Decision Resources Industry Insights: Manufacturing

At Decision Resources we know the challenges of the manufacturing industry well. Our work in supporting companies with advanced technology means we have a lot of manufacturing industry insights to share. Our work helps make yours more efficient, effective, and productive. 

Our technology focuses on Infor’s innovative software. Infor is the ideal fit for our manufacturing companies because manufacturing is Infor’s most significant industry segment. With more than 7,000 industrial manufacturing clients in more than one hundred countries, Infor has gained a lot of manufacturing industry insights. Through providing much-needed technology to manufacturing clients, so have we.

We know the challenges manufacturers face. More importantly, we know how to solve those problems by using and implementing the right technology in the right ways. Our clients can face changing economies, markets, and industry conditions with confidence thanks to the following insights.

Manufacturing Industry Challenges

Each subset of the manufacturing industry faces unique challenges, of course, but there are shared pain points. 

Complex operations

Few companies could say their operations are simple. Factors like multiple manufacturing modes, various manufacturing sites, concerns about environmental responsibility, safety, quality, and regulatory compliance, and a growing need to adopt technology, influence the complexity of any company’s work.

Competition and Quality

To remain profitable, manufacturing companies need to be competitive and meet demands for quality. Lead times must be shorter. Job costing and estimating must be accurate. Customers are also increasingly looking for product-as-a-service options.

Supply Chain Challenges

 As operations grow in complexity, the supply chain becomes more complex, too. In an ever-changing global environment, staying on top of shifts in regulatory compliance can become more difficult. There is also a rise in the number of channels to bring your product to market. Additionally, demand is increasing for a variety of products with shorter delivery times. Companies need to synchronize their demand forecasts, supply capacity, and their inventory quantities. 

Rising Costs

A common challenge is the rising costs of materials and capital projects, alongside inefficiency in operational standards and silo-like decision-making. With the increase in labor costs in the US, moving production offshore hasn’t always increased profits as transportation costs, tariffs, and quality assurance costs have also been on the rise. Global inflation is also presenting new difficulties to the manufacturing world. 

Human Resources

 Manufacturing companies rely on a workforce that is declining. There tend to be misconceptions within the younger workforce that most manufacturing jobs lack competitiveness, higher wages, or clean and safe work environments. There are also many jobs available that require a specific skill set, such as that of a highly specialized civil engineer, which can lead to recruiting challenges. To attract new labor, companies need to communicate opportunities well, use intuitive, innovative, and enjoyable systems, and ensure that skillsets are a good fit for the company.

Solutions with Infor CloudSuite

For every problem, there’s a solution. The challenges outlined through our manufacturing industry insights are easily met with technology, specifically Infor CloudSuite. 

Our software reduces operational complexity by: 

• enabling multi-site planning
• supporting mixed-mode manufacturing
• allowing for better monitoring of metrics and quality
• streamlining, automating, and providing greater visibility into other operations

With the agility provided by technology, manufacturing companies address competitive demands with shorter lead times, improved estimating and costing based on intelligent data, and support for different business models.

With the right technology, your supply chain problems can become a thing of the past. Enjoy better control of your supply chain with:

• access to supplier networks
• reduced inventory costs
• improved flexibility, and 
• material visibility, even in the field with end-to-end tracking and control

And at Decision Resources, we can also help you manage costs through:

• data-driven decision making
• increased uptime
• monitoring and management of processes and information,
• better-enforced standards

We can help you meet any human resources challenges with resource control, allocating skillsets, and assets appropriately. We support project management, attract a modern workforce with quality user experience, and departmental and customer collaboration. 

Learn more about how Infor and Decision Resources can change the way you do business. Call us at 412.562.9660 or email info@decision.com.