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pick the right tool for the job

not all tools are built to run a shop  

Manufacturers often rely on a patchwork of tools to manage their operations—whiteboards with magnets, spreadsheets, ERP systems—but these weren’t  built for the daily challenges of manufacturing.  When you need a hole, you get a drill.  When you need a precise measurement, you use a caliper.  Similarly, when you need a system to plan, manage, report on and problem-solve every job on your shop floor, you pick Quantum.  Choose the right tool for the job.  The right tool ensures the right outcome.

the ERP dilemma

If you're currently using an ERP for your shop, or if you're considering expanding its use, there are a few critical questions you need to ask.  How does the ERP react when something takes too long or doesn't go as planned?  What options does it give you to correct the issue?  How does it determine a workaround or rework for the issue you're having?  Can it? 

ERPs have limitations when dealing with the everyday challenges of your manufacturing shop floor.  In the real world, people show up late, machines need maintenance and critical team members take PTO.  These elements determine how much and what kind of work you will actually be able to get done today, yet your ERP system provides little to no support in addressing these challenges.  Get a system that knows the difference.  Get one that was built exactly for these everyday problems. 

Your ERP keeps lists: salaries, hours, payments, invoices, and bills.  The system was built to run your office, not your shop, so it can bill your customer, but it can't manage the work.  You need a tool that can manage your work rather than track it.  Get a system that knows the difference.  Get one that was built exactly for these everyday problems. 

expansion of Microsoft Office tools

It might seem tempting to rely on familiar tools like Microsoft Office for your manufacturing tasks.  However, these tools will inevitably fall short.  If you're struggling to do your work with MS Office, consider these critical questions.  When was the last time you built a product to the wrong revision of the work instructions?  How often do you change your standard work?  Do you have auditors reviewing what you do?  Have you made product that you later had to scrap because the instructions were wrong?  How long do your Operators spend flipping through long, paper build books, with instructions and images and other critical messages you want them to find?

Microsoft Office was built for documents and spreadsheets.  Not your shop.  It's a toolset that you're familiar with and you have licenses for everyone, or almost everyone, in your shop.  That doesn't mean it's the right tool for the job.  You need a tool that can tell the difference between a wrench and a socket or a person and an hour.  Microsoft is not the tool for that.  Or for your shop.  

just post it

Whiteboards are great for brainstorming or jotting down quick notes, but they’re not a solution for managing your shop floor. By the time you print something out and post it, it’s often already outdated. You need a system that helps you improve efficiency, reduce scrap, and boost your profits—not a bunch of paper tacked to a board. Here are a few questions to think about.

How much did your last issue cost you?  What percent of efficiency are you willing to sacrifice?  Do you know where your materials are?  Your jobs? How easily can you change work based on the information displayed on the board? How do you provide workarounds to the team when things go wrong?  Is it the right work?  How do you check it was done?  How do you report on it?  Are you making the same mistakes time and again?

Whiteboards and bulletin boards work for static information like safety reminders or company events, not to track and manage your production team and the work they do.  So while they're low-cost and available, you need a tool that can actually communicate with your team throughout the day to manage the work in process as it happens.  

be ready for the day with Quantum

Every Quantum installation prepares you for today, tomorrow and the future with instant access to real information about the work you're doing.  Abandon your template-based sheets.  Get rid of your white boards with production schedules.  See how Quantum can help you build, control and maintain your shop.

where to next?

Maybe you want to learn a little more about MES.  Read our MES primers for plant managers, quality managers, operations managers and owners.  

Want to see how we work in your industry?  Read more about our work in aerospace, composite manufacturing, electrical assembly, engineered parts and medical device. 

Want to dive deeper into MES content?  Try our blog.