CIMx Blog

Part 6  |  The Calibrator 

Now that you’ve found your Visionary, Connector, Implementer and Definer you’re nearly ready to start your project. What your team still lacks is the person responsible for external research and communication. They know where to go, which questions to ask and have the resources and diligence to get the job done.

This week we discuss the Calibrator.

Part 5  |  The Definer 

The surest way to take the wind out of the sails of a project is to realize a requirement has been misinterpreted by your key decision makers. If the confusion relates to a key piece of the project, it can set work back months, hold up go-live and create rifts between departments. The only way to avoid this devastating scenario is to assign ownership over the recording and defining of those critical points to a single member of your team.

This week we discuss the Definer.

Part 4  |  The Implementer 

To follow through on a successful selection and implementation of your next production control system, you need to assemble the right team with the right skill set. Some roles require social or political acumen, others require an understanding of process or corporate structure. You may even find multiple qualified candidates on your staff to fill those roles well. In the case of this absolutely critical team member however, our mantra of “talent over title” is more relevant than ever. 

This week we discuss the Implementer.

Part 3  |  The Connector 

In addition to the steadfast guidance of your Visionary, your team needs a lead to be the hub through which information flows. They will be responsible for understanding the mission laid out by the Visionary and communicating the independent requirements of the various departments involved in the project. Without a dedicated team member receiving and translating those requirements, your project runs the risk of late additions that create conflicts with established functionality.

This week we discuss the Connector.

Part 2  |  The Visionary 

The first step in any successful manufacturing system project is to assemble the right people around the table. As we discussed in “Assembling Your Production System Project Team”, it’s more important that you focus on talents than titles. Throughout March we will be focusing on the specific roles that will make up your team and ultimately propel your project to success.

This week we discuss the Visionary.

Part 1  |  Who Should Have a Seat at the Table?

You need to assemble the right team, both internally and externally, to select, implement and support your manufacturing system. Manufacturers can’t expect IT alone to understand the needs of production just as IT wouldn’t expect QA to understand integration connections to/from your ERP. That type of departmental decision-making leads to narrow systems that rarely make it to implementation.

The Workforce is Changing. Are You Ready?

The latest jobs reports have come in and the findings have an impact on how you hire, how you invest in your current team and how you plan for your future.

Wage growth has increased over the past 12 months, the average earnings increasing to $27.48 and, even though manufacturing jobs grew by 32,000 in January, the ISM (Institute for Supply Management) index dropped by 5% in December. This shift illustrates a lack of confidence in the coming months for manufacturers across industries [Schneider NPR, 2019].

Today's blog focuses on what the changes in the economy mean for your business and how production systems like Quantum help you keep your most valuable Operators engaged in the face of difficult trends.

Which ERPs Can Manage Production? | Part 2 of 2

In part 2 of our ERP for production series, we cover the critical factors to understand when researching production systems. To learn more about requirements based on your size revisit Part 1 where we discuss the difference between “Growing” and “Influencer” sized manufacturing needs.

Regardless of size, every manufacturer needs to keep these 5 factors in mind when selecting their next production control system:

• Demand clear upfront pricing (including implementation and customization)
• Request a live demo
• Never fall in love with gimmicks
• Know your shop’s needs
• There is no such thing as simple production 

Which ERPs Can Manage Production? | Part 1 of 2

I’m going to save you some time and get straight to the point; there are really only 4 ERPs that are designed to manage any element of live production.

If you’re a smaller shop (5-15 Operators) then Shoptech or JobBoss are potential fits. They’re inexpensive (comparatively) but offer limited functionality without expensive customization and are restrictive to growth.

If you’re a larger manufacturer (300+ Operators) then reaching out to systems like INFOR or IQMS are a good place to start, but expect a long install and high cost of entry.

*Note: For shops between 75-300 Operators, there are answers. Just not in the form of an ERP.

Here’s the catch.

Unless you already have these ERPs implemented you’re looking at 3 years (minimum) to rip out your existing system and replace it with the new ERP just to get to the functionality that these systems consider secondary to their front-office tools.

ERPs were designed for the financial, HR and ordering segments of your business, so the production functionality has likely only been bolted on to their product in the past 5-10 years.

So let’s refine the question. It isn’t, “which ERPs can manage production?” but rather, “which system is the right fit for my shop?”. 

Federal Award Programs Designed for U.S. Manufacturers

You are too busy to surf through the internet hunting down government grants. Production is backing up, you had another experienced Operator retire that needs replaced and your calendar is booked with meetings of people trying to convince you to drive your prices down even lower just to compete with overseas competition. 

The stress of just keeping a small manufacturing business afloat is overwhelming.

If these are your reasons for not seeking federal funding, then you’re exactly the kind of plant the government’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) was created to support.

Increasing Production Without Increasing Hiring

In 1987, manufacturing jobs made up 33% of all employment in the United States. Today, those numbers have plummeted to 8% (Pew Research Labs, July 2017).

Our Experts speak with manufacturers all around the country and we've heard the same thing from every state. The common refrain is an inability to find enough people qualified to do the work. This leads to skyrocketing salaries, overtime bloat, and the ultimate frustration of being forced to turn away work due to a lack of resources or an inability to meet the customer’s tight deadline.

So where do you find the right people to increase productivity? On your own shop floor.

You don't need to lower your standards just to bring on under-qualified Operators, you need to give your existing team everything they need to succeed with your current workforce.

2018 Advanced Manufacturing Technology Show Series |  6 of 6

You’ve hired an ERP vendor. You should never say you bought an ERP. You hired a vendor. They’re going to be with you for a long time. Get to know them. You bought a system. You’re paying a lot of bills during the scoping process and you can’t yet use it to do anything. 

You’re exhausted. You’ve spent more money and time than you would like and certainly than you’d care to remember. You don’t have a system yet. But you have a new hire. A fabulous new hire.

2018 Advanced Manufacturing Technology Show Series |  5 of 6

Nearly every company we talk to thinks that an MES fills a gap in their ERP. It seems logical from the outside, but a real MES is light years beyond a functionality bridge.

The ERP vendors would like you to think it’s true. It helps them win the argument that the ERP should do everything and even that the ERP can do everything (which it most certainly cannot).

An ERP is transactional. It handles things – a bill, a person, a customer, an order. If you’ve ever been around the implementation of an ERP, you understand the depth of pain it takes to install. That pain that you experience, and I do mean pain (have you ever seen an ERP implementation on-time or on-budget?) is the vendor building the system for you.

2018 Advanced Manufacturing Technology Show Series |  4 of 6

We’ve spent the last few weeks talking about software vendors – what makes a good one, how to tell and how to know what questions to ask. Now let’s talk about what makes a great customer. In order to have the best customer experience, there are some things that you should know.

Remember, you are going to be in this relationship for a long time (unless you have a really crappy software vendor and rip it out quickly, which I hope you never have to do).

There are a few things that all companies (manufacturing or otherwise) can do to make their software-buying experience run as smoothly as possible. Everything that you do affects the way that you will experience the product, the service and the relationship with the vendor, so do what you can to make the most of it.

2018 Advanced Manufacturing Technology Show Series |  3 of 6

I could give you all the advice I have to help you pick just the right software vendor and it still wouldn’t be enough to get you the right choice right away. In the age of consultative selling, software sales people are very good at telling you and showing you exactly what they want you to see which always happens to be what they’re great at. They’re also good at covering up their weaknesses. 

So how can you tell what they are not telling you?