Advanced technology is profoundly changing the levels of productivity in a lot of ways, including running a business. Businesses are turning to manufacturing software to stay up with this shift. They witnessed how technology can be of tremendous help in many parts of the manufacturing cycle, especially when combined with manufacturing management software.
What Are the 5 Types of Software Used in Manufacturing?
You may obtain support from integrated manufacturing software for your manufacturing firm, addressing various demands. All of these are readily accomplished with the assistance of automated solutions. These five solutions are critical to your entire operations, whether you're looking for manufacturing software for small companies, fortune 500, or in-between.
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First is the manufacturing software. This technology is built primarily for automating complicated and repetitive procedures in the industry. It makes them simpler to minimize non-value-added operations, eliminate unnecessary downtime, and avoid process errors. Additionally, it optimizes scheduling and resource allocation while adhering to quality requirements.
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Next, manufacturers use inventory management software to guarantee that resources are constantly in appropriate quantities to avoid downtime in the manufacturing process. Furthermore, effective inventory management software solutions enable firms to manage their inventory across numerous manufacturing facilities.
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You can't manufacture goods without supplies. To sort this out, you will need supply chain management. It's a methodical technique to control the distribution of commodities from raw material suppliers through manufacturers and, eventually, to customers.
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To serve the customers, you would also want CRM systems. This will make an easier monitoring of consumer behavior using real-time and full sales data, focusing on the most significant prospects and responding to demands made by customers.
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This would not have been possible without your staff, who keep the production process moving. Thus, deploying HRM software may assist in meeting the demands of your employees.
Which Software Is Best for Manufacturing?
Manufacturing, inventory, SCM, CRM, and HRM software will be valuable to your manufacturing company. Each of these pieces of software has specific applications that can help your manufacturing company function more efficiently. But for now, we'll focus on the first and most significant topic, the best manufacturing management software. Here is our top 5:
#1 Hubstaff
Hubstaff Field is a reliable partner in improving the performance of your manufacturing line. Its real-time monitoring technologies enable more effective planning, team schedules, and workforce management. You may also conduct discreet personnel monitoring and GPS tracking with Hubstaff Field. Data is captured automatically via online timesheets, which are subsequently fed into analytical reports.
If you're worried about your employees tiring themselves, you'll find Hubstaff handy. It's also easy to sign in and out from any device, assuring appropriate time cards for your entire workforce.
Hubstaff also offers simple online invoicing and payroll services to industrial companies. This means you can manage timesheets and payments from the same interface. The tool also assists you with improved project budgeting based on the comprehensive data acquired.
No other manufacturing software offers cutting-edge technology that automatically clocks your crew in and out when they arrive at work. It also directly answers the demands of your production operations. Also, you won't have to worry about not knowing how to use one. Furthermore, controlling your manufacturing process will be an ease with all of its capabilities.
Key Features and Advantages
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Has real-time monitoring tools
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Encourages better team planning
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Uses tools for workforce management
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Uses GPS tracking for employee monitoring
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Offers detailed data collection and report production
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Has easy invoicing and payroll capacities
#2 Fishbowl Manufacturing
Fishbowl Manufacturing is both a manufacturing software and ERP solution with adequate functionality and price for small and medium-sized organizations. The package includes labor and production orders and an enhanced bill of material cost handling.
Manufacturers may use Fishbowl to track inventories across various sites. Meanwhile, their inventory management can be managed via tracking and reorder points. This MES for small businesses contains an automated platform to easily control processes without complications. At the same time, it is jam-packed with features.
The software allows you to generate hierarchical work orders, giving you access and overview to all production phases. Therefore, it guarantees that no important process will be overlooked.
Fishbowl also has part tracking, delivery, sales, and purchasing functionality. That is quite notable because it connects with two prominent SMB work tools, particularly FreshBooks and Xero. You may conduct your accounting procedures from the ERP while utilizing your favorite accounting software.
Overall, we can attest that Fishbowl got everything you might need. Perhaps, it just lacks employee tools and CRM systems.
Key Features and Advantages
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Manufacturing software for small businesses
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Handles advanced manufacturing processes
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Handles bills and invoicing seamlessly
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Has tracking and reorder features
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Creates multilevel work orders
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Visibility across all stages
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Offers part tracking, shipping, and purchasing functionalities
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Uses an easier accounting process via integrations
#3 Prodsmart
Prodsmart is an excellent choice for manufacturing execution system software (MES). Its mission is to link machines, people, and processes. You can easily convert to digital shop floor monitoring with Prodsmart.
Most manufacturing management software lacks flexibility. But because this system is adaptable, it can accommodate your operations. Additionally, it analyzes real-time data, so you may access an analysis right on your dashboard. You'll be able to track how far you're going and where you might have problems.
The platform also includes tools for planning and manufacturing resource planning (MRP). This means you can access a simple solution to balance both supplies and demand with comprehensible inventory requirements.
Moreover, these systems are built on solid data collection, making stock management easier and more successful. Prodsmart also visualizes workflows for a better overall picture and enables seamless personnel scheduling and tracking. One edge it has over the others is that you may also manage quality management using the tool.
