Accelerating Operational Excellence in 2015: Optimize Manufacturing Processes with Mobility

Addressing operations challenges

Catavolt launched a survey titled “How Leading Manufacturers are Accelerating Operational Excellence” in September 2014, to gain insight on how manufacturing organizations are working to continuously improve their operations, workflows and business processes.

We collected 111 responses from manufacturing professionals in various disciplines on trends and technology that are driving operational excellence. Increased competition in the market, meeting customer expectations, rapidly changing plant floor conditions, and the need to increase revenue, is pushing manufacturing organizations across all industries towards more efficient operational processes.

Manufacturing organizations are increasing operational excellence investments in 2015

85% of manufacturers plan to increase investments for operational excellence initiatives for their organizations in 2015. (Catavolt, 2015)

These initiatives require investment of time and resources to optimize their peo-ple, data, processes, space, time, energy, and technology required to achieve suc-cess. These organizations are now ad-dressing challenges in order to accelerate their business forward as they compete on a global level to optimize their operations.

New technology allows manufacturing teams to easily access real-time data need-ed to accelerate decision-making and HIĆFLHQF\��IURP�WKH�H[HFXWLYH�OHYHO�WR�WKH�VKRS�ćRRU��:LWK�WKH�ULJKW�WHFKQRORJ\��WHDPV�are better connected, and productivity increases by getting real-time information to employees when they need it.

Doing more with tools, people and processes with operational excellence initiatives

Manufacturing organizations are challenged with doing more with their current teams, processes, tools, resources and space, while still providing the highest level of quality and value.

Driving operational excellence is a continuous improvement process for manufacturers. Increasing competitive pressures, strict regulations, rising costs, customer preferences, and scheduling are challenging manufacturing RUJDQL]DWLRQV�WR�LQFUHDVH�WKHLU�ćH[LELOLW\�%\�JLYLQJ�PRUH�SRZHU�WR�WHDP�PHPEHUV�ZLWK�WKH�UHDO�WLPH�GDWD�WKH\�QHHG�WR�VXFFHHG�DW�WKHLU�MRE��PDQXIDFWXULQJ�RUJDQL]DWLRQV�FDQ�HIĆFLHQWO\�SURGXFH�TXDOLW\�SURGXFWV��VWUHDPOLQH�VKRS�ćRRU�and operations processes, and contend on a JOREDO�OHYHO�

If manufacturers are investing in operational excellence initiatives, then lean approaches are essential for improving overall performance. With WHFKQRORJ\�WKDW�SURYLGHV�WHDPV�ZLWK�UHDO�WLPH�GDWD��RUJDQL]DWLRQV�FDQ�ORZHU�WKH�FRVW�RI�SURGXFWLRQ��SURYLGH�D�KLJKHU�OHYHO�RI�TXDOLW\��LGHQWLI\�DQG�HOLPLQDWH�ZDVWH�DQG�LQHIĆFLHQFLHV��DQG�HOLPLQDWH�EDUULHUV�RI�FRPPXQLFDWLRQ�EHWZHHQ�GHSDUWPHQWV��:LWK�D�V\VWHPDWLF��OHDQ�DSSURDFK�WKDW�LQFRUSRUDWHV�UHDO�WLPH�GDWD�DQG�QHZ�WHFKQRORJLHV��PDQXIDFWXUHUV�FDQ�HQVXUH�D�FRQWLQXRXV�ćRZ�LQ�WKH�SURGXFWLRQ�RI�products and services.

Identify customer value by responding to their needs

Identify Customer Value

(Responsiveness)

Pursue Perfection(Continuous

Improvement)

Map the Value Stream

(Optimize Processes)

Create Flow(Track Metrics)

Establish Pull(Optimize Materials

and Labor)

Identify Customer Value

With automated, data-intensive systems, manufacturing organizations can make continuous improvement to meet customer value and improve responsive-ness. 59% of operational excellence thought leaders believe meeting customer expectations is critical for manufacturers. (Catavolt, 2015)

Where Real-Time Data Adds Value

Real-time data optimizes every point on the customer value chain to deliver the max-LPXP�HIĆFLHQF\��UHVSRQVLYHQHVV�DQG�FXV-tomer value.

Optimize processes by understanding customer value

Identify Customer Value

(Responsiveness)

Pursue Perfection(Continuous

Improvement)

Map the Value Stream

(Optimize Processes)

Create Flow(Track Metrics)

Establish Pull(Optimize Materials

and Labor)

Map the Value Stream

Manufacturing teams can optimize their current processes to continuously im-prove the products produced, constant-ly challenging their team to increase their optimization processes.

