Can You Navigate Your Manufacturing Software?

In this virtual and connected world we live in a website should represent who you are and what you do. You can learn a lot from a manufacturing software company’s website. 

Like many people in this day and age I’m often perusing the web. Sometimes it is work related; other times I’m purchasing things, sometimes I’m just trying to find an interesting article to read.  I don’t always know what I’m looking for, but I do know, if I land on your homepage and it looks disorganized and chaotic…I’m moving on without a second glance.

Things move fast. I don’t have time to decipher your website to find what I need.  I need answers now – clear, concise answers.  What do you do?  How do you do it?  Can you help me?  Your website should be designed with the end user in mind – me.  If it’s not, and I can’t find a compelling reason to stay, then I have better things to do.

In manufacturing, time and speed are also critical.  Manufacturers are always looking for ways to improve production, reduce errors, save time and save money.  Manufacturing software, like paperless manufacturing, are a crucial tool for modern production.  These systems aid in best practices, eliminate errors, and manage information.

Software to Optimize Production

To optimize production, you need software that not only manages workflow and processes, helping eliminate out-of-control processes, but does so in a way that ensures you and your team focuses on manufacturing, not managing the software.

If your first impression of a software system is a website, do you really think a site that is a confusing mess that is almost impossible to navigate – and is so incomprehensible you aren’t even sure what the software does– is going to improve your workflow or manage your shop floor?

CIMx has been in business for nearly 20 years, in fact we developed one of the very first Computer-Aided Process Planning systems. We’ve helped many manufacturers as they begin researching software tools. Some know what they need, others may be uncertain; they just know they need to do something. 

This drives home the importance of a well laid out website.  If you have to keep a shop floor running, you don’t have time to browse 20+ pages of  messaging to see if they can help.  You need clear communication, precise outcomes, and defined benefits.  You need software that will not only improve processes, but is also easy to use, easy to implement, and won’t take years to deliver an ROI.

If it takes you hours of effort to navigate a website, how long will it take an operator to find a work plan in the system, or for an engineer to roll a revision? How much effort will be wasted operating the software? How much more benefit would you have if the software was easier to use?

This is something to consider as you plan your digital manufacturing strategy. Just as in production, complexity does not mean improvement – results do.

Want to learn more, or see how paperless manufacturing might help improve your shop floor, then contact CIMx today for a free shop floor evaluation. We’re always happy to help.