Article | April 25, 2022
Deciding on the right quality management software might be difficult for any business due to its features and return on investment evaluation. However, given the requirement for quality improvements, it is critical for a quick return on investment from the software. In addition, effective quality management software can assist in developing a culture of constant improvement in a company's manufacturing operations.
"Quality comes not from inspection, but from improvement of the production process."
– W. Edwards Deming,
Quality management software (QMS) has countless advantages, of which some are quantifiable, and others are more subjective. Quality management systems (QMS) are important because they can help manufacturers be proactive rather than reactive, leading to better overall quality.
In this article, we've included several metrics you may use to keep tabs on your progress and understand better your return on investment on manufacturing quality management software.
Directly Quantifiable Benefits (ROI)
Lowered Defect Management Expenses
Components that do not meet or exceed design criteria are wasted. Effective quality management software helps minimize failure rates, saving money. Quality data helps reduce scrap, rework, sorting, and processing costs. Manufacturing quality management software streamlines and modernizes complicated, often error-prone MRO procedures, which reduces maintenance costs and the risk of not complying with the law.
Less Expensive Supplier Management
Quality control software for manufacturing can be used to mitigate the costs associated with substandard supplier quality. Supplier performance, trends, and on-time delivery are all tracked in real-time. Managers can use supplier ratings to determine which suppliers are the most beneficial to the firm. This data is then used to minimize the risk and expense of working with suppliers and sub-tier suppliers.
Higher Supplier Recovery Success
Supplier recovery establishes accountability throughout the supply chain, thus mitigating overall risk. Within the quality management system, timely and reliable data on nonconformance suppliers is available, resulting in proactive payback or product replacement. Substandard supplier material can also recoup warranty return costs incurred due to substandard supplier material.
Lowered IT Support & Costs
Quality management software automates removing excessive applications, hence lowering IT expenses and increasing data consistency. Without additional programming, a best-in-class solution is easily customizable to suit requirements. In addition, having all of the important data in one place eliminates the need for manual data entry, improves data integrity, and saves a lot of time and money.
Paperless Workplace
A paperless shop floor increases efficiency by saving time spent preparing paper and forms. You save time preparing, distributing, and collecting work instructions, work orders, travelers, and quality data forms with quality management software. Real-time reporting helps managers make better judgments. Apart from saving time, electronic document management also allows administrators to regulate user access to sensitive data and handle document approval electronically.
Long-term Financial Return
Ensured Product Compliance and Reduced Risk
Complex manufacturers must constantly adapt to changing norms. The software can handle quality and compliance issues across departments, process areas, and locations. In addition, the solution simplifies the procedure and improves the results.
Better Decision-making with Better Operational Visibility
Real-time historical data improves accuracy, efficiency, and quality. Enterprise quality management software can assist managers in discovering trends, repetition, and relative cost. In addition, actionable data helps respond to changing markets and client demands.
Complete Traceability of Each Part, Subassembly, and Final Assembly
Comprehensive quality management software creates, records, queries, and manages traceability requirements for compliance and quality. The system lets you keep an eye on quality through the product's life cycle to make sure it meets regulatory, quality, and customer requirements.
Final Word
Quality management software must be evaluated using quantifiable and long-term subjective returns to gain a realistic picture of a system's future performance. When an effective system is in place, employees can focus on high-value chores instead of managing documents or processes. Manufacturing businesses can gain a competitive edge by implementing quality management software for manufacturing. The best quality management software should pay for itself over time.
FAQ
What is quality control software testing?
Quality control in software testing is a systematic set of techniques used to verify software product or service quality. The fundamental goal of quality control is to ensure that the software meets the actual requirements by testing and reviewing them.
What are the three types of quality management?
Each quality management system is divided into three stages: conceptualization, documentation, and implementation.
What are the seven principles of quality management?
Engagement of people, customer focus, leadership, process approach, improvement, evidence-based decision making, and relationship management are the seven principles of quality management.
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Article | June 15, 2022
Blockchain is a distributed database system consisting of a series of data blocks generated by cryptographic methods. Each block contains the hash value of the previous block, which is connected to the current block by the original block to form a blockchain. It overlays (chains) encrypted data (blocks) in chronological order to produce permanent and irreversible records.
