In today’s high-tech world, all manufacturing businesses strive to stay ahead of the competition and handle growth driven by customer demands. To gain customer loyalty, you need to have the right processes in place. This is achieved with the technology that enables your business: technology that’s affordable on a small-business budget and that doesn’t lock you in or restrict your future options.
The future of manufacturing depends heavily on these rapidly advancing technologies:
- Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming everyday objects into sensors that enhance data collection.
- Cloud enables computing services over the internet. Data storage, databases, networking, and analytics are becoming faster and more flexible.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used in applications like Siri or Alexa to operate self-driving cars. AI provides a huge potential for businesses.
- Blockchain technology allows digital information to be distributed securely and read-only by the intended recipients.
New-technology challenges for manufacturers
While the technology trends in manufacturing are bound to be challenging, they also allow manufacturers to grow their business. To do so companies need a modern ERP solution that can transform these challenges into opportunities. A 21st century ERP solution ensures better preparedness for these future trends in manufacturing.
A manufacturing ERP system scales up your productivity and reduces costs in more ways than you can think of. And all the benefits of modern manufacturing ERP software boil down to one thing – how it optimizes your manufacturing operations.
Benefits of modern manufacturing ERP
The challenges of these technology trends in manufacturing can be addressed with a modern ERP solution. A modern manufacturing ERP system that integrates or makes use of these future trends helps scale up the productivity of a manufacturing business by:
1. Streamlining processes
Think about the time and cost savings if your IT department could use real-time operational data to help your employees make better decisions and serve customers more effectively. Monitoring sales and expenses in real-time deliver your finance team a realistic view of cash flow, and manufacturing teams are armed with a complete view of the shop floor to help them identify new opportunities and improve service.
Manufacturing operations that otherwise seem complex and redundant, are automated by an ERP system and streamlined across departments. Users can navigate complex processes easily in less time. The result is improved efficiency and cost.
2. Maintaining the right inventory levels
To manage inventory, you need real-time information and tools that can turn every transaction and business activity into clear, immediate business intelligence. An ERP solution can track your entire inventory in real-time. Shop floor supervisors can see the quantity of each item – both raw materials and finished goods – and where they are stored. Having proper inventory levels provide products and services that deliver immediate value to your customers.
Having 360-degree visibility of your inventory enhances control to make the management of inventory more cost-effective.
3. Optimize your supply chain
As your business grows, processes become more complex and transaction volumes increase. You need to be able to leverage new technology to support and streamline operations. The enterprise resource planning (ERP) software you choose needs to do more than keep pace – it needs to grow with you.
Growing businesses need strategies that can boost productivity, improve quality and reduce costs. Supply Chain Management (SCM) in an ERP system smooths the planning and execution of activities in the business. This monitors and controls the supply of raw materials, to meet the demand for finished goods in the market.
4. Mobility saves time
As mobile computing becomes the expected standard for work and life worldwide, ERP offers a way to extend productivity, security, and access to information to mobile workers (plus partners and customers) working anywhere, anytime, on any device. ERP levels the playing field, giving small to midsize businesses access to the technology that enables people to do more with scarce time and resources.
A modern ERP solution is a mobile-friendly solution. It enables real-time access to a centralized database from any place at any time. It saves time and costs for everyone.
5. Better analytics
If your company runs software on one computer for financial management and another program on the network for business-specific tasks like operations and product planning, and also uses a few online tools, it can be nearly impossible to bring all that data together for a complete, real-time view of your business.
All the departments of a manufacturing business are unified and synchronized in a modern ERP solution. This means consolidated reports can be generated using the same system. This brings accuracy in analysis and forecasting becomes precise.
A finance analyst or a business strategist can readily access charts and reports to make decisions based on facts, rather than assumptions or instincts. A sales person who knows the actual numbers will be able to make commitments that can be met.
6. Detect defects with AI
ERP software makes quality management easier. Quality assurance processes are automated by ERP, which reduces the number of finished goods that are discarded. The predictive defect analysis made available with artificial intelligence provides deep, timely insights into all aspects of your business.
This eliminates waste, reduces costs, and increases the profit margin for a manufacturer.
7. Skilled workforce
There is a growing shortage of skilled workers in the manufacturing sector. The adoption of smart technologies is almost the only way now to close that gap.
Conclusion
These latest technology trends in manufacturing have revolutionized operations in manufacturing. Most manufacturers have either implemented ERP already or are in the process of implementing it.
To succeed, you need optimal performance, comprehensive capabilities, a familiar and consistent user experience, and enterprise-grade security, all from a single, trustworthy ERP solution. OptiProERP offers all these benefits and more. Upgrading to OptiProERP software can help you scale up productivity and reduce costs in your manufacturing processes.
Contact us to know more.
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