce surplus and improve sustainability
Your Challenges
  • Navigating international regulatory standards
  • Managing currency and tax variations
  • Ensuring data security
  • Tracking CO2 emissions across supply chain
Dreher Solutions
ERP project management ERP Selection & Implementation: Configures ERP systems to accommodate multiple regulatory frameworks, streamlining compliance with various international standards
Process Optimisation IT Strategy Consulting: Develops a secure, compliant IT strategy to manage currency, tax requirements, and data security, ensuring adherence to both financial and data regulations:
ERP Implementation (1) Sustainability CO2 Baseline Reporting: Implements CO2 tracking across the supply chain, helping monitor and manage emissions to support cross-border sustainability compliance
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Why Industry
Context Matters

The plant and engineering sector in the DACH region faces unique challenges, from managing large-scale projects and complex asset lifecycles to meeting strict compliance and safety requirements. ERP systems must not only coordinate engineering processes but also integrate project planning, maintenance, and resource management.

  • End-to-end project visibility — tracking schedules, budgets and resources to keep  engineering projects on time and within scope.
  • Asset lifecycle management — integrating design, build, operation and maintenance for long-term performance and reduced downtime.

  • Compliance and safety alignment — meeting EU engineering and plant safety standards while optimising efficiency and quality control.

Curious which KPIs matter most for your role? Try our Pain Point Analyser
Pain Point Analyser

Key KPIs and Challenges in Plant & Engineering

Plant and engineering firms in the DACH region face rising complexity from large-scale infrastructure projects, asset-heavy operations and strict safety regulations. At Dreher Consulting, we help organisations focus on the KPIs that matter most, turning technical and operational pressures into measurable business outcomes.

Feature / Need

Key KPIs (measurable targets)

Typical Challenges (pain points)

Compliance & Regulation
Key KPIs (measurable targets)

100% compliance with EU engineering standards, safety directives and CSRD reporting

Typical Challenges (pain points)

Navigating evolving compliance requirements while ensuring project continuity and worker safety

100% compliance with EU engineering standards, safety directives and CSRD reporting

Navigating evolving compliance requirements while ensuring project continuity and worker safety

Process Fit
Key KPIs (measurable targets)

20% faster project delivery through integrated planning, engineering workflows and resource use

Typical Challenges (pain points)

Coordinating multidisciplinary teams and suppliers across complex engineering environments

20% faster project delivery through integrated planning, engineering workflows and resource use

Coordinating multidisciplinary teams and suppliers across complex engineering environments

Scalability
Key KPIs (measurable targets)

25% increase in asset utilisation and project throughput without increasing overhead

Typical Challenges (pain points)

Scaling operations while maintaining quality control, reliability and traceability

25% increase in asset utilisation and project throughput without increasing overhead

Scaling operations while maintaining quality control, reliability and traceability

Localisation
Key KPIs (measurable targets)

Full localisation for DACH-specific engineering, labour and reporting standards

Typical Challenges (pain points)

Adapting ERP to diverse local regulations, documentation and multilingual project environments

Full localisation for DACH-specific engineering, labour and reporting standards

Adapting ERP to diverse local regulations, documentation and multilingual project environments

Curious which KPIs matter most to your business?
Pain Point Analyser

Information exchange between machines and national border

The management of information provision in on-site service, across national borders, is a challenge that ERP software for plant and mechanical engineering must meet.

The demands on financial accounting for expense and progress payments cannot be neglected because they have to be made in sync with service production.

In discrete manufacturing, where the types of production are distinguished such as batch production, variant production, make-to-order production, the challenges are usually more on the connection and exchange of information between individual production machines or production lines.

 

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What we do

We develop solutions that shape the future of companies, increasing competitiveness & unleashing potential.

