The Role of Automation in Optimizing the Manufacturing Supply Chain
Nothing can kill a supply chain like mistakes and delays. The right automation software can feel like a lifeline.
A successful manufacturing company can’t ignore its supply chain, or profits will plummet quickly. According to Anvyl, almost 60% of surveyed small and mid-sized businesses experienced revenue losses of up to 15% or more due to supply chain delays.
That’s why, as a manufacturer, you’ve got to find the right software system to manage every step in your manufacturing supply chain to ensure it runs smoothly. You also need to consider reducing your human element and increasing your automated processes. The less manual labor your supply chain requires, the fewer mistakes you can expect.
From assembling products to tracking shipments, automation is turning the manufacturing chain into a well-oiled machine—literally—and NetSuite Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are among the most-used platforms.
SuiteDynamics works with NetSuite to customize and implement ERP systems, and our team is ready and waiting to equip you with the right software to boost your business.
Read our primer on strengthening the manufacturing chain through automation and schedule a free consultation with us today. We’ll help strengthen your operations so you no longer worry about disruptions throwing your company into chaos.
Key Takeaways
- Why Manufacturing Supply Chains Matter: A solid supply network keeps things running smoothly by ensuring timely delivery of materials and products, avoiding costly disruptions, and giving companies an edge over competitors.
- Automation Boosts Efficiency: Automation tools like ERP systems save time, reduce errors, speed up processes, and offer real-time insights, making production faster, cheaper, and less stressful.
- NetSuite as a Game-Changer: NetSuite enhances manufacturing efficiency with features like seamless inventory management, automated production planning, smooth order processing, advanced analytics, and cross-department integration.
- Automation Pitfalls to Avoid: Companies must document processes, involve stakeholders, plan for scalability, train workers, maintain accurate data, evaluate what to automate, and monitor systems post-implementation to maximize automation benefits.
- Staying Competitive: Investing in automation and robust supply chains helps manufacturers adapt to challenges, improve operations, and keep customers happy—ensuring long-term success.
Why Is a Manufacturing Supply Chain Critical?
A solid supply chain is a manufacturing company’s secret sauce—it keeps the operation humming along. It ensures materials and parts show up on time and finished products reach customers when needed.
A strong manufacturing chain is all about staying efficient, avoiding delays, and saving money. Plus, the chain provides a big advantage over competitors when everything flows smoothly.
Unfortunately, problems occur constantly. Supply shortages, weather problems, and global shipping plague manufacturers worldwide—and they have huge consequences. According to Statista, supply chain disruptions can cost a U.S. automotive company an estimated $6.4 billion.
That’s why companies must invest heavily in strong manufacturing chains.
“To achieve profitability and growth, a manufacturer must optimize its supply chain in ways that keep costs in line and improve efficiency while maintaining product quality,” NetSuite Product Marketing Manager Abby Jenkins writes in an article for the company. “That’s why supply chain management is such an important capability in the manufacturing sector. Supply chain management covers everything from the cost, quality, and sourcing of raw materials to the cost and scheduling of outbound logistics and delivery of finished goods to customers.”
A manufacturing supply chain must have backup suppliers, solid logistics plans, and tools like real-time tracking to stay ahead of disruptions. Companies that invest in supply chains can adapt quickly and keep going, even when unexpected obstacles arise and disaster looms. Consequently, their leaders suffer fewer headaches, and customers feel more relaxed, trusting they’ll get their orders on time.
What’s So Great About Automation?
Automation isn’t the future for manufacturing—it’s the present. Robots now assemble products on the factory floor with laser precision, AI systems check for defects faster than you can say “oops,” and software manages inventory like a boss.
As a result, companies speed up production, make fewer mistakes, and place much less stress on everyone involved. This need for efficiency is one of the reasons manufacturing companies became the earliest adopters of ERP systems and have remained a driving force in the market.
Here are just a few ways ERP automation can revolutionize your manufacturing supply chain:
- Saves you time: No more wasting hours tracking inventory or processing orders—the software does it for you.
- Keeps things organized: One system connects your whole operation, so everyone’s on the same page.
- Reduces mistakes: Automation means fewer human errors and smoother workflows.
- Speeds up processes: Everything moves faster from production scheduling to order fulfillment.
- Produces real-time info: You’ll always know what’s happening with your inventory, orders, and production—no guessing.
- Boosts efficiency: You get more done with less effort, plain and simple.
More and more manufacturing companies are recognizing the benefits automation software offers for their supply chains.
According to Rootstock Software, surveyed manufacturers prioritize enhancing operational and production performance (41%), managing cybersecurity (34%), and reducing costs (30%) when adopting advanced technology. Rootstock also said 51% planned to spend more on enterprise software, which suggested a focus on better operational efficiency, security, and competitive advantage.
