Digital Transformation in Manufacturing
Today’s manufacturing industry is changing more than ever. Your customers are more demanding, wanting more from you in less time. How can you keep up? Digital transformation of your business can have a significant impact.
The markets you serve are changing dramatically. You need to do the same.
Trends in the manufacturing industry are changing significantly and rapidly. Ecommerce has led to an erosion of brand loyalty, with customers taking advantage of the ability to go online, compare products and prices from multiple sources, and order from other countries as easily as they can from you.
Automation has led to many efficiencies, but the industry has reached the point of diminishing returns that can be gained just from automation. Companies won’t be able to respond with the same methods they’ve been using. New “intelligent” applications – from ERP and CRM solutions to automated marketing platforms – are revolutionizing manufacturing. Companies that adopt these new technologies gain a competitive edge.
Pay attention to your shop floor.
One of your greatest opportunities for digital transformation may be on your shop floor. Manufacturing companies are often good at employing technology to manage processes for incoming materials and components and outgoing semi-finished and finished products, but they forget about the manufacturing process itself. When it comes to what happens on the shop floor, a surprising number of cumbersome manual processes are still in place. You may still have operators walking around with clipboards and paper forms – leading to inefficiencies that hamper your productivity.
You can’t afford to stand still.
In a time of diminishing profit margins and rapid changes, you can’t afford to do things the way they’ve always been done. You need to be able to increase the efficiency of your processes while decreasing the cost and time to manufacture your product. Standing still means being left behind in today’s competitive environment.
It’s important to understand that digital transformation shouldn’t be limited to any one aspect of your company. You need to look at your entire business and identify the best places to employ the technology that allows you to achieve your objectives. Digital transformation should be about creating value for your company and for your customers.
Manufacturing executives increasingly understand the benefits of digital transformation, particularly younger C-level executives. Digital transformation is easier when leadership understands the benefits of intelligence and analytics.
Going to the cloud.
Going to cloud-based solutions can increase both your flexibility and your efficiency. Today’s analytics platforms require large quantities of data – data that you may not have the capacity or infrastructure to house yourself. And certain functions may mean that you need massive computing power, but you don’t need it all the time. Cloud-based computing gives you the computing power and information access you need, when you need it, but without having to invest in expensive IT resources. And your data is far more secure than in an on-premise server in a factory.
Digital transformation can revolutionize your company to better compete in today’s evolving global market. MicroAccounting provides a range of cloud-based solutions like Sage 100 that can start you on the path. Want to know more? Call us today at 855-876-3773.
