The manufacturing industry involves multiple stakeholders. Major ones comprise the production team, inventory managers, warehouse supervisors, supply chain managers, logistics providers, and transport staff.
From production to inventory to revenue and shipping, every operation needs to be optimized. Manufacturers implement manufacturing inventory software and manufacturing ERP software as an efficient way to streamline processes. However, the manufacturing industry needs a comprehensive solution to address its challenges.
Manufacturers should consider manufacturing management software development to speed up processes and minimize the risk of human errors. They must constantly refine their processes and resolve the gaps in efficiencies to stay ahead of the curve.
The best way to achieve this is through digitalization and adoption of specialized manufacturing software. Manufacturing has evolved from being human-centric to machine-centric. And digital transformation played an enabling role in this.
By integrating technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, the Internet of Things, and Big Data, manufacturing management software development can help manufacturers enhance their workflows and operations.
There are several software solutions available to manufacturers to streamline their processes. This post will explore a detailed overview of each of these. We will also list their main functionalities and advantages.
But before we get into that, let us understand the two types of available manufacturing software delivery models and the challenges they address.
Delivery Models for Manufacturing Management Software Development
1. On-Premise Manufacturing Software
The on-premise software model is a standard software delivery model. Its software is licensed to the users and is owned and operated by them. It is also loaded onto the servers by the users only. This software model allows manufacturers to operate the IT infrastructure internally.
Benefits
- The organization gets control over the software and its IT security.
- The software can be extensively customized to business needs.
- The software does not need an internet connection to function.
2. Cloud Manufacturing Software
Cloud manufacturing software can be accessed by organizations on a pay-as-you-go basis. This means the organization does not need to invest in and maintain its IT infrastructure. Moreover, no other hardware is required to run the software; they just need to provide personal devices to run it on.
A popular example of this software model is Fishbowl, a cloud-based manufacturing inventory software.
Benefits
- Organizations save infrastructure costs such as purchase, management, and upgrading.
- They can scale up or down based on their needs without investing extra capital.
- Data security as the software is backed up offsite.
Trends in Manufacturing Management Software Development
Trend #1: A Modern Approach to Manufacturing ERP Software
Manufacturing ERP software assists organizations in streamlining processes through automation, obtaining real-time information, and reducing costs. However, many organizations still use outdated manufacturing ERP software that adds to their technical debt.
Manufacturers must re-evaluate their business needs, implement best practices, and design templates to meet them while leaving room for future optimization. They must transition toward a modernized ERP software that implements a cloud-based approach.
The ERP software assists manufacturers through supply chain management, project management, risk management, financial management, procurement, and regulatory compliance.
List of benefits :
- It centralizes information and improves overall efficiency.
- It optimizes inventory management to offer real-time visibility and accuracy.
- Diverse business units of the same company can operate using the same data set to manage finances and operations.
Trend #2 The Next Generation of Predictive Maintenance
Predictive maintenance has dominated the field of manufacturing for a long time. It applies Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing to extract meaningful insights from unstructured data.
However, nowadays, manufacturers are looking for ways to incorporate predictive resolution, instead of predictive maintenance, into their process.
Predictive maintenance uses data analytics to assess equipment performance to avoid any malfunctions or issues that may arise. Predictive resolution takes this one step ahead. It offers further insights on how these issues can be resolved.
It uses a computerized maintenance management software system to do so. The software creates a centralized maintenance system that provides information, enhances processes, and automates manufacturing workflows.
Predictive resolution enhances equipment efficiency, reduces manufacturing costs, and streamlines maintenance. Its benefits include:
- It offers information access to technicians that contains step-by-step procedures and an itemized list of spare parts and tools.
- It ensures that assets like machinery, vehicles, and other plant infrastructure are properly utilized.
- It improves productivity and mitigates the costs of the manufacturing process.
Trend #3 Advanced Manufacturing Inventory Software
For a business to be successful, it must optimize process efficiency, reduce goods from stocking out, and maintain track of its purchases and sales. Using manufacturing inventory software helps manufacturers achieve these goals.
An ideal inventory management software involves the use of barcodes, point-of-sale software, and eCommerce integrations, along with warehouse tracking functions. Some benefits it offers are:
- It provides transparent, real-time data on inventory.