Key Features and Advantages
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Manufacturing execution system for machines, employees, and production processes
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Shifts to digital shop floor control
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Has s flexible system adaptable to your needs
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Provides real-time data and analysis reflected on dashboards
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Provides planning and manufacturing resource planning (MRP)
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Visualizes workflow so employees can track their productivity
#4 UniPoint
UniPoint is a market leader in quality management software (QMS) for industrial firms. Compared to others, It provides ERP-integrated QMS appropriate for various sectors, including medical, food and beverage, automotive, and chemical sectors.
Because of its versatility, UniPoint had to divide different functionalities into three modules. From this manufacturing management software, you can access the core, add-on, and web features, all of which assist businesses in automating quality control.
To gain a comprehensive insight into what you can expect, know that the three modules function differently. For starters, non-conformance, corrective and preventive action, and document control are among the functions available in the basic modules. Inspection, auditing, health and safety, and validation are all available as add-on modules. You may transition to mobile QMS with mobile inspection and web requests using the web modules.
Overall, if you're seeking ways to increase your manufacturing output and effectiveness, UniPoint has brought all elements together under one platform so you can get started on the path to digital transformation.
Key Features and Advantages
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Quality manufacturing management software
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Offers enterprise resource planning within its quality management system (QMS)
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Suitable for all types of businesses in the manufacturing industry
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Offers three diverse tools, including core, add-ons, and web features
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Controls the entire production process using core tools
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Inspects and validates products through add-ons
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Moves workspace to mobile devices in web features
#5 Prodio
Prodio is a start-up that caters to small-sized companies. In contrast to other software solutions, it focuses on the most practical features for small businesses: shop floor control, time and attendance, orders management and work in progress tracking. Manufacturers can receive a real-time view of their business, while they can delegate jobs and monitor expenses and overall performance.
Prodio takes what's best of Manufacturing Execution Systems, MRPs, and production control software to create a unique low-cost solution. Because it is so simple and inexpensive, even companies that employ as few as two workers on their shop floors can use it. There is no need to hire a technical team or to invest in IT infrastructure.
Core functionalities allow you to follow the progress in real-time, offering a live preview into your shop floor activities for optimal planning and entire shop floor control. It helps with the cost and labor tracking by improving communication between the shop floor and the sales team. To establish a paperless production environment, you may also eliminate paper orders and spreadsheets.
Key Features
Online production planning and real-time communication:
Prodio allows you to establish an online production schedule with a simple list of jobs representing each machine operation. This is only possible if managers and employees communicate well. Fortunately, you can see what is happening on the shop floor as workers register production and tasks change in real-time.
To improve communication with the shop floor, you may assign workers to particular tasks, attach images, files, and papers, and make comments. Using prior operations, determine where you are in the manufacturing process and which products/operations are up for the next workstation.
Furthermore, you may easily manage your production by utilizing customizable views by dividing your schedule into production floors, workstations, and assembly teams. Control and coordinate numerous processes with easy-to-read, colorful Gannt's charts or Calendar view, or use graphical scheduling and sophisticated planning.
Shop floor control and work in progress tracking:
View real-time work changes, manage critical metrics, make informed decisions, and keep everything on track. Through shop floor control and work-in-progress tracking, you can access work-in-progress registration, simple worker identification, efficiency analysis and work history, online work registration on multiple devices, raw material consumption, and export and download of work history.
Orders and products management plus simple inventory:
Regain control of your orders, check lead times, and maximize efficiency. Prodio does this with a graphical order view, real-time order status, raw materials and inventories, rapid planning from a list of orders, and printed production guidelines to share with the shop floor.
Products database and your company knowledge management:
You may collect information about items and their technologies in one database using Prodio's products database and your company knowledge. Add the manufacturing technique to each product and a list of future activities, machine parameters, and anticipated efficiency. You can save technical drawings, documentation, images of your products, and related files in the system.
Time and attendance tracking:
You will always have quick access to time attendance records and the overall number of working hours. The records are produced by clocking in/out, so you can simply track workers' time spent at work and avoid tardiness. This information may be exported to payroll software.
At the same time, you also get registration breaks, analyze worker productivity, see real-time worker status, export attendance and xls. data, and clock in/out through the production schedule.
The program does not overwhelm the user with raw production data. Instead, it allows you to create a product database, which helps minimize the number of faults and, hence, the number of complaints. Furthermore, order monitoring and product management provide an entire batch traceability and working history.
Small companies benefit from Prodio's features and solutions specifically tailored to their needs. It contains product management software and manufacturing control software designed specially for them.
Pros
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Compatible for small businesses
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Makes online production planning and real-time communication seamless
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Lets you oversee orders and products management together with its simple inventory
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Easily manages products database and your company knowledge
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Has a shop floor control and work-in-progress tracking
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Offers time and attendance tracking and other employee-centric features
Cons
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No freemium lifelong version
Prodio automates tiresome jobs, optimizes workflows, and eliminates needless chores by providing total visibility into factory floor processes. You may test it for free for14 days to see how it works. Just click here to register.
What Software Do Manufacturers Use?
Manufacturing software may greatly simplify your life as a manufacturer. Not only will you have access to process transparency and optimization but also receive inventory planning, real-time monitoring, product development planning and design, etc.
With manufacturing management software like Hubstaff and Prodio, you are about to become more efficient with your work operations and successful with your teams.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of techtimes.com
