The pace of innovation today means that manufacturers need to constantly stay on their toes to keep up with their competitors … but who wants to just keep up? Pull ahead of your competitors and deliver great customer service to your retail partners and customers with these three manufacturing automation tactics for smart business owners.
Start your manufacturing automation journey now using tips and tricks directly from the Scanco automation experts. Contact Scanco online or call (877) 722-6261 to learn how we can help improve your operations.
What is Manufacturing Automation?
Manufacturing automation is the practice of using computer systems that automatically transfer data for you between your shop floor and your management team, including seamless data transfer between your ERP and your production line.
Often, manufacturing automation is confused with “workforce automation,” which is when manufacturers replace human workers with robots on their shop floor. Manufacturing automation does not use robots, so we won’t be talking about them in this article.
If you’re looking for information on robots, check out this three-part series that explores robot-based workplace automation in depth.
Three Benefits of Manufacturing Automation
Whether you work on a Just-In-Time (JIT) model or a Just-In-Case (JIC) model, whether you have ten employees or one hundred employees – the most important way your manufacturing operations can improve speed and efficiency is by automating your plant to meet industry best practices at all times.
Here are three benefits you’ll see when you automate:
- Ensure High ROI Across Your Plant
Large manufacturing automation systems can cost a lot and typically require you and your staff to learn a brand-new system that all your employees are unfamiliar with. This reduces productivity, so often the best-practices model suggests using the tools you already have (such as Acumatica, Sage 100, or Sage 500 ERP), and then building on their capabilities using integrated solutions that help you work faster and smarter.
Using an integrated solution can save lots of money over a full-scale replacement system, resulting in a higher ROI for you.
- Perform Faster, More Accurate Data Entry
Staying organized is one of the top techniques for better manufacturing output, but in the heat of a rush order (or a rush week), your organization system may fall through the cracks. With barcoding, you can keep track of your inventory and output effortlessly, and mobile barcoding solutions help save you time because your employees won’t have to wait in line at a shop-floor terminal to enter in data.
Barcoding eliminates the error-filled process of duplicate data entry and saves time by empowering employees to update records without waiting in line at a busy shop-floor terminal.
- Gain Better Insight and Flexibility
When used in conjunction with mobile barcoding tools, live validation / real-time data helps your management team plan accurately to meet demand and optimize inventory usage or ordering. That’s because mobile tools instantly enter in data so you have a second-by-second view of your production speed as well as any bottlenecks that may be slowing you down.
Real-time data keeps production on track in a JIT environment by instantly updating connected systems to reflect the most up-to-date inventory numbers.
It’s Time to Save Time
At Scanco, we’ve been working with manufacturing automation software and tools for nearly 30 years, so we’re the first to admit that your company has a lot of options to increase speed and efficiency. We want your business to succeed, so we’re here to tell you the truth about all the benefits and drawbacks in each system you’re considering.
Contact Scanco when you’re ready for the honest information you deserve, from the experts you trust. We’d love to help you determine the best solution for your business.
