Five Misconceptions of Manufacturing Software

Contributed by: Kevin Must

While the industry is trending toward becoming more technologically connected, there are still many misconceptions floating around about the feasibility, usefulness, and longevity of emerging technologies. Here are five misconceptions we hear regularly:

1)    “It is expensive.”

To be fair, manufacturing software solutions do come at a cost. That said, they are designed to make manufacturers more efficient in their daily tasks while helping save time and money in production. While the initial proposal may send some into sticker shock, you will quickly realize that the return on your investment will be seen quicker than you imagined. Check out this blog on how to calculate ROI for software purchases. 

2)    “It is cumbersome.”

Depending on the complexity of the solution you purchase, it can seem daunting. That is why it is crucial to find a solution partner with ample experience in the field. By partnering with an experienced solution provider, they will handle all the difficult technological challenges in the background while working closely with your team to ensure nothing is missed during implementation. We suggest building a small, internal team of champions from the departments the solution you choose will impact and take the time to vet any solution providers you are looking to engage with. 

3)    “It is confusing.”

We get it, technology can get confusing. That is why we are here to help with your software implementation every step of the way. Here is a brief example of how we operate to ensure nothing is overlooked and we provide the best service to prospects and customers:

• Exploratory Call – This helps us get a clear understanding of the scope needed by the prospect before we schedule an online demonstration of our product.

• Online Demonstration – Now that we have more information on where you are looking to improve, we can show a demonstration with your parts and processes to give a better visual of how our system will help you.

• Consultative Advice – With more than 98,000 users worldwide in various sectors of metal fabrication we have seen many operational models. This knowledge lets us provide insight into other best practices we have seen that may help your shop.

• Project Planning & Management – Once we come to an agreement with a new customer, we take care of all project planning and management. We work closely with key stakeholders of each department to schedule times for data analysis, data backup, installation, training, and future updates. 

• Training & Support – To get the most out of your new solution, training is essential. With such powerful software, you may find yourself doing things in a way just to get them done. We offer extensive training that focuses on the user’s needs and show them how to best use our software so they can get the most out of it. Lastly, we pride ourselves in quick response times for support calls with highly skilled technicians – some of which came from the shop floor!

4)    “It is hard to implement.”

We understand the challenges of implementing new technology. Our technicians work with your staff to install and update our software to ensure everything is working properly. 

Another challenge with this may be buy-in from key stakeholders in your organization. By creating the above internal team of champions from each department, you take the burden off a single person to explain why the company needs such a solution and how others will benefit. 

5)    “Our shop does not need it.”

One of the biggest challenges manufacturers face is transparency of their operations and costs. Without technology, this is next to impossible to track accurately. Quotes may be generated from legacy knowledge according to previous production runs. Are those prices adjusted when the cost of material or other consumables increase? Do you know your true profitability of the job?

Without MES and ERP solutions to track operational time and cost, there may be times where jobs are quoted, accepted, and produced at a loss. By having these systems in place, you will never have to worry about profitability again and you will be one of the first quotes in your customer’s or prospect’s inbox, increasing the probability of acceptance. Even if the customer would like to negotiate price, these solutions allow you to set specific parameters for discounting to ensure you will never dip below a certain profitability for that job. 

So, what are you waiting for? Contact us today to learn about your next steps in the digital transformation of your factory!