Improving efficiency and achieving lean status are common goals among manufacturing companies. As the market becomes increasingly more global and competition continues to rise, manufacturers are feeling the pressure to produce more quality products at less expense. Lean manufacturing has helped many companies improve their productivity, profitability, and market leadership. By implementing new strategies and reducing waste, manufacturers all around the world are seeing their efficiency and profit levels rise dramatically.
Achieving lean status, however, requires implementing the right technology just as much as implementing effective strategies. If your company is not utilizing current technology in the warehouse, you could be losing out on significant opportunities to improve efficiency, save money, and succeed in the worldwide marketplace. Take a look at the following ways implementing the right technology can help you take your manufacturing efforts to a whole new level and assist you in achieving the much desired lean status:
1. The right technology can provide you with a unique perspective on your manufacturing operation and help you identify the areas that need improvement. Manufacturers rely on sophisticated solutions such as ERP software to determine the steps they need to take to make improvements in the warehouse. ERP software allows you to view your entire operation, as well as drill into specific parts of the organization for closer examination. The software can identify problem areas automatically so you can spend time coming up with a solution. This insight provides you with the capability address problems as they arise and evaluate your processes to ensure that they remain effective.
2. Pairing ERP software with barcoding technology can reduce the time you spend tracking down inventory and increase your overall efficiency. Many manufacturers are implementing barcoding solutions to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. Barcodes can save your company valuable time in the inventory process, as well as provide you with valuable information on the location and specifics of your inventory products. By integrating your barcoding solution with your ERP system, you can receive automate inventory updates to your ERP software so you and your managers are always in-the-know.
3. The right technology improves communication among all areas in the business. Today’s manufacturing technology has come a long way. When you pair your ERP software with your barcoding and other solutions, all of your information is updated in real-time. This data can then be accessed by company executives, managers, and warehouse workers on the floor. Some companies even go a step further and implement mobile devices in the warehouse to support this type of constant communication.
By staying connected, your business can gain an accurate idea of its state and focus on the areas that need improvement or more time and attention.
4. Utilizing software to measure key metrics can help you troubleshoot current problems and plan for future success. If you aren’t using your manufacturing software to measure key metrics, you are doing yourself a disservice. Analyzing your data is important to helping you troubleshoot problems in the warehouse. With ERP software designed for manufacturers, you can run reports on your efficiency, effectiveness, and profitability. This can serve as a guide for implementing new lean strategies.
All in all, with the right technology, your manufacturing company will develop staying power in today’s highly competitive market. Updated ERP solutions, mobile devices, and barcoding technology all support lean manufacturing efforts. When complemented with lean strategies, your manufacturing technology can take you to new levels and increase your profitability. When you pair technology such as Infor VISUAL manufacturing ERP software and barcoding solutions such as ScanForce, you can begin creating an entirely new warehouse. Contact us today to learn more about these innovative technology solutions.
To learn more about improving your lean strategy, download our whitepaper, “Bridging the Lean Performance Gap: How Manufacturers Can Achieve Real Lean and Real Results”.