Process automation | North Carolina manufacturers

Manufacturing Process Automation and ERP Integration in North Carolina

Most wasted time in a small plant is in the office: orders, invoices, inventory and shipping details keyed into more than one system. Preferred Data connects your ERP to the systems around it, automates the handoffs and secures the link to the plant floor, for manufacturers and distributors across North Carolina. Preferred Data, founded in 1987, writes and supports manufacturing software from High Point. Schedule a consultation or call (336) 886-3282.

Call (336) 886-3282

Common problems, and what solves them

In business since 1987: 39 years
Active clients: 100+
Average client tenure: 20+ years
BBB Accredited rating: A+
On-site radius from High Point: 200 mi
Threat monitoring on every plan: 24/7

What is process automation for a small manufacturer?

For a small or mid-sized manufacturer, process automation mostly means removing the manual steps between systems: an order typed once and carried through production, shipping, invoicing and the general ledger. It is usually software and integration work, not robots. Around three-quarters of the 239,265 U.S. manufacturing firms counted in 2022 had fewer than 20 employees, according to the National Association of Manufacturers, and a firm that size feels every hour of retyping.

Orders entered once, then flowing to production, shipping, invoicing and receivables
Purchase orders and receiving updating stock and payables automatically
Invoices and statements emailed from the ERP instead of printed and re-sent
Reports built from live ERP data instead of copied into spreadsheets
Plant-floor equipment connected on a separate network so data can move without exposing it

Key takeaway: The best automation project for a small manufacturer is usually the most boring one: the step your staff retype every day.

Where do North Carolina manufacturers lose time to manual work?

Mostly at handoffs: between the quote and the order, the order and the shipment, the shipment and the invoice, and the invoice and the books. North Carolina had about 450,000 manufacturing jobs in August 2026 (preliminary), according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and in many small plants those handoffs still run on email, paper and spreadsheets.

Downtime makes it worse: when the one server running the ERP stops, so does order entry. See the true cost of IT downtime for NC manufacturers, and our manufacturing, furniture, textile and logistics pages.

The same customer, part or price kept in the ERP, a spreadsheet and someone's inbox, and none of them agree
Inventory counts that only match reality after a physical count
Month-end close waiting on somebody to reconcile two systems by hand
One long-serving employee who is the only person who knows how a report is built

What is ERP integration, and what can it connect?

ERP integration is software that moves data between your ERP and the other systems your business uses, so nobody retypes it: email and Microsoft 365, customer and vendor portals, shipping and accounting. Preferred Data builds these integrations read-only by default, with credentials stored encrypted per connection, and quotes each one per project.

Integrations also age. Microsoft is retiring Exchange Web Services, an interface some older business applications use to send email: according to Microsoft Learn, EWS starts to be disabled in Exchange Online in October 2026 and is fully disabled in April 2027, with Microsoft Graph as the replacement. If your ERP emails invoices through Microsoft 365, read our EWS retirement plan.

ERP to email: invoices, statements and order confirmations sent from the system of record
ERP to web portals: customers or staff see orders, invoices and account status without calling
Documents into the ERP: purchase orders and vendor invoices read and staged for a person to approve
On-premise Pervasive (Actian Zen) databases, including the PDC Software Suite, reached through encrypted, authenticated connections

Should you automate your current ERP or replace it?

Check whether the ERP you have can be extended before replacing it: a new ERP retrains everyone and carries real project risk. In Panorama Consulting's 2026 ERP Report, released March 4, 2026, more than a quarter of organizations exceeded their ERP project budgets, with additional technology needs the leading cause.

Three ways to cut manual work between systems
Factor	Keep spreadsheets and workarounds	Integrate and extend your current ERP	Replace the ERP
Upfront cost	None, but staff time every day	Quoted per integration or change	Highest: licenses, data migration and training
Disruption to staff	None now, ongoing friction	Least: same system, fewer steps	Retraining on a new system
Risk	Errors and key-person dependency	Scoped and testable one change at a time	Budget and schedule overruns are common
Best fit	Very small shops with simple inventory	An ERP that mostly fits but has gaps	An ERP that no longer fits how you make and ship product
Preferred Data service	Managed IT to keep files backed up	Custom software and integrations	PDC Software Suite, or an off-the-shelf package if it fits better

If you are weighing a replacement, read our ERP selection guide for NC manufacturers and MES vs ERP before you decide. For when rules-based automation beats AI, see AI vs traditional automation in manufacturing.

