Changing from a paper-based system to a warehouse management system can seem daunting for any business. There are more obvious payoffs from implementing a system, such as increased picking accuracy, intelligent warehouse mapping, increased capacity, and automated reports, just to name a few. However, the benefits of a WMS are more wide-reaching than you might think and can make a difference to your employees’ attitude and performance.
Here are the key problems that arise from choosing to remain a paper-based warehouse.
- Topic:
- Supply Chain
An ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system is a piece of software that unifies all the information you require to run your business and provides you and your teams with the processing tools to operate at an optimum level in all areas. All departments are integrated into the one system, and therefore a customer’s journey through your company is completely transparent, providing you with real-time costs and status updates to run your business effectively, as well as providing customers with automated, real-time updates.
- Topic:
- Supply Chain
How implementing a WMS helps wholesalers and 3PLs overcome the most common warehouse problem.
I speak daily to businesses with warehouses ranging from 8,000sq ft to 70,000sq ft, and they are almost all worried about the same thing: visibility. Lack of visibility is most often caused by continuing to use paper-based systems when warehousing is quickly becoming more and more electronic.
Read our article on "The minefield of Warehouse Management Systems
- Topic:
- Supply Chain
Following some recent analysis, we’ve uncovered how Access FactoryMaster MRP is being used by small and medium-sized manufacturers across the UK to achieve some excellent outcomes, with one reporting combined savings and income opportunities of almost £1m per year.
Everyone knows that an MRP can boost productivity and yield, but there are other, often forgotten, benefits to implementing an MRP system. So, what are 4 additional benefits you can expect when you begin using an MRP?
- Topic:
- Supply Chain
Tried and true methodology
In the manufacturing world, uncertainty has become the new normal. Since the 2008 financial crisis, UK manufacturers have struggled to find a predictable path forward amidst market shifts, fluctuating material costs, and unstable political climates. Many have yet to return to pre-recession production levels.
The new reality of COVID-19 has raised alarm bells throughout the sector, causing companies to question their past methods and strategies. For answers, many are turning to the Lean methods practised by leading multinationals and a growing number of small-to-medium-sized manufacturers. As one of our customers, Kirkstall Precision Engineering recently said, “We’ve used this to become better at what we do – to become leaner”.
- Topic:
- Supply Chain
Are you fed up with the amount of time your HR function has to spend on manual administrative tasks? Would you prefer to have more time to focus on more strategic activity to support your manufacturing business? If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to either or both of these questions, you’re not alone.
- Topic:
- Supply Chain
Ongoing development of manufacturing sites is essential to provide future-state readiness of a continually evolving business environment. Site Master Planning is one common approach but is often misused.
SMP processes should consider growth aspirations and product portfolios that can be delivered competitively. Failing to fully understand capacity drivers of existing operations will prevent Senior Leadership Teams from defining development programmes with optimal capital employed.
With an accurate model of operational capacity, all members of the management team including finance, operations, sales, logistics and production, can make better and more transparent decisions working from a common understanding of why an investment should be made, when and where.
- Topic:
- Supply Chain
It sounds obvious, doesn’t it? So why are so many manufacturing companies struggling to access the information they need to make fast decisions and run their businesses at optimum efficiency?
Information is power - but only if you can get to what you need quickly and have complete confidence that it’s correct. And that’s the problem for so many manufacturing companies. Despite having invested in software and systems to collate and manage data, it can still be far too difficult to gain access to what is needed quickly and confidently. Separate and unconnected systems are the root cause of data problems with duplication, inconsistent update protocols and lack of formalised data cleansing. It’s easy to see why the mountain of information just gets bigger – and the ability to use the data effectively becomes ever more difficult
- Topic:
- Supply Chain
Continuously improving is key
It’s a stark fact that businesses don’t survive if they don’t improve. Competing for customers is hard work, and every business, especially in the hard-pressed manufacturing sector, must find better ways to win than simply shaving more and more off their margins. One of the most effective ways to enhance business performance is to use technology to reduce the reliance on people. Technology tools and relevant data provide access to the right information whenever it’s needed, empowering the whole team, not just the privileged few.
- Topic:
- Supply Chain
How agile is your production planning?
Maximising capacity, ensuring efficiency, meeting deadlines and delivering for customers are key components for any manufacturing business.
Having a defined schedule in place tells production managers – and those working on the line – what to make and in what order.
However, does it have the ability to deal with unexpected events? What if a new order comes in? What if a machine breaks down? What if a component isn’t delivered on time? What if maintenance is scheduled?
You get the idea.
- Topic:
- Supply Chain