- It helps automate inventory tracking.
- It prevents goods from being stocked out, which improves inventory management.
- Some advanced inventory management software also offer features for production and operations management.
Trend #4 Rising Popularity of IIoT
Thanks to its emerging use cases, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is becoming a leading manufacturing trend in manufacturing management software development.
It offers interconnection between unique devices within an existing infrastructure. This empowers manufacturers to make informed, strategic decisions using real-time data to meet various goals like cost reduction, increased efficiency, safety, product innovation, etc.
Some major reasons behind IIoT’s growing popularity involve:
- It allows manufacturers to remotely monitor their equipment in real-time.
- It helps them conduct predictive maintenance and identify unusual activity.
- It assists them in enhancing the traceability of goods through barcodes and radio frequency identification.
Trend #5 Big Data Takes a Front Seat
The manufacturing industry gathers data from multiple sources. Now imagine if this data could be combined with powerful analytics. That’s exactly what the manufacturing industry is shifting towards.
With a number of increasing sources and modernization efforts, coupled with powerful analytics, manufacturers can use data in ways that can empower their business. Some benefits of Big Data that manufacturers leverage are:
- Data-driven decision-making for production, sourcing, cost-reduction, etc.
- Support growth strategy and drive insight-based outcomes.
- Push effective predictive resolution approaches.
- Optimize manufacturing inventory software through insights.
Trend #6 The Rise of Digital Twins
Digital Twins is a simulation of real-world equipment rendered in a virtual environment. It mirrors the asset’s appearance, functionality, and connection to other equipment.
Manufacturers use this to run test model scenarios, conduct training, and monitor equipment performance under different conditions without touching the asset. Digital Twins are powerful tools that manufacturers can effectively leverage to:
- Optimize production by modeling different processes and identifying bottlenecks.
- Testing new production lines and prototyping new products to accelerate speed to market.
- Monitor the performance and health of their equipment.
Trend #7 Cloud Computing continues to expand
Cloud computing leverages Big Data to enhance manufacturing operations through insight-based decisions. Its role in manufacturing management software development has evolved from acquiring data of machines to supply chain management and IoT applications.
It empowers manufacturers to track production data, material usage, etc. to derive better insights into manufacturing processes. Its benefits include:
- It enhances data security through widely available cloud service solutions.
- Cloud-based IoT platforms are used to collect real-time floor data on machine availability, productivity, energy usage, and maintenance.
- It reduces the resources used in computing, data storage, processing, and web solutions, thus mitigating costs.
- It optimizes supply chain management from procurement to material planning to final product delivery.
Trend #8 Collaborative Robots Take the Lead
Collaborative robots, also known as cobots are new-generation robots that automate manufacturing processes.
Cobots are equipped with advanced location, navigation, and safety sensors to minimize risks to coworkers. They collaborate closely with humans to boost the efficiency of individual processes. Some advantages of using cobots in manufacturing are:
- They improve efficiency and reduce production times.
- They help ensure safety by automating physically demanding tasks.
- They are highly flexible and easily programmable enabling them to perform different tasks according to production needs.
- They improve accuracy and reduce the possibility of errors, leading to improved product quality.
Engage the Best Manufacturing Management Software Development Services
The availability of raw materials determines the scale of production. Additionally, inventory levels must coincide with demand to avoid risks of understocking or overstocking. Finally, the supply chain efficiency must be enhanced to optimize the shipping process.
With the advancements in digital technology, the manufacturing industry is entering a transitional phase. Manufacturers are realizing the urgency of developing manufacturing software that can automate various tasks to keep up with their competitors.
However, defining the most accurate manufacturing software for your company can be challenging. You must determine what functions your software needs to have and how it can benefit your business.
TRooTech Business Solutions offers a full spectrum of custom manufacturing management software development services. Our experienced developers leverage the best tech stack and technical expertise to develop effective solutions, from production to manufacturing inventory software to supply chain management solutions.
We empower organizations to develop robust manufacturing software solutions by leveraging advanced analytics, robotics, and Machine Learning algorithms for overall process optimization.
