In any global manufacturing company, regional branch, organizational process, or team workflow, there are always ways to work smarter. Evaluating everything from production lines, equipment inventory, and staffing processes can unearth easier, more seamless ways of conducting business.
While change can be challenging, consider any adjustment period well worth the long-term benefits of revising your operations. Try these five ways to streamline projects in the manufacturing industry:
1) Live by your data
Take a status update of where your operations stand right now. Assess your strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement by reviewing your project timelines, met and missed deadlines, material orders, partner contracts, payroll, and systems in place that may have become second nature. Reviewing these items based on real numbers and results removes the comfortable, “auto-pilot” decision-making method. If your current data tracking methods are less than helpful, a user-friendly platform that allows you to measure, compare, and analyze your findings will provide visual, quantifiable evidence of logical areas to cut costs, simplify a workflow, improve a process, or invest in new suppliers, equipment, or software.
2) Invest in resource management
Tracking and planning for your human capital is just as important as evaluating your supply lines. Handling daily tasks of logging time sheets, as well as attempting to forecast future capacity needs in Excel and other manual-input platforms allow too much room for human error that your organization cannot afford. Transition to an all-in-one software program where all facets of your resource management exist in one place. Real-time, multi-user functions give teams across the organization access to the company’s live data. Planning tools that can create mock scenarios using your real data gives decision-makers realistic solutions to resource management challenges and new opportunities to pursue.
3) Embrace technology
Gone are the days when relying on antiquated systems will get the job done. Automation and software tools that can simplify processes company-wide eliminate redundancies and save time and money. Understand your competition is most likely making similar efforts, so implementing relevant technology systems throughout your organization is not only necessary for keeping up, but required for getting ahead. Better yet, seek out a software partner who focuses on developing ongoing updates and improvements to release to their clients on a regular basis and is actively creating the future of manufacturing software capabilities.
4) Prioritize effective communication
Take a look at your chains of command. Are there too many layers of approval required that are slowing down the progress of certain projects? On the other hand, are there not enough layers of approval before projects move forward, resulting in more mistakes, wasted materials, or a loss in talent or revenue? Whether it be face-to-face interactions, conference calls, or a shared software platform accessible to multiple users that can view the company’s most up-to-date information, efficient communication that keeps everyone on the same page informs those who need to be in the loop, while moving tasks and processes forward effectively.
5) Be willing to adjust
Nothing changes if nothing changes. If you’ve evaluated your data, invested in your resource management tools, committed to embracing technology, and opened up your lines of communication but aren’t willing to act on what you’ve learned, your organization will remain stagnant or head for decline. When company missteps or corrective measures are made glaringly obvious, prepare your organization to make some real changes. Shifting from the norm can be difficult, so course-correction takes practice for everyone involved as new challenges will always arise. Moving forward, be nimble in your ability to adapt to a new game plan by utilizing effective forecasting tools to remain prepared for the future.
How Tempus Resource Simplifies Resource Management Processes
An intuitive, user-friendly resource management platform, Tempus Resource houses all resource management functions in one, easy-to-access location. A master of big data collection and analysis, the integrated software allows users to access their organization’s most current resource information at any given time. Streamlined by design, Tempus Resource prioritizes creating new ways for its clients to remain competitive in their respective industries with innovative technology advances.
Perhaps one of the most exclusive benefits is Tempus Resource’s unique What-if Analysis tool that allows companies to use their own data in real time without manipulating it, and conduct hypothetical scenarios to see the potential impact of making changes to a variety of factors. With this capability, organizations can forecast further into the future and be more prepared to tailor their capacity needs for challenges and opportunities ahead.
To learn more about how Tempus Resource can help streamline your resource management operations, reach out to one of our team members for a free trial.