SuiteDynamics experts can help your company compete by implementing a cutting-edge NetSuite ERP system that boosts efficiency and keeps operations running like clockwork. Schedule a consultation with our team before your business falls too far behind.
Benefits of NetSuite Manufacturing Automation
Automation may be the manufacturing supply chain’s superhero, but NetSuite is the fancy gadget that makes that chain impenetrable. NetSuite’s manufacturing automation tools don’t just replace manual tasks; they optimize everything.
Here are some of the specific advantages NetSuite brings to the table:
1. Seamless Inventory Management
NetSuite keeps tabs on your inventory in real time. No more guessing whether you’ve got enough raw materials or overstocking on materials you don’t need. The system knows when to reorder, so you’ll always have the right supplies—exactly when needed.
2. Production Planning Made Easy
Forget scheduling headaches. NetSuite automates production planning so you can balance supply and demand. It optimizes your manufacturing chain by ensuring the right resources go to the right places at the right times.
3. Efficient Order Management
NetSuite handles the entire ordering process from the moment a customer places an order to the second the product is shipped. It syncs operations, so you don’t have to worry about delays, lost orders, or angry customers.
4. Advanced Reporting and Insights
Every successful business must know what’s happening in each stage of its operations. NetSuite’s dashboards and analytics offer real-time insights to spot bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement.
5. Integration Across Departments
With NetSuite, your manufacturing processes aren’t working in silos. The software connects your production, finance, sales, and even HR, turning all your software systems into one big, happy, automated family.
Mistakes to Avoid When Automating the Manufacturing Process
Many companies fail to fully consider the process of adopting manufacturing automation before implementing the software, hampering operations and frustrating staff. However, that doesn’t have to happen. Watch out for these common pitfalls so your company can transition to automation smoothly and maximize its benefits.
1. Not Documenting Your Process
Implementing automation without thoroughly documenting existing processes can cause inefficiencies. Detailed documentation helps identify areas for improvement and ensures the automated system aligns with your current operations.
2. Neglecting to Involve Stakeholders
Automation impacts multiple departments, and if key stakeholders, such as IT, operations, and HR, are omitted from the planning process, goals might be misaligned, and staff will resist. Rope all relevant parties in early to foster collaboration and support.
3. Overlooking Scalability
Think carefully about your company’s goals and growth before choosing automation solutions—otherwise, you’ll limit business before your new software ever goes online. Ensure your new system can scale to accommodate increased production demands or new product lines.
4. Sidelining Workforce Training
Automation is often blamed for eliminating jobs, but it doesn’t actually quash the need for skilled workers. You must invest in training programs that equip your team to operate and maintain your new systems effectively.
5. Ignoring Data Integrity
Automation relies on accurate data. Inaccurate inventory records or production schedules cause errors—and ultimately—bungled financial processes and hampered operations. Instead, implement robust data management practices to maintain system reliability.
6. Assuming Automation is the Universal Solution
Not all manufacturing supply chain processes should be automated, particularly those that are inefficient or poorly designed. You can’t automate to fix system failures because you’ll just exacerbate problems. Instead, evaluate each process individually before automating it, and decide whether it’s a good candidate for advanced software or needs to be reworked completely.
7. Neglecting Post-Implementation Monitoring
Advanced software systems are rarely one-and-done products. You can’t just install it and go about your days without a care in the world. After automating your systems, you must keep a close eye on them to ensure they function as intended and find improvement opportunities. Regular assessments help maintain peak performance.
Schedule your free consultation with our team to discuss the automation process further. Our team can ensure each step in the implementation process is completed correctly so your entire manufacturing chain improves and your operation booms.
Strengthen Your Manufacturing Supply Chain
Supply chains will never run flawlessly. Natural disasters, global events, or transportation problems will always delay materials and throw off operations. That’s just life.
However, careful planning and advanced software will improve order management, ease production planning, boost supply chain visibility, and more, so outside influences have fewer chances of ruining your production.
SuiteDynamics experts can help your company identify its pain points and solve them using NetSuite ERP software. We’ll configure the right NetSuite modules to suit your business and customize them with features that attune the system to your needs. Through our partnership, your company will strengthen its manufacturing supply chain, hone processes company-wide, and smash new goals.
Schedule a consultation with our experts today and discover how far your company can climb.
We pull information from NetSuite material, SuiteDynamics experts, and other reliable sources to compose our blog posts and educational pieces. We ensure they are as accurate as possible at the time of writing. However, software evolves quickly, and although we work to maintain these posts, some details may fall out of date. Contact SuiteDynamics experts for the latest information on NetSuite ERP systems.
Part of this text was generated using GPT-3, OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model. After generating the draft language, our team edited, revised, and fact-checked it to ensure readability and accuracy. SuiteDynamics is ultimately responsible for the content of this blog post.
