Manufacturing is one of the most dynamic and competitive industries and it faces rapidly evolving customer demands. The industry typically involves large numbers of engineers, workers, and contractors working together to accomplish their objectives. This massive workforce is likely to get chaotic if not managed under one umbrella. Workflow management software helps to streamline the manufacturing process by linking all the departments, controlling inventories, storing and disseminating data, automating work order management, and facilitating decision-making. It manages the manufacturing workforce, enhances efficiency, and increases productivity.

Benefits of Workflow Management Software in Manufacturing Firms

While workflow management software essentially organizes resources for any company, it is particularly beneficial to the manufacturing industry in the following way:

Data Storage

Manufacturing firms deal with huge amounts of confidential data that requires safe storage and access to only authorized personnel. This information is traditionally stored in paper files or hard disks which are prone to get torn, lost or mishandled. Workflow management software enables cloud-based storage of data that keeps it safe, organized and accessible by only the authorized staff anytime and from anywhere.

Inventory control

Movements of assets between departments or external stock movements can be monitored in real-time using workflow management software. For manufacturing and even construction industries, this ensures that they can keep track of the availability of resources and their purchase requirements. The software also helps to monitor raw material usage based on budget constraints and prevents over ordering.

Budgeting cycle

Any project, big or small, needs proper budgeting before execution. Budgeting is a lengthy process involving planning, preparation, and authorization before it is complete. With workflow management software, the company resources, outsourcing capacity, equipment management, and inventory data are readily available which shortens and simplifies the budgeting cycle to enable the project to commence sooner.

Product development

Workflow management software enables planning, scheduling, and allocating resources to different sprint cycles to quicken product development. The time required in each phase of development is calculated backwards from the scheduled date of completion and the software manages the workforce to meet the project objectives.

Work order managementt

The software facilitates automated work orders, including date and time of execution, customer name, sales order, sales contract, product quantity and required staff. It also monitors the routing codes of work orders and helps supervisors to checklist tasks based on orders created.

Supply chain management

Supply chain management includes coordination, procurement control, stock management, and delivery of goods. Workflow management software helps manufacturers to create better logistics strategies and cut down operating and administrative costs.

Document approval workflow

Each deliverable undergoes multiple phases of approval and reiteration before final submission. A document approval workflow typically involves sending a document for review, getting approval or rejection, reworking it if rejected, and resubmitting the revised document for review. This complex tactical process is simplified by workflow management software by tracking the status of deliverables and tracking and reporting the key activities of staff contributing to the document revision in a transparent way.

Safety reporting

Manufacturing firms need to have robust safety measures to avoid frequent worker accidents. Workflow management software helps to record any safety deficiencies so that they can be addressed by the company as a matter of urgency.

To sum up

Apart from scheduling a workforce, keeping a record of their working hours, and approving and tracking holiday leave, workflow management software is extremely beneficial for maintaining the overall workflow of a manufacturing company. It optimizes turnaround time by shortening budgeting cycles, accelerating product development, facilitating work orders and supply chain management. It also simplifies document approval and safety reporting processes for the smooth functioning of the firm.

Deventure helps build your own Workflow Management Software to seamlessly execute all your manufacturing activities. Our software development process is collaborative, comprehensive, yet quick to transform your dream digital solution into reality as fast as possible.