What really matters in manufacturing? Like what are the very important aspects, without which a business won’t survive in this industry? There are three of them in fact. They are automated workflow, effective data processing, and optimal operational costs. Each of these is achieved with the help of special software.
ERP & MRP
If you are planning to order custom software for manufacturing industry, you will probably start with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Material Requirements Planning (MRP) systems. At least, that’s what most businesses do. And that makes sense as these are the backbone of manufacturing operations.
ERP systems integrate into a single system various business processes, including
- finance
- HR
- supply chain
- production.
MRP, in turn, focuses specifically on production planning, scheduling, and inventory control.
The role of both ERP and MRP systems is to make all manufacturing operations visible to you. When you can see in detail what’s going on, you make smarter decisions. Most importantly, you see how to best allocate resources.
Let’s take a manufacturing plant, for instance. One of its core concerns is to ensure that raw materials are reordered before they run out. If it fails to do so, there will be production delays and these are a nightmare in manufacturing. So the plant implements an ERP system and tracks inventory levels in real time. As simple as that, yes.
OHSM Software
As you can guess from its name, Occupational Health and Safety Management (OHSM) software focuses on safety and compliance. This software helps to
- manage health and safety protocols
- track incidents
- ensure compliance with regulations.
Compliance with regulations is important not only from the financial standpoint. The beauty of OHSM software is that it reduces the risk of workplace accidents and helps create a safer working environment. It’s good in and of itself and it also makes employees happier (and possibly more productive due to that).
Order and Inventory Management
Order and inventory management software is required not only in manufacturing but here, it’s certainly a must-have. It helps to optimize all important processes:
- tracking orders
- managing inventory levels
- fulfilling customer orders.
Most businesses use this solution to, first and foremost, automate reorder processes. Popular products are thus always in stock and there’s no (or little) excess inventory. It’s thanks to this software that a company can actually forget about stockouts and overstocking.
Supply Chain Management Software
Supply chain management (SCM) software is exactly what its name implies. It optimizes the flow of goods, information, and finances across the entire supply chain. Most importantly, it makes things visible. Thanks to it, you can see
- supplier performance
- inventory levels
- logistics operations.
Practice shows that companies using SCM software have better relationships with suppliers. One possible explanation for this is that this solution makes collaboration smoother: it improves inventory accuracy and reduces lead times.
Another substantial benefit is that this software identifies bottlenecks and inefficiencies in the supply chain. So, again, you see things in detail and can make more effective decisions.
Predictive Maintenance
Predictive maintenance software uses data analytics and machine learning to predict when equipment is likely to fail. This allows manufacturers to take proper care of it. In most cases, they do the necessary maintenance things in advance so the equipment lives longer. More than that, they can schedule maintenance during non-peak hours.
Because predictive maintenance software reduces unplanned downtime, it gives a good boost to a business’s budget. Machinery is always in optimal working condition, which is, of course, very good for a firm.
Product Quality Assurance
How to decide if the product is good enough or not? With the help of quality standards of course. It’s just important to keep in mind that there are different standards for different stages of the manufacturing process. And to track compliance with them all, companies use product quality assurance software. The latter helps to monitor production quality and track defects.
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All in all, the role of tech is immense in manufacturing. All solutions reviewed above are, in this or another manner, centered on helping a business automate its processes, make them more accurate and efficient. This optimization is fundamental to everything from customer satisfaction to cost savings.
