{"id":8036,"date":"2019-12-10T09:34:18","date_gmt":"2019-12-10T17:34:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog-prod.qad.com\/blog\/?p=8036"},"modified":"2020-11-06T12:01:01","modified_gmt":"2020-11-06T20:01:01","slug":"real-time-information-increasingly-important-for-manufacturers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qad.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/real-time-information-increasingly-important-for-manufacturers","title":{"rendered":"Real-time Information Increasingly Important for Manufacturers"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”8037″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]Digital transformation<\/span><\/a> strategies are delivering more responsive solutions and real-time information to change the way organizations operate. Consider a story from Seth Stephens-Davidowitz’s book, <\/span>Everybody Lies<\/span><\/i> on the topic of <\/span>big data<\/span><\/a>. In one example, Seth highlights Wall Street financial activity happening in milliseconds, requiring financial firms to pay tens of millions of dollars for fiber-optic cable access. This access “reduced the time information travels from Chicago to New Jersey by just four milliseconds, from 17 to 13 milliseconds.” <\/span><\/p>\n

Manufacturers Thrive on Timely Information<\/span><\/h2>\n

While this is an extreme example of timely information access from the financial sector, manufacturers are realizing the need to access timely data in order to rapidly respond to changing business conditions. Take the operational management of a production facility that includes a high degree of complexity to run profitably. Whether it’s <\/span>rapidly responding to changing customer requirements<\/span><\/a>, ensuring raw material availability or maintaining equipment uptime to ensure delivery on-time and in-full, manufacturers require timely information access to address any activity changes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can manually intensive processes provide timely information from suppliers? Are you effectively able to identify equipment operators having the necessary training? Can you ensure quality inspections meet the standards set by your customers? Is material accurately tracked from the warehouse to the shop floor? How quickly are you made aware of inbound supply disruptions? Are exceptions presented to users in a timely fashion to avoid inefficiencies and unexpected costs? Ultimately, does your organization have immediate access to the right information to ensure a rapid response to changes as they occur? Consider just three areas where improved data access boosts operational performance:<\/span><\/p>\n

Improve Supplier Performance<\/span><\/h2>\n

Many manufacturers still rely on outdated processes or fail to understand the role supplier integration plays in maximizing global supply chain performance. Manufacturers we work with often mention the desire for a single source of truth and quicker access to information that improves decision-making with suppliers. <\/span>QAD Supplier Portal<\/span><\/a> provides timely information of critical order, schedule, shipment, invoice and other data with suppliers to remove inbound supply risks and improve supplier performance. Additional business benefits include:<\/span><\/p>\n