Today, some form of technology drives all businesses, including manufacturing. As modern manufacturing businesses continue to be increasingly dependent on up-to-the-minute tech to improve their competitive edge, presidents must have a working knowledge of the I.T. upon which their companies rely.
In other words, presidents of manufacturing companies should develop a strong and clear comprehension of how technological advancements can benefit their business.
The best place for a company president to start is by redefining operational processes, customer experience/engagement, and business models.
The more a president understands the I.T. tools behind the enterprise they run, the better-quality business decisions they’ll make any time technology-based issues come up. Executives in the manufacturing world must appreciate the need for innovative technology in operations to improve areas such as standardization, connectivity, and productivity.Here are some of the things a manufacturing president needs to do to be successful in a rapidly changing world of technology, security, and hackers out to get your company:
#1: Boost Productivity
Currently, manufacturers are in a push to expand globally. Nevertheless, post-recession, most U.S. manufacturing corporations are being asked to stretch their assets further than ever. As a result, expansion now means a company has to increase production output without necessarily increasing production infrastructure. Simply put, manufacturers need to shift their focus to operational efficiency.
Quite frankly, companies must do more with fewer people. It is not about dealing with fractured supply chains or cutting costs; it is all about increasing productivity in operations. Consequently, manufacturing presidents need to look for cost-effective and efficient ways of updating plant operations in order to enjoy the extra productivity.
A major way of boosting the operational efficiency of a plant is by improving automation infrastructures. Companies must take a close look at the resources at their disposal and come up with strategies that increase efficiency. Compared to updating the entire infrastructure, updating controls to ensure a plant is more productive tends to be a lot more manageable.
Integrating such controls with one network enables users to optimize control productivity right from the bottom up to the top. The result? An entirely new and efficient system!
For instance, when a manufacturing company hires a firm experienced in network management to manage the firm’s network, the MSP will know immediately there’s a problem in the network. In practice, this simply means that it is possible to guarantee network speeds around the clock, with an SLA to ensure minimum standards are met.
#2: Guaranteeing Standardization
Standardization is the most vital element for enhancing productivity and efficiency. Sadly, in operations, this is not an easy thing to pull off. Trying to drive standardization into the sphere of controls is challenging.
While it is difficult, the process of standardization is an important necessity for expansion. If a manufacturing firm has strong standardization, it becomes easy to replicate those systems repeatedly. Therefore, it is true to say that standardization is connected directly to expansion.
When a manufacturing firm employs the services of an I.T company to standardize operations within systems, it will result in overall operational efficiency, quicker product-to-market, and a reduction in engineering resources.
#3: Connectivity
Ericsson predicts that by 2020, there will be roughly 50 billion pieces of equipment or machines connected to the internet. To be competitive, manufacturing firms must think about how their operations connect to the world—and how their systems are part of a massively connected world.
If you’re the president of a manufacturing firm, you need to ask yourself, ‘’If my company is to live in an ecosystem of more than 75 billion machines, exactly what kind of restructuring should I put in place to ensure connections between those machines are generated safely and strategically?’’
The world is currently connecting. Those who are playing a different card will suffer massive losses.
#4: Improve Supply Chain Management
Unquestionably, supply chain management plays a pivotal role in the success of a manufacturing firm. Manufacturers need to work tirelessly to not only design but also execute strategies that respond to fluctuations in demand, minimize risk, and maximize productivity.
Supply management usually encompasses the shaping of demand and supply coupled with the optimal design of products themselves, thus creating a wide variety of responsibilities.
Leaders should work with their supply chain networks—comprised of contract manufacturers and logistics providers—as partners to orchestrate cooperation between these groups as well as align goals. Having effective approaches to supply chain management calls for adequate knowledge of transportation, logistics, warehousing, customer service, and general manufacturing knowledge.
Products should be delivered to consumers in a cost-effective and timely way that also meets demands.
#5: Sharpen STEM Skills
STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skills are highly important in manufacturing. A leader in this field should be able to apply the right techniques, principles, procedures, as well as equipment to the production and design of various services and goods.
The changing nature of manufacturing floors today informs the significance of STEM in an industry that was once almost entirely blue-collar. Modern manufacturing depends heavily on programs and automation.
Today’s manufacturing processes require higher skill levels. It means that manufacturing workers, from the president to the lowest-ranking employees, need advanced skills that allow for efficient operation as well as help manufacturers improve their profits and output.
Final Words
Whether you are the president of a small, local business or lead a massive corporation, being a contemporary leader has its fair share of challenges. To rise above the rest, a president must initiate every strategy that can give you an advantage—as well as adapt and adjust to the constantly changing times.
With the right mindset and set of skills in place, smart manufacturing business leaders can successfully and consistently lead their firms within the current ever-changing business landscape.
JMARK has been helping manufacturers capitalize on I.T. to reduce costs, increase security, and stay ahead of the competition for more than thirty years. With offices in Springfield, Missouri; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Fayetteville, Arkansas—and customers nationwide—JMARK is at the central crossroads of the nation’s manufacturing industry, perfectly positioned to help your business increase the velocity of its success. To learn more about how we can help you grow, call 844-44-JMARK, email JMARKIT@JMARK.com, or Contact Us through this website.
