Understanding the Importance of Manufacturing Production Software
The manufacturing industry has transformed with the adoption of advanced technology and software, allowing manufacturing companies to gain insights into daily operations and incorporate automation for administrative tasks. Manufacturing production software is a solution that provides companies with oversight and control over business operations while reducing the risk of human error.
Role of Manufacturing Production Software
Manufacturing production software, also referred to as enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, provides manufacturers with access to view and manage the entire manufacturing process with a central software solution. When used across business operations, ERP manufacturing software can gather and analyze data on workflows and processes. This valuable insight brings attention to areas for improvement and monitors progress, reducing production costs and streamlining operations.
ERP solutions also give manufacturers access to real-time data, supporting informed decision-making regarding business processes and financial management. With a custom manufacturing ERP system, companies can build out dashboard and reporting capabilities, allowing users to access and view data in comprehensive charts and graphs.
How Technology is Changing the Manufacturing Industry
As technology advanced over the years, many industries started to adopt it to improve business operations, streamline processes, and consolidate project management. The manufacturing industry was slower to adopt new technology, but smart factories are becoming more common with the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology.
In a traditional manufacturing company, the processes being managed with a software solution were completed manually, increasing the risk of human error. As technology continues to improve and evolve, the manufacturing industry will find a way to adopt it, either replacing or integrating it with existing systems.
Essential Factors to Consider When Choosing Manufacturing Production Software
When looking for a manufacturing production software solution, there are obvious features to look for, like a supply chain management process feature and process management tools. However, there are a few other essential factors to consider when shopping for a manufacturing software system.
Integration with Existing Infrastructure
It’s common to see a manufacturer use multiple off-the-shelf software solutions that are not connected to managing manufacturing processes, including manufacturing inventory management software, production planning software, and a customer relationship management (CRM) system. If you’re not ready to completely part from old legacy solutions, they can be integrated with the new custom software solution to help transition the manufacturing business into a system.
Scalability and Flexibility
When building a custom manufacturing software solution, it’s important to find a software development company that understands the importance of a scalable platform. One of the benefits of using software to manage manufacturing operations is the automation that allows managers to focus on innovation and growth. Having a software solution that can grow with your business as you add new processes and products is essential to managing an effective manufacturing business.
The manufacturing process is subject to change based on employee schedules, changes in the supply chain, and equipment management. If at any point a machine is down or you run low on inventory levels, your production and operations management software must be flexible to adjust to these changes. With a custom software solution, you can have control over how flexible the production planning functions are, allowing you to make changes at any point during the manufacturing process.
Security and Reliability
When a software solution manages processes with sensitive information, such as financial management and human resources processes, the software solution must have security protocols in place. These security protocols can include multi-factor verification, user role access controls, and logging users out due to an inactivity timeout.
Once you have started using the manufacturing software solution, regularly updating the software system is essential to maintaining a secure and reliable solution. Software updates typically include patches that address vulnerabilities in the system and improve security against constantly evolving cybersecurity threats.
These updates can also include bug fixes and new features that enhance the user experience and make the system more reliable. One bug can break an entire workflow, so performing regular updates can ensure the manufacturing software works as expected.
How to Implement the Manufacturing Production Software Successfully
While building a manufacturing production software solution might appear to be the most complicated part of the process, ensuring a successful implementation is going to be the most essential. If employees and managers don’t use the new and improved software solution, then the manufacturer won’t see a meaningful return on investment.
Planning and Preparing for Implementation
Building out a plan for implementing the software solution will help ensure a successful rollout. This plan can include risk management, training documents, and realistic timelines for full implementation. By having a plan for anticipated pushback and roadblocks, manufacturers can be prepared to push the implementation forward.
Many custom software development companies will offer this service as a part of the software development process. At Geneca, our team of business analysts and leadership members will work with you to build out a plan and resources for implementing your manufacturing software product.
Training Staff on the New Software
A software solution is only effective when the primary users understand how to utilize the software and the different features available to them. While most process manufacturing software solutions are designed with a user-friendly interface, offering extensive user training is essential.
Multiple training sessions and additional training materials can be employed to ensure the staff is fully trained and prepared to use the new software solution. Offering in-person training sessions will allow staff to ask questions and provide feedback, as well as understand which parts of the software they’ll be using most. After the training session, provide staff with a recorded training video and a user manual to allow them to troubleshoot issues on their own.
Continuous Evaluation and Improvement
Implementing a new software solution can benefit manufacturers because it reduces the amount of time required to perform administrative tasks, allowing management to focus on growth and identify how to optimize the production process.
As your manufacturing business grows, your software should grow with it. By working with a custom software development company, you can continuously update your software to improve quality control and business operations, which will ultimately improve customer satisfaction.
Work With Geneca Today
At Geneca, we have a team of experienced software development professionals who are ready to help you manage your entire manufacturing process with a custom software solution designed for your manufacturing business’s unique needs. Contact us today for a commitment-free consultation!