Decentralization, independence, security, and other features characterize blockchain technology today, with decentralization being the most noticeable and vital attribute. Each node realizes information, self-verification, transfer, and management through distributed accounting and storage. Because of its encryption and security properties, it plays an important role in data file security in manufacturing.
Blockchain — Assurance for CNC Machining Data
As the potential of blockchain technology has grown in popularity, it has garnered the attention of various other industries, especially the machine shop industry. The computer numerical control (CNC) machining process is often used to machine critical parts for a variety of industries, from aerospace to medical. The process involves using computer-controlled machines to remove material from a workpiece to create the desired shape. Because CNC machining can be expensive and time-consuming, it's important to protect the data associated with the process.
Blockchain technology can be used to protect CNC machining data in several ways.
1. Blockchain provides a secure, immutable ledger that can record all aspects of the machining process. This means that if any changes are made to the data, they can be easily tracked and traced. Furthermore, because blockchain is decentralized, it can provide an extra layer of security by distributing the data across a network of computers. This makes it much more difficult for hackers to tamper with the data.
2. Blockchain can help with the management and tracking of inventory. In the past, machine shops had to rely on paper-based tracking systems, which were often inefficient and prone to error. With blockchain, each inventory item can be assigned a unique digital identify that can be tracked throughout the supply chain. This would allow machine shops to have a more accurate and efficient way of tracking their inventory.
3. Blockchain can also help machine shops manage customer orders. In the past, machine shops have often had to deal with a lot of paperwork when it comes to processing customer orders. With blockchain, however, all this information can be stored on the ledger in a secure and tamper-proof way. This would make it much easier for machine shops to process customer orders and ultimately lead to improved customer satisfaction.
Blockchain Promotes Distributed 3D Printing
In theory, 3D printing is the perfect mode of production for distributed manufacturing. Digital files can be easily transferred, regardless of geographical restrictions, as long as there is a 3D printer, and it is equipped with the right material to print anywhere. But it is only a good vision, and there are still many problems in the real implementation.
First, if the 3D printing model is downloaded by the user, there is a risk of being tampered with or forwarded at will; if the model is distributed to the service provider or manufacturer for remote printing, it is also possible to print more than authorized, which will lead to intellectual property theft.
Designers have largely no control over how many designs can be printed after they are sold, which means they are often compelled to sell designs at higher prices, whether users plan to print one or thousands of them. The high price is also unfair to individual users who are using it solely for their own printing.
Perhaps, we can solve the current problem with the help of Bitcoin's blockchain technology.
The Blockchain of How to Perform 3D Printing
1. Protect 3D printed files by hashing algorithms. The encryption algorithm generates a fingerprint of a unique hash value for each file based on its contents. This is a sign that ensures the uniqueness of the file with a short message that is related to every byte of the file, and it is difficult to find the reverse rule. The blockchain does not store the file itself but a hash value that verifies its authenticity. Unless identical, no two files will have the same hash value; changing anything about the data will result in a different hash value. Through the improvement of this technology, the 3D print file is converted into a digital workpiece on the blockchain, and the unique fingerprint of each workpiece is used to verify its authenticity and uniqueness.
2. Protect access to data through encryption. After the first step, the encryption conversion of the 3D printed file has been realized, and then the access rights are marked and bound to the stored hash value of the file. When a 3D print file is shared, the recipient gets a token that allows access. The file cannot be decrypted without this token, ensuring that the 3D printable data is authenticated. With the methods mentioned above, we can effectively encrypt and protect the transferred model files, thus preventing the model from being downloaded and forwarded at will, because each step is recorded and required to be used through a specified token. However, if you want to further limit the number or number of prints of the model, you need the support of 3D printers.
The Benefits of 3D Printing Using Blockchain
The biggest advantage is the establishment of trust. The designer no longer has to worry about the illegal use of his design. Designers just need to concentrate on improving their skills to make a better model. Individual users can also choose different ways to print files, either by the number of times or by directly downloading the files, but now the price will be relatively lower, and the source of the model is transparent. Manufacturers can also choose to produce locally near their customers, which in turn reduces storage and transportation. On-demand production is also good for environmental protection and carbon neutralization. In addition to selling real goods, brand manufacturers can also sell printable documents to customers for replacement parts, customization, and accessories. This is all because their IP will be protected by the blockchain.
