Article Author: Sam Frumboli
Ferrari is known for its industry leading speed, efficiency, and innovation. While Ferrari has been around since the 1930s, they began to take the lead on the track and gain recognition for their winning sports car in 1948. It was their performance and victories at the Targa Florio, the Mille Miglia, the 12 Hours of Paris, the 24 Hours of Spa, and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans all in the same season that captured the attention of fans around the world.
So how did they do it? How did they go faster, get more efficient, and boost performance all in one season? How did they go from losing to their competition to turning everything around and winning some of the most intense races in one year?
Ferrari credits this success to, “prowess, passion, innovation, and dedication.”
This same winning approach can be applied to the manufacturing industry today. With the engine of your business being your ERP system. Legacy technology is your stalemate of growth, hindering your businesses speed, productivity, performance, efficiency, innovation, and ability to win. Much like a bad car engine, running your business on legacy ERP technology is the fastest way to a losing season.
If you’re tired of watching your competition, take home the gold trophy year after year, this article is for you. Below are 5 ways to incorporate Ferrari’s winning principles into your Cloud ERP strategy to help you turbocharge your performance and win.
- Speed. Ferrari’s speed isn’t just about hitting 0 to 60 in seconds; it’s about responsiveness—taking the right actions at the right time. Speed and agility are as much the responsibility of the engine as the driver behind the steering wheel. Modern cloud ERP systems have intuitive dashboards, advanced AI and machine learning, forecasting, demand planning, and smart KPIs that equip your team with the data they need to make faster and more informed decisions.
This speed allows you to meet the demands of your industry, your customers, and pivot in the case of regulatory change, recall, or compliance update. A faster and more efficient ERP, like Infor CloudSuite Industrial, ensures you have the agility to reroute resources, adjust schedules, avoid delays, and make real-time business decisions that reduce costs and waste faster than your competitors. - Trim the Fat. Ferrari spent years perfecting their car and engine through modifications, specifically by implementing the latest innovations in aerodynamics and using lighter materials. The engineering team was passionate about pushing the boundaries and removing any excess that was holding them back. Their goal was to “go lean to go fast”. In a race like Le Mans, where every second counts, there is no room for clunky engines or sluggish performance. Every gear shift needs to be precise, every turn seamless, and every second you shave off your time brings you closer to victory. Just like Le Mans, when it comes to navigating your business, there is no room for clunky technology, sluggish processes, or extra gears.
With your ERP it’s important to trim out unnecessary processes and look for ways to streamline your workflows, processes, and tools. Leveraging a modern ERP allows you to easily identify and address gaps in your business that are holding your team back from hitting its goals. - The Right People. Ferrari credits most of its success to their drivers. Their drivers’ relentless pursuit of the win, passion on the track, and commitment to the brand are their biggest “drivers” of success. So how do you take those same attributes and implement them into your cloud ERP strategy? You start with hiring the right people and training your existing staff. It’s not just about hiring and training for skills; it’s hiring and training on attributes. Finding hungry and motivated people who are passionate about winning, passionate about innovation, and are committed to seeking out new ways to improve efficiency. It’s important to recognize and reward these individuals internally and socialize amongst your team.
You want to create a culture that celebrates winning, embraces new ideas and innovations, and puts the right people behind the steering wheels of the right cars. Oftentimes organizations lose sight of recognizing the right behavior or have drivers in the wrong seats. This needs to be a big part of your ERP optimization strategy. Without the right drivers, you can’t win. - Make Future-proof Investments. When you buy a Ferrari, you’re investing in a legacy of innovation and performance. Similarly, when you invest in a modern cloud ERP like Infor CloudSuite Industrial, you are setting your business up for long-term success. In the past, technology was viewed as more of a “set it and forget it” type approach. Most system updates were tedious and manual, and it was easy to fall behind, especially for highly customized systems. Much like the latest smart phone, modern ERP technology is designed for regular automatic updates, new feature enhancements, supported customization, and allows your team to keep up with cybersecurity advancements, protects your data, and keeps you at the forefront of industry innovation all while freeing up resources to focus on value-added activities. A modern ERP also allows easy connectivity to outside systems, the ability to leverage new tools, and ensures scalability without growing pains. When you invest in a cloud-based Infor system, you’re investing in a legacy of innovation and performance much like the Ferrari brand. When it comes to quality, you always get what you pay for.
- Get Every Gear in Sync. Ferrari engines are a masterpiece of fine craftsmanship, engineering, and peak efficiency. Each gear and every intricate component has a purpose and works in harmony with one another to achieve optimal performance. To thrive in today’s competitive landscape, your ERP is not just accounting software, or manufacturing software, or business intelligence software, or warehouse management, or customer service, or shipping, or distribution, or quality control, or sales; it’s all of the above. Each aspect of your business needs to move in harmony from one stage to the next incorporating engineering, project management, and more into one cohesive system. It’s the biggest investment you can make in the success and longevity of your business.
Solutions like Infor CloudSuite Industrial ERP come equipped with built-in, industry-specific workflows, processes, and tools that make optimizing everything into one system seamless, from shop floor to supply chain to financials. This companywide synergy drives measurable improvements and ROI that keeps your business ahead of the curve
Your Checkered Flag Awaits
With over 40 years of ERP experience and manufacturing experience, we have helped over 400 manufacturers cross the finish line and win. Our team is passionate about innovation, growth, and technology in the manufacturing sector, and we would love to partner with you to help you take the lead over your competition.
If you are ready to shift your business into high gear, the Decision Resources team is ready to help you explore Infor CloudSuite Industrial for your business. Contact us today to request a demo, pricing, or product information. Buckle up and get ready to dominate!
More About the Author: Sam Frumboli
With over 15 years’ experience partnering with businesses in the ERP and manufacturing sector, Sam has made it a passion of hers to help connect businesses with the right business partner, tools, and technology. As a demand generation leader, business coach, and freelance marketing consultant for start-ups and established brands, Sam focuses on dissimilating complex ideas into actionable insights through creative marketing strategies and tactics. She has notably been featured in the Sociable, Women in Manufacturing, 40-Under-40, The Global Interview, and Forbes.
