10 Signs You Need Custom Manufacturing Software

If the existing software of your manufacturing business is not scalable, flexible, secure, and capable of seamlessly integrating with other software solutions necessary to run your company, it might be time to upgrade to custom manufacturing software.

 

Gone are the days when you could run your manufacturing company without the help of technology. Now if you want your company to function optimally, you need to integrate technology into its very framework so you can empower your business and scale it at the same time.

 

In fact, software is one of the key elements that powers your day-to-day operations. While off-the-shelf solutions were more than fine for the early stages of your business, it might be time to move on to custom manufacturing software.

 

How can you tell it’s time? Look for the following signs. If you find your company displaying most of these, you’ll know your business is due for a custom manufacturing software upgrade.

 

1. Lack of Scalability

 

Your growing manufacturing company will have greater demands than it did when it first started. Chances are, your existing software cannot keep pace with your expanding operations. You’ll notice that it struggles to handle increased production volumes or the launch of new product lines.

 

You might also notice that the generic software you have is not very customizable - that it does not allow you to adapt workflows to the expanded scale of your business.

 

Furthermore, increased data load may lead to performance issues, causing your software to be sluggish in generating reports, or worse, malfunctioning.

 

Each of these is an indicator of change. With custom manufacturing software, you won’t have to go through such hassles as it can be designed to effortlessly grow with your business.

 

2. Integration and Communication Issues

 

Most manufacturing companies have multiple softwares in place to carry out day-to-day functions. These include supply chain management tools, inventory software, CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and various calculators, among others.

 

Seamless interaction between each of these softwares is crucial. If they fail to communicate effectively, you might face issues such as data silos, thus forcing you to manually transfer data between systems. This can increase the risk of errors.

 

Inefficiencies might also arise, hindering real-time decision-making, which in turn can slow down daily operations. Luckily, custom manufacturing software can prevent integration issues by unifying your diverse systems into a single platform. This allows for streamlined workflows and data transfers.

 

3. Reliance on Outmoded Technology

 

While legacy systems must have surely played a vital part in the early days of your company, they might be turning into liabilities now.

 

Why do we say that? Because over time, a legacy system can turn into outmoded technology that no longer serves your manufacturing business as well as it used to.  

 

Think about it this way. Are you currently facing compatibility issues between the older systems you use and the modern hardware or software that you have? Is your legacy software no longer receiving support or regular updates?

 

Moreover, is your legacy system difficult to modify? Is it tough to adapt to the new technologies and processes you have recently installed?

 

If the answer to all of these questions is ‘yes’, you need to upgrade to a custom manufacturing software.

 

4. Cumbersome Manual Processes

 

When processes at work are inspiring instead of tedious, they increase productivity. However, manual processes can make your team feel bogged down while reducing efficiency across the board.

 

Actions such as manual data entry and paper-based workflows can point to a bigger problem at hand. Combined, these can increase labor costs as more of your manpower will be wasted on repetitive tasks that could have been automated.

 

Human error might also creep in, leading to inaccuracies in data. Plus, such tasks can reduce productivity. Luckily, custom manufacturing software can automate these tasks for you, freeing up the valuable time of your employees so they can focus on tasks that create value.

 

5. Quality Control Issues

 

You know that for your manufacturing company, maintaining consistent quality of the finished product is paramount. However, if your current software doesn’t support that, you might be susceptible to quite a few quality issues.

 

These can range from frequent defects in manufacturing to failure to comply with local regulations and quality standards. Real-time monitoring can take a hit too, which can lead to delays in recognizing issues, thus causing significant damage.

 

6. Inefficient Supply Chain Management

 

If your supply chain management is not up to the mark, you may end up missing critical deadlines, leading to issues such as dissatisfied customers as well as increased costs.

 

The best way to avoid these issues is to first look out for certain signs. These include inaccuracies in your inventory management systems and poor supply coordination.

 

Once you detect where the problem lies, you can create a list of requirements for a custom inventory software and other supporting solutions to optimize your supply chain by getting access to real-time data, automated workflows and predictive analysis - all of which ensure smooth, delay-free deliveries.

 

7. Inability to Meet Specific Operational Requirements

 

As a manufacturing company, you have very specific requirements of your own, which off-the-shelf software just cannot match.

 

Such solutions generally lack specialization as they are designed for broad use cases. Plus, if you try to adapt your process to this generic software, you’ll likely experience inefficiencies, which can restrict innovation and make it difficult to experiment with or implement new ideas.

 

A custom manufacturing software can fix all that as it will be specifically designed to meet the requirements of your business.

 

8. Security Issues

 

As cybercrimes continue to rise in number, security has become a real issue for many manufacturing companies. Unfortunately, relying on legacy or off-the-shelf software isn’t going to safeguard you from potential cyber attacks.

 

If you continue using these, you might be exposed to dire security breaches. The only workaround to this is having a custom manufacturing software installed. Custom software can have additional security levels written into it. Moreover, because custom code is usually unique, it is much harder to hack, making this solution all the more secure.

 

9. Inaccurate Inventory Data

 

Precise inventory count is one of the fundamentals that keeps your manufacturing company up and running. Inaccuracies in inventory count can lead to several issues,including delayed deliveries, production standstills and high shipping costs among others.

 

However, with custom inventory software you can lay these problems to rest. This type of software can make tracking your inventory fast, easy and intuitive at every point in your supply chain. It can also make it easier to handle anomalies as and when they arise, leading to greater efficiency.

 

10. Poor Visibility and Flexibility

 

If you have production facilities in different locations, you need software that can handle tracking inventory and assembly lines in those locations. Custom manufacturing software offers you real-time visibility of every single process taking place in all of your production facilities across all locations, which generic software can’t.

 

What’s more, it also gives you the flexibility to remotely access vital data such as delivery schedules and pricing so you can get that sale you want without having to go through the manual process of collecting individual data.

 

Conclusion

 

Recognizing the signs mentioned above can help you take a proactive stance in replacing outmoded software solutions with modern, custom ones that can help you unlock the full potential of your business.

 

Switching to custom manufacturing software is one of the best strategic investments you can make for your company. It can enhance the efficiency of your operations, ensure consistent product quality and future-proof your entire business.

 

Vestra Inet is the leading provider of custom manufacturing software that has been specifically designed to cater to the unique needs of your business. Contact us to get a custom software solution for your business that gives your business the competitive edge it needs in today’s world.