What is the manufacturing industry?
Anyone who makes a product can be said to work in manufacturing. It’s a broad term and a huge industry that covers everything from food manufacturing to household goods to electrical appliances. With so many different kinds of manufacturers and products, there are lots of challenges specific to individual businesses. That said, the manufacturing industry as a whole faces:
Supply chain issues
Managing shipments and maintaining an inventory is crucial in manufacturing. Production almost always happens on a tight deadline and the last thing you want is to find you’re low on materials. A lot of manufacturers work with businesses in various locations, sometimes even building a global supply chain. The more involved the logistics, the easier it is for something to cause a delay.
Disruptions in your supply chain lead to lost productivity and revenue. Said disruptions are caused by things like:
- Vehicle breakdowns
- Unforeseen weather conditions
- Unreliable suppliers
Regulatory compliance
Manufacturing has its fair share of dangers, both to workers during production and to consumers if a final product malfunctions. As such, there’s a long list of regulations that organizations like OSHA put in place to ensure businesses are as mindful of conditions as possible.
These regulations fall into two broad categories: factory safety and product quality. Both things need to be continuously evaluated to make sure your practices as a manufacturer fit what regulatory agencies expect to see from businesses.
Sustainability challenges
Most manufacturing companies use a lot of energy to produce products. Particularly at a time where companies of all kinds are becoming aware of the need to operate more sustainably, energy and resource consumption is a big concern for manufacturers.
Ensuring you’re using as little as possible to run your business involves auditing each component of your supply chain as well as yourself. So many things contribute to the sustainability of a business, from the vehicles used in shipping materials and products to the electricity used in facilities to the types of materials chosen for products.
Technological advancements
The manufacturing industry continues to be transformed by technological developments. Whether it’s inventory management software, automation, error-proofing mechanisms, data analytics, or something else, technology is often key in streamlining manufacturing workflows.
With that said, new technology requires new expertise, expertise which current employees might not have. Depending on the solution, it takes quite a lot of resources to implement a new system properly. You need at least one person in your organization who knows how the technology works to ensure everyone responsible for applying it is trained.
Optimize manufacturing with Lumiform
To address these issues and more in the manufacturing industry, consider Lumiform. The all-in-one workflow automation platform helps you apply and monitor strict quality and safety standards, ensure you’re meeting your targets, and is incredibly simple to use. Thanks to the mobile app, you’re able to conduct inspections and maintain compliance no matter where you are and even offline, as long as you have a smartphone or tablet.
Lumiform’s checklist-based inspection system ensures that you conduct thorough investigations and that they’re the same every time. Consistency in reporting is the best way to register improvement.
Checklists also streamline inspections, since when employees have a predefined list of things to check, they’ll be able to work through it all much quicker. The mobile app UI also facilitates inspections by walking employees through their tasks step-by-step and removing the need for oversight.
In addition to inspections, use Lumiform to easily document various areas of your business. Every completed inspection is saved in the cloud so you have access to it whenever needed, and you can print physical copies to present as evidence. Regularly and automatically generated reports help you keep track of what is and isn’t working in your business, and the more inspections you conduct, the more detailed those reports will be. For example, regular sustainability audits help you figure out where your business is successfully reducing energy use and where it’s not efficient.