Manual Manufacturing Transformed: How Automation can be a Gamechanger

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The Road to Digitization

Introduction

With the advent of technology, every aspect of how data operates has also been transformed– be it operations, administration, storing data, classifying data, or even manufacturing. Though traditional manufacturing has worked well, significant developments in the entire industry have caused ripple effects in the way supply logistics earlier worked. In fact, pricing has also changed, and most importantly, customers now expect instant answers.

How, then, does this system adapt to this way of working? Digital transformation is not about becoming a tech company, it is about using digital tools to become a more efficient, resilient, and profitable manufacturing company. 

A possible roadmap for such a necessary change could be as follows-

  1. The Single Source of Truth: Systems such as PIM and MDMs keep the data from being isolated in PDFs, or other such documents. Instead, they move data from such silos into a structured form, which is more accessible. 
  2. Match the Industry Standards: Apart from such systems, codes such as GTINs, and other unique specifiers, can be helpful in reinforcing industry standards, and ensure seamless communication within different systems and partners.
  3.  Automated Models: Models such as the ML model, can be helpful in conducting drudgerous, high-volume, and time consuming tasks. These can also help automate the retrieval and association of compliance documents (like SDS/MTR for materials) directly to the product record, flagging potential issues before they occur. 
  4. Transaction Processing: On a similar note, such models can also aid efficient processing of  contracts, invoices and purchase orders, all of which, though crucial documents, are highly labour-intensive, and take up time to structure manually.

Conclusion

Now the question arises- where does one begin? A great way to start is by identifying your most critical products, such as high-value, or high-impact products. These can be your starting point for digitization of products, and will also ensure that investment in such digital tools will get significant and efficient results, which can further lead to a wider transformation.