How Production Planning Software can improve productivity

Modern businesses are under immense pressure to manage more than just the basic mathematics of profit margins. Lean and agile working practices involve measuring and optimising resources, from raw materials to energy consumption, from staff productivity to maximising machinery use. 

With ever more demanding customers and market conditions, continuous improvement and transformation are required to meet these changing needs. Process automation and other technological advancements may be driving change, but so is the increasing willingness of customers to switch suppliers to cut costs.

Choosing the right tool(s) to support this period of change is vital, it can assist with reacting to new market opportunities to meeting industry challenges. 

Scheduling support

There is no longer any reason for a company to be held back by disjointed communications or different departments working in isolation especially with the available technology in the market.

It is possible to improve productivity throughout every business function, from manufacturing processes right through to order fulfilment with a comprehensive production planning software, also known as manufacturing ERP software. Utilising such software your manufacturing operations can become a harmonious, continuous flow, from the buying team to the sales force, from the accountants to the boardroom. Every aspect of your product evolution can be scheduled and controlled, in a fluid and transparent way.

Quicker reaction times

Having your scheduling and production planning integrated and shareable via appropriate software can also make you far more responsive and versatile as a manufacturer. Production software configured for your production and business needs means you have a far more initiative and adaptable business model.

For example, problems on a production line can be instantly communicated across the company; to mobilise engineers, switch production to a different machine or inform sales personnel in case clients’ expectations need to be managed.

The software can help highlight bottlenecks and automate responses to specific scenarios too, potentially leading to far less machine and workforce disruption.

Greater flexibility to match customer demands

Manufacturing or production software is not just about greater planning and control over business processes. It is also the key to improving revenue and profitability.

An increase in efficiency and productivity can make all the difference. For example, if your response times as a company are quicker and more fluid, you have far greater opportunities to respond adeptly to customers with specific or spontaneous requests. If switching production scheduling and notifying your team takes days instead of hours, you could well find customers are unwilling to wait and will take their orders elsewhere.

Business intelligence and predictive data

Production planning software can provide you with potentially the biggest differentiator available to companies – data. You can pull information to analyse, control your workflow forensically and make informed decisions. You can also simulate a wide range of scenarios to enable your company to make far more confident decisions when venturing into new developments.

Where are the real or potential gaps, resource leaks or bottlenecks? How can adjustments be made to support your business strategy? How much waste created during production? How much time is spent on each stage of the process and can it be improved? Questions like this can be answered with business intelligence within your business software.

Buying raw materials at keener prices

One of the biggest balancing acts for any modern manufacturing business is maintaining stock levels of raw materials. You can’t tie up money in too much inventory, but when customer demand goes up and your supply chain chokes then you lose orders.

Production planning software helps smooths much of that pressure out, making inventory control a streamlined and automated process. Possibly even more significantly, it can monitor market variations and vendor price changes across a large and complex supply chain. Your raw materials could be purchased at far more favourable prices, to improve your profit margins.

To discuss how WinMan ERP Software can meet your current production needs and help you achieve growth, contact us today.