According to a Forbes article, 8 out of 10 CEOs consider mobile technology as “strategically important” to their business operations. Also, 86 percent of them have considered mobile app as the key to operational success.

A manufacturing industry, by nature, can be extremely chaotic. Just consider a manufacturing plant- dozens of machinery installed in one place, a team of technicians and quality control inspectors, in tandem with thousands of items rolling off the assembly line. In order to control all the different aspects of a manufacturing plant accurately, there is a need for a high degree of precision. And in today’s time, technology is the most effective way to achieve that precision.

In an industry like manufacturing, almost everything needs to be updated in real-time to ensure a smoother flow of business operations. However, manufacturing companies are facing a couple of challenges, which can be effortlessly solved by a mobile app solution.

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Most of these challenges are quite common and can be seen in a majority of manufacturing companies who are yet not technology-enabled. And, there is a high chance that your organization must also be facing any of these problems. In this article, we will discuss the top challenges braved by manufacturing companies and how mobile apps can be helpful in addressing them.

Challenges Faced by Manufacturing Companies

Challenge 1: Delay in the Manual Updation of Data

In most of the manufacturing plants today, the data related to inventory management, part details, production, etc. are collected and recorded through manual entry. This process of manual data collection and entry is not only a cumbersome procedure but also involves a lot of time. Besides, the process is prone to human errors. All this combined together translates to low productivity.

Now, this process of data updation can be easily automated with the help of mobile apps. These apps combine smart data collection techniques, such as Bar Code Scanning, RFID, and integrations with other devices that greatly enhance the process.

Also, with less human intervention, the chances of errors also reduce significantly. Using such apps, companies can update their data in real-time and also track it with a simple click of the button. And this results in high business productivity.

Challenge 2: Poor Inventory Control and Tracking

Poor inventory management is among the top reasons why a lot of businesses fail. Manufacturing setups that are not yet technologically advanced make use of excel spreadsheets to track their inventory. This is usually the first tool for all small-to-medium-sized businesses to manage their inventory. However, as the business grows, this can lead to severe issues.

Manual inventory tracking is time-consuming and error-prone if the size of your business is large. With such a manual process, your business will always be one-step behind your actual inventory levels, leading to several ordering issues.

Poor inventory management can result in problems such as stock shortages, overstocking, over or underbuy of raw materials, high lead times, and more. All this has a direct impact on the customer satisfaction level. Besides, it can lead to unpredictable cost burdens on the company.

Mobile solutions help to track the inventory in real-time and transfer the data to mobile and desktop users instantly. This helps in faster stock replenishment and better inventory management.

Challenge 3: Compliance Management

Manufacturers typically employ a large number of employees and their facilities are widely spread across multiple locations. Their operations involve multiple processes and people. This is a great challenge in itself.

Now adding to the challenges is a multitude of regulations that must be clearly understood and followed. And most of these relate safety at the workplace, global employee behaviors, how to do business in international markets, best business practices in a dynamic environment and more.

To meet these challenges, many companies still rely on manual or legacy IT systems that make compliance tough to manage. But with competent mobile apps, businesses can confidently navigate regulatory changes, manage risk judiciously and exploit the competitive advantage of compliance.

Challenge 4: Lack of Coordination Between Internal Departments

As an organization grows in size, there is a lack of coordination between the internal departments that can negatively impact the business’s productivity. Without adequate coordination, the business processes become even more complicated and there is a delay in the completion of tasks.

To coordinate the efforts and activities of the entire organization, the manufacturer requires integration of a methodical process that creates accountability within the company. And this is only possible with the help of a mobile app.

Mobile app solutions combined with proper data recording techniques automate business processes and ensure inter-department coordination throughout the organization.

Business Benefits of Mobile Transformation

Some of the greatest benefits of getting a mobile app for your manufacturing business include:

• Product innovation and tracking
• Business process and operational improvement
• Higher productivity
• Better resource management
• Improved customers service
• Access to data anytime, anywhere without system dependence

Getting Started With Developing a Manufacturing Industry Mobile App

As you start developing your customized mobile app for your business, you must consider the following points:

• What problems are you going to address with the app?
• What functions do you want the app to perform?
• Are there any existing systems that the app needs to interact with?

Having ready answers for the afore-mentioned questions will help the mobile app development company to determine your needs and give you a suitable product accordingly.

A competent mobile app can drastically transform your manufacturing company since you will get a tool to effectively collect the data, manage your inventory, provide seamless communication channels within different departments and connect with the customers more effectively. So, go ahead and invest in a smart mobile app solution today.

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