Integral first step:

Process optimisation should be considered before ERP implementation as it ensures the system operates on streamlined, efficient workflows. Without it, ERP systems risk magnifying inefficiencies instead of resolving them. Process optimisation

  • Prevents automating flawed processes
  • Identifies key inefficiencies to address early
  • Aligns system configuration with optimised workflows
  • Maximises ERP’s potential for improved performance
  • Sets the foundation for long-term operational success

Learn More

Future Focused:

Building regulatory compliance capabilities within ERP, especially for sustainability and CSDR, ensures the system is equipped to handle evolving regulations. Early integration minimizes future disruptions and enhances long-term sustainability efforts. The integration of regulatory compliance

  • Embeds compliance tracking into system functions
  • Ensures CSDR capabilities are built-in early
  • Supports automated compliance reporting
  • Reduces future costly system modifications
  • Strengthens sustainability and regulatory alignment from the start

Learn More

A Crucial Foundation:

The selection of an ERP system is fundamental to long-term success. The right system ensures operational efficiency, compliance, and scalability, reduces future costs, and enables sustainable growth. A structured and professional selection process:

  • Aligns system functions with business objectives
  • Reduces future costs for unplanned system changes
  • Supports scalability and future business expansion
  • Ensures the system's adaptability to evolving industry requirements
  • Supports scalability and growth by adapting 
  • Secures stakeholder buy-in

Learn More

Crucial Transformation:

ERP implementation is crucial for transforming business operations by integrating key processes into a unified system. It enhances efficiency, streamlines workflows, and provides real-time data insights, driving overall business success. The implementation of an ERP-system

  • Unifies business functions into a single platform
  • Enhances decision-making with accurate, real-time data
  • Streamlines processes, reducing manual tasks and errors
  • Increases efficiency by automating repetitive operations
  • Supports scalability and growth by adapting to evolving business needs

 

Learn More

Future Foundation:

The AI and Automation module focuses on leveraging technology to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance decision-making. Built on a foundation of standardised processes and clear data, this module helps businesses harness the full potential of AI and automation for sustainable growth. The integration of AI-technologies.

  • Automates repetitive tasks, increasing efficiency
  • Enhances decision-making with data-driven insights
  • Improves productivity by streamlining workflows
  • Scales easily to adapt to growing business needs
  • Personalises customer experiences

Learn More

stack layer one stack layer one Process Optimisation
stack layer two stack layer two Compliance
stack layer three stack layer three ERP Selection
stack layer four stack layer four ERP Implementation
stack layer five stack layer five Automation & AI

Process Optimisation

Integral first step:

Process optimisation should be considered before ERP implementation as it ensures the system operates on streamlined, efficient workflows. Without it, ERP systems risk magnifying inefficiencies instead of resolving them. Process optimisation

  • Prevents automating flawed processes
  • Identifies key inefficiencies to address early
  • Aligns system configuration with optimised workflows
  • Maximises ERP’s potential for improved performance
  • Sets the foundation for long-term operational success

Learn More

Compliance

Future Focused:

Building regulatory compliance capabilities within ERP, especially for sustainability and CSDR, ensures the system is equipped to handle evolving regulations. Early integration minimizes future disruptions and enhances long-term sustainability efforts. The integration of regulatory compliance

  • Embeds compliance tracking into system functions
  • Ensures CSDR capabilities are built-in early
  • Supports automated compliance reporting
  • Reduces future costly system modifications
  • Strengthens sustainability and regulatory alignment from the start

Learn More

ERP Selection

A Crucial Foundation:

The selection of an ERP system is fundamental to long-term success. The right system ensures operational efficiency, compliance, and scalability, reduces future costs, and enables sustainable growth. A structured and professional selection process:

  • Aligns system functions with business objectives
  • Reduces future costs for unplanned system changes
  • Supports scalability and future business expansion
  • Ensures the system's adaptability to evolving industry requirements
  • Supports scalability and growth by adapting 
  • Secures stakeholder buy-in

Learn More

ERP Implementation

Crucial Transformation:

ERP implementation is crucial for transforming business operations by integrating key processes into a unified system. It enhances efficiency, streamlines workflows, and provides real-time data insights, driving overall business success. The implementation of an ERP-system

  • Unifies business functions into a single platform
  • Enhances decision-making with accurate, real-time data
  • Streamlines processes, reducing manual tasks and errors
  • Increases efficiency by automating repetitive operations
  • Supports scalability and growth by adapting to evolving business needs

 

Learn More

Automation & AI

Future Foundation:

The AI and Automation module focuses on leveraging technology to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance decision-making. Built on a foundation of standardised processes and clear data, this module helps businesses harness the full potential of AI and automation for sustainable growth. The integration of AI-technologies.

  • Automates repetitive tasks, increasing efficiency
  • Enhances decision-making with data-driven insights
  • Improves productivity by streamlining workflows
  • Scales easily to adapt to growing business needs
  • Personalises customer experiences

Learn More

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