Applying information technology (IT) to all recesses and crevices of manufacturing is redefining and reshaping modern manufacturing, whether it’s labeled as Industry 4.0, IIoT, or smart manufacturing. When manufacturers hear technology terms like “digital transformation” or “smart manufacturing” they approach it as a “how is this going to improve my operations?” viewpoint. Just as the convergence of digital technologies is changing the processes, procedures, and energy footprint of factories and the management of manufacturing supply chains it is also shifting how goods are designed, created, used, operated, and repaired post-sale.
Digital transformation must have a purpose (and that should be to increase efficiency, quality, and cost savings), otherwise, it’s just a waste of time. Manufacturers make things. Efficiency, quality, and cost savings are constantly top of mind. With the increase in unstable customer demand, manufacturers are struggling to keep up with the surge. To respond to such intense upticks in demand, processes and supply chains should be malleable enough to react quickly to conditions at hand. If everything is done manually, such as in spreadsheets or using other paper-based systems, adaptability is nonexistent, and processes do not speak to each other.
With the above factors to be considered, capturing data, automating manual processes, and enabling information sharing becomes critical. Digital transformation allows for visibility of operations across the entire organization, including plants, around the world.
Controlling the Shop Floor
The Shop Floor is where it all starts in Manufacturing. Manufacturing companies must always have visibility into the happenings and operations of the shop floor. This includes visibility and access to production details, inventory, quality data and information on machine status, specifically any machines down for service.
Connecting the Business
The shop floor must connect to the rest of the enterprise to make data accessible and promote rapid, accurate decision-making. Companies can now enjoy the benefits of real-time visibility into the manufacturing processes and operations completion to drive better decision making on build vs. buy. Creating a highly responsive and effective organization is critical to provide total cost transparency – at any time and at any stage of the production – and allow you to compare different production process variations as well as resulting profits, even as early as bidding stages.
Unlocking Higher Efficiency with Real-Time Visibility
Plant managers and supervisors can be more productive than ever before by simply confirming production order execution at the point of completing the operations, anywhere, anytime. Production workers can see everything in the “manufacturing moment” over any device rather than hunting down and piecing together information. Managers can view analytics and dashboards that relate to their role from anywhere, over any device, to stay on top of the business. Eliminating paper-based processes that are prone to errors and rework creates a real-time and highly visible manufacturing process that eliminates communication gaps on issues or approvals to company headquarters.
Going paperless, automating processes, and adding granular visibility can initiate the digital transformation in manufacturing—while also laying the foundation for future innovation.
Innovapptive works with enterprise organizations daily as they move towards innovating their plant and shop floors. Innovapptive's mInventory in an SAP Certified Solution for Inventory and Warehouse Management that helps companies have full visibility and access into, and all details on, production, inventory, and machine status and improve business operations all while reducing expenses. The solution enables users to perform common inventory transactions through handheld devices, smartphones, and RF scanners. Users perform transactions at the point of use on their wireless device resulting in real-time transaction processing, improved data accuracy and increased mobility and convenience. mInventory offers companies precise tracking and paperless management of inventory to enhance productivity, lower costs, optimize the supply chain while improving customer service.
mInventory enables you to:
- Get valuable insights about the stock available within your warehouses or storage locations
- Access to correct and timely inventory information with instant updates to your SAP system
- Perform physical and cycle counts quickly and achieves higher level accuracy
- Reduce inaccurate inventory records, shipments and customer complaints
- Eliminate downstream problems in inventory and invoicing
Are you ready to see the future of warehouse management? Get a live demo of Innovapptive’s mInventory solution from our experts today! Simply request a demo and let us show you how mInventory can revolutionize your business.
