How you can streamline your business by staying on top of manufacturing technology
Manufacturing businesses know how critical a smooth production process is to a healthy business. In a competitive industry, where marginal improvements can translate to major gains on a business’s bottom line, business leaders are looking for the best means to improve manufacturing efficiency. Here are our top four ways where Managed IT can help you do just that.
1. Connecting to the Internet of Things
Not long ago, the Internet was a thing we only accessed via our desktop computers. But the latest advances of technology have spread the Internet to a wide array of everyday objects, from wearable devices that measure our heartrate to cars that track our location, mileage, and music listening preferences. These objects comprise the “Internet of Things,” and they mark a major advancement in manufacturing technology.
The Internet of Things can improve manufacturing efficiency by providing new performance metrics relating to almost every area of your process, allowing you to learn more about how your production line operates than ever before. A Managed IT company can work with you to connect your business to emerging technologies, so that you can find and achieve peak performance.
2. Proactive Maintenance
Manufacturing businesses are well aware with their equipment’s maintenance schedules, and with the importance of having their machines serviced before they break down and cause production delays. This is especially important in manufacturing, where an equipment failure can also be a safety hazard.
IT plays a critical role in proactive maintenance by helping you measure and better predict when your equipment is liable to need servicing. A managed IT company can also help you monitor your IT systems to ensure they continue to run efficiently. Computers wear down. Software runs out of date. Systems need to be patched or replaced before they fall apart and take critical data with them. Make sure you prioritize your IT maintenance before it fails.
3. Compliance with Regulations
For many, “regulations” and “efficiency” are viewed as diametrically opposed: the more regulations, the less efficiency. However, staying compliant with the mandated industry standards can save you a lot of paperwork and hassle in the future, should you ever have to prove your facilitates are up to the job. The last thing you want is to lose a big contract because you fell short of compliance standards.
It’s also true that not all regulations are inefficient. In fact, they may have passed to ensure safety standards, certain levels of quality control, or increased security measures. And anyone who’s ever handled a crisis resulting from lax standards in any of these areas can tell you how they impact both a business’ efficiency, and its reputation. A managed IT company can work with your business to ensure your systems are compliant with the latest regulations.
4. Focus on your business.
IT is a secondary concern for most manufacturing businesses. You want to focus on the efficiency of your work process, not on your computer systems. If you don’t have a dedicated IT department, a Managed IT business can fill the gap, providing you with the expertise you need to keep your IT running smoothly while you focus on the areas of your business that you know best. Managed IT businesses can also supplement your current IT staff, allowing them the freedom to focus on internal projects.
At Brightline, we can do both. If you don’t have sufficient IT staff, we can step in to fill the gaps. Or, if you are in need of specialist services, we can work with you to handle these specific needs. Contact us for a free assessment to see how we can help improve manufacturing efficiency at your business.