Where Real-Time Data Adds Value

Real-time data provides the tools man-ufacturing teams need to optimize pro-cesses and increase responsiveness to customers.

Track metrics and eliminate waste with the right data

Identify Customer Value

(Responsiveness)

Pursue Perfection(Continuous

Improvement)

Map the Value Stream

(Optimize Processes)

Create Flow(Track Metrics)

Establish Pull(Optimize Materials

and Labor)

Create Flow

Accelerate operational excellence initiatives in manufacturing with the ability to collect more metrics to further analyze and optimize processes.

Where Real-Time Data Adds Value

Real-time data encourage a culture of increased integrity, which allows better ĆQH�WXQLQJ�RI�FULWLFDO�PDQXIDFWXULQJ�processes.

Better align with customers by optimizing materials and labor

Identify Customer Value

(Responsiveness)

Pursue Perfection(Continuous

Improvement)

Map the Value Stream

(Optimize Processes)

Create Flow(Track Metrics)

Establish Pull(Optimize Materials

and Labor)

Establish Pull

Manufacturing teams have now iden-WLĆHG�ZKHUH�WR�EH�PRUH�UHVSRQVLYH��E\�FROOHFWLQJ�GDWD�WR�RSWLPL]H�SURFHVVHV�DQG�PDNH�PDWHULDO�DQG�ODERU�GHFLVLRQV�IRU�GHVLUHG�LQSXWV�DQG�RXWSXWV��

Where Real-Time Data Adds Value

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Pursue perfection with continuous evaluation of business processes

Identify Customer Value

(Responsiveness)

Pursue Perfection(Continuous

Improvement)

Map the Value Stream

(Optimize Processes)

Create Flow(Track Metrics)

Establish Pull(Optimize Materials

and Labor)

Pursue Perfection

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Where Real-Time Data Adds Value

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Putting real-time data to work with mobility With an investment in mobility, operational excellence initia-tives for manufacturing can now be optimized by utilizing real-time data delivered to mobile devices.

With mobile apps that deliver real-time data, manufacturers can now:

• Collaborate with teams in multiple locations, increasing productivity and getting real-time information to employees

• Steamline processes to guarantee high quality products, and allow for better decision making � WR�GHOLYHU�WUXH�HIĆFLHQF\���

How mobility helps manufacturing organizations

Mobile apps for manufacturing provide real-time data that helps organizations utilize real-time data to streamline operations

Mobility give organizations and their teams the ability to easily collaborate together, manage schedules, check inventory and place orders from any location. With access to real-time data, manufacturing organizations can easily view sales levels and KPIs to provide teams with the information they need to get the job done and improve processes.

Mobile apps give manufacturing teams the ability to place and track orders from their tablets and smart phones, review account information, monitor labor and repair costs in one place, all while replacing manual, paper-based processes.

The benefits of manufacturing apps

80% of manufacturing thought leaders believe that mobility could add at least 6% produc-tivity to their manufacturing organizations.(Catavolt, 2015)

With mobile apps, manufacturing organizations are provided with UHDO�WLPH�YLVLELOLW\�LQWR�SURFHVVHV�WKDW�GULYH�RSHUDWLRQDO�HIĆFLHQF\�and the bottom line. Manufacturers at the executive level and on WKH�VKRS�ćRRU�FDQ�HDVLO\�VKDUH�GDWD�DQG�FROODERUDWH�RQ�PRELOH�devices without having to use a desktop. Mobile apps allow manufacturing teams to use device features such as camera, GPS and other features to modernize business processes and watch the movement of materials in real-time.

Mobility creates customer value at every step of the manufacturing process

Supply Chain Operations Fulfillment Sales &

Marketing Post Sale

Inventory Control

Real-time Logistics

Scheduling

Receipt Acknowledgements

Product Lead Times

Order Tracking

Scheduling Visibility

Quality Control

Dispatch Scheduling

Logistics

Route Optimization

Warehouse Automation

Work Order Approvals

Service Manuals

Service Performance

Dealer Management

Customer DashboardSales Reporting

Quotes/EstimatingCompetitor Intel/Analytics

Read our report & learn more about how mobility drives operational excellence

Click here to view Catavolt’s “Accelerating Operational

Excellence in 2015: Trends and Technology” Report

www.catavolt.com

• The challenges of getting the most out of

current resources dedicated to driving

operational excellence

• How manufacturing organizations are using

technology like mobility to accelerate their

operational excellence initiatives