How do you connect the plant floor to business systems safely?

Keep plant-floor (OT) equipment on its own network segment, allow only the specific connections the business systems need, and monitor what crosses the boundary. NIST's Guide to Operational Technology Security (SP 800-82 Rev. 3), published September 2023, is the federal reference for securing industrial systems while keeping them running.

Separate networks for machines and office systems, with firewall rules between them, designed and installed by our network infrastructure team
Older controllers and PCs that cannot be patched on a normal schedule kept off the office network and the internet
Any data connection from machines to the ERP scoped and quoted per project, read-only by default
24/7 threat detection and response on the office side through our cybersecurity services

Key takeaway: Connecting the plant floor to the office is only an efficiency gain if a problem on one side cannot stop the other.

How is process automation work scoped and priced?

Preferred Data quotes automation and integration work per project: we walk through how orders, inventory and accounting move today, then send a written scope and price before any work starts. The PDC Software Suite is licensed on its own agreement, and the servers and network it runs on can be covered by a managed IT plan.

Discovery: how work moves from quote to cash today, and where it is retyped
Written scope that separates building, testing and your staff's sign-off, and rollout
One change at a time, so each one can be tested and measured
Support from the High Point team that wrote the code, on-site within 200 miles

Process automation and ERP integration questions

What is ERP integration?

ERP integration connects your ERP to other systems, such as email, customer portals, shipping or accounting, so data moves automatically instead of being retyped. Preferred Data builds integrations read-only by default and quotes each one per project.

Do we need a new ERP to automate our processes?

Usually not. Many manual steps can be removed by integrating or extending the ERP you already run, which is less disruptive than a replacement. If your ERP no longer fits how you make and ship product, the PDC Software Suite or another package may be the better answer, and we will say which.

Can you connect our ERP to Microsoft 365 email?

Yes. We connect business software to Microsoft 365 so invoices and statements go out from the system of record. Software that still sends mail through Exchange Web Services needs to move to Microsoft Graph, because Microsoft begins disabling EWS in Exchange Online in October 2026.

Can plant-floor machines be connected to our business systems?

They can be connected safely when the plant floor sits on its own network segment with tightly limited connections to the office. We design that segmentation as part of our network infrastructure work and scope any machine-to-ERP data connection as a separate, quoted project.

What is the difference between MES and ERP?

ERP runs the business side: orders, inventory, purchasing, costing and accounting. MES runs production minute by minute: machine status, work in progress and quality checks. Our article on MES vs ERP explains when a manufacturer needs one, the other or both.

How much does process automation or ERP integration cost?

It depends on the scope, so Preferred Data quotes each project in writing before work starts. A single emailed report and a customer portal are very different jobs. Call (336) 886-3282 to start with a walk-through of how work moves today.

Do you work on-site with manufacturers in the Piedmont Triad?

Yes. Our office is in High Point and we work on-site within 200 miles, covering Greensboro, Winston-Salem, the rest of the Piedmont Triad, Charlotte and Raleigh.

Sources

PDC Software Suite (ERP)Order entry, inventory, purchasing, bill of materials and accounting in one system.Custom software and integrationsERP integrations, reports and web portals, quoted per project.Network infrastructurePlant-floor and office network segmentation, firewalls and WiFi.Managed IT servicesKeep the servers and PCs your ERP runs on patched, monitored and backed up.Technology roadmap for manufacturersPlan automation, upgrades and security over the next three years.Manufacturing ITIT, ERP and security for North Carolina plants.

Find the manual steps costing your team the most time

Walk us through how an order moves from quote to cash today. We will show you where it is retyped and put the fix, and its price, in writing before any work starts.

(336) 886-3282

Preferred Data Corporation, 1208 Eastchester Drive, Suite 131, High Point, NC 27265