Three Trends Growing in Manufacturing

10/20/22

It is no secret the greatest impact from the pandemic was on supply chains. Many manufacturers today are still feeling the impact. For most consumers, they may not realize there is still an issue because most of the bottlenecks we felt during the pandemic have been resolved. Toilet paper, Clorox wipes, paper towels, bread, rice, etc. are now back fully stocked on shelves in every major grocery store.

The reality, however, is the supply chain disruptions are still very much present. Shipping delays, parts shortages, and transportation delays due to truck driver shortages and congested ports are still having an impact on manufacturing companies.  

This has been presenting as a challenge for many organizations and the key to overcoming it is for manufacturers to focus on 3 specific trends: 

  • Supply Chain: Strengthening the supply chain is key to survival for all manufacturers. They need to ensure a smooth flow of materials and supplies to get their orders out the door on-time and maximize overall efficiency. Redundancy and resilience should be added to the equation to address increasing supply chain disruption. One key approach to strengthening your supply chain is by strengthening existing relationships, engaging multiple suppliers, implementing digital solutions for greater visibility, and returning to just-in-case approaches within your own business.  
  • Workflow Automation: This solution helps a business fight against ineffective processes. It helps a business review their processes quicker and more reliable, all while looking for errors in the workflow. This solution when used appropriately, can increase an organizations ROI, and cut their process times in half. 
  • Smart Factories: This is the convergence of smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0.  It involves the interconnection of machines, robots and equipment across the plant and supporting them with the computer power.  A business can get a consistent stream of analytics when sensors are used across the factory to relay a real-tie flow of data that informs on plant operations. As inefficiencies are highlighted, a business can act on them before they become a problem in the workflow.  

Conventional approaches are no longer enough to achieve maximum level of business efficiency within a Manufacturer.  A business must keep evolving and adopting new modern solutions and technologies to give them the best chance of survival and thriving.  

Have you adopted the above trends in your manufacturing business? Don’t know what your business needs? Let 2W Tech help. We are a technology solutions provider specializing in manufacturing solutions. Let our team of IT Consultants help you find the technology solutions that can help strengthen your manufacturing business. 

Read More:

Why Switch to a Cloud-based ERP

Microsoft Teams to Receive Improved PowerPoint Features

Back to IT News