The Role of Technology for Manufacturers

The world of manufacturing is complex. There are several things that have to be juggled, such as the following:

• Finding customers
• Configuring orders
• Producing and shipping products
• Managing supply chains
• Billing clients
• Collecting cash
• Posting financials

Most days, all of these things are happening at once! So there are a couple of options:

1. Manage each isolated responsibility with separate systems and processes.
2. Bring them all together into one place.

For manufacturing companies that choose option two, this is where technology comes in.

The role of technology is to get a holistic view of the numerous moving parts in manufacturing.

A holistic view is the best view. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Think about a football game. Some coaches stand on the sideline, and some coordinators sit in the booth. At a higher level, they are able to see the entire field.

Coordinators can see the individual players from a wider angle. This is what technology should provide manufacturers—a view from the booth. If technology doesn’t deliver greater visibility, it’s simply not fulfilling one of its primary roles.

But we all know that migrating to new technology isn’t easy. When certain methods have worked for a while, why change? Implementing new technology sounds great, but what if it takes our team forever to become familiar with it? Our projects fall behind schedule while we’re being trained? What if we lose money during the transition?

Think about when society slowly shifted from the typewriter to the computer. Using a computer to create documents is second nature to us these days. But back then, it definitely wasn’t. Think about it. If you produced successful work on a typewriter for 30 years, would you want to change? Of course not! Understanding how to use a computer for the first time was complicated.

But over time, society shifted. And eventually, even the most reluctant skeptics made the switch. Why? Because they saw the results! Using a computer was more effective and efficient. And that’s another key piece of technology.

The role of technology is to solve problems and produce better outcomes.

What if computers didn’t deliver? What if they were just a fad that didn’t create lasting improvement? Then it would’ve been foolish to switch over just so that you could say you did. It would’ve made more since to stay with a typewriter. There’s a difference between technology, and technology that makes an immediate, positive difference.

Going back to the football analogy, let’s say that you’re a coordinator in the booth who calls the plays for your business. At Sikich, we wanted you to start with a technology playbook.

That’s why we created HEADSTART, a working model of Microsoft Dynamics 365 that’s customized for manufacturers. It gives you a prefabricated framework so that you start with the tools you need to run the right plays and win.

The role of Sikich is to assist you in implementing technology that gives you greater visibility and results.

And we do it with greater speed to benefit and profit, with advantages like:

• Less implementation cost.
• Quicker comprehension and application.
• Higher functionality and flexibility.
• More consistent, reliable, repeatable, and predictable success.
• Happier clients and working teams.

Let us set you up with the manufacturing technology you need, all the while helping you keep your project scope, schedule, and budget under control! Contact us today to schedule a call!