Conclusion
In short, the 3D printing blockchain will to a greater extent promote the use of 3D printing technology, while the blockchain will give 3D printing transactions in the form of "tokens". Think about the early days of Bitcoin and, in turn, look at the monetization of the 3D printing blockchain. Maybe one day, the usage time of our machines can also be sold online, and 3D printed documents can be traded in a variety of monetary ways.
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Article | September 22, 2021
Marketing for manufacturing companies hasn't always been easy. Because of the rising volatility in the economy, trade shows and face-to-face sales meetings have changed their manufacturing purchasing patterns.
On the other hand, buyers are seeking for more convincing market reasons to buy your product. This means your manufacturing marketing strategy needs to evolve to answer each of these questions from the buyer angle in order to convince them in choosing your products over other competitor products.
Manufacturers must do more than simply focus on product awareness to attract new buyers. Instead, they must concentrate on the content and intent of promotional activities that will reach target buyers through manufacturing advertising. The promotional message has always been the critical factor to be delivered at the right time and place.
To hit the rock at the right spot, you must first understand the buyer's expectations in the manufacturing industry. So, let's get started.
Buyers' Expectations from the Manufacturer
Faster production cycles, higher-quality components and products, and affordable pricing are all expectations among manufacturing buyers. Therefore, marketing professionals in the manufacturing domain must consider these factors while developing a digital marketing strategy to outwit other competitors in the industry.
What Is the Importance of Digital Marketing for Industrial Products?
Going digital is the necessity of time. For example, almost 94 percent of B2B buyers conduct online research before making a purchase. Similarly, after using the correct digital marketing techniques for their industrial products, 82 percent of manufacturing enterprises increased their yearly sales within a year.
This one-on-one discussion with one of the manufacturing industry's top leaders will give you a better understanding of manufacturing marketing's relevance.
Marketing is VERY important to any company, although I generally see it being justified by the number of web hits or ‘leads’ that come in. - John Hayes, Director of Sales at BALYO
So, small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) must recognize that utilizing digital platforms is the most significant way of marketing for manufacturing companies.Effective digital marketing campaigns demand sound investment and planning.
Hence, to stand out in this digital game, SMMs must review their digital marketing strategies to improve website traffic and conviction in their product on multiple digital platforms.
To do so, look at the five checklists points at the top of the digital marketing trends for manufacturers.
Five Priorities for Your Digital Manufacturing Marketing Plan
Leading manufacturers are all getting good ROI for their industry digital marketing strategy. Let’s check out how are they doing it?
Recognize the Buyer's Persona
In the context of the increasing instability of the industrial ecosystem, manufacturers must better understand their target groups to develop product marketing strategies tailored to their needs.
The potential buyer's digital activities also help understand the target buyer's persona through their digital activities on various digital platforms. For example, some customers prefer textual content to learn about a product, while others prefer to watch a video that explains everything in detail.
So, as per the target buyer's demand, manufacturers can modify their product marketing content. It will also help you create an effective digital marketing strategy for your manufacturing company.
Interact Effectively with Important Constituents
To be visible in the eyes of your buyer, you must communicate with them frequently and effectively. In every industry, technology has altered the meaning of buyer communication. So, here are some of the most popular ways that all industry leaders are using to exchange information with their potential buyers. This strategy will also help you establish a positive rapport with potential buyers and stay in touch with them.
Start a Newsletter: Prepare some research and conversion phase content, solution-oriented blogs, interviews, or success stories, as applicable for your company's profile. In this strategy, you must always be consistent and distinct.
Create an Email Campaign: Use emails to build a more personal connection with your potential buyers. Create a buyer persona based on the interests of your target audience and segment them properly when crafting your emails. This practice will help your recipients feel recognized and involved.
Use Social Media Networks to Your Advantage: Each of your buyer personas uses social media as a primary source of information. Use this platform to your advantage by developing specific techniques for staying top-of-mind among your target audience.
Make the Website Content Appealing to Potential Buyers
Manufacturing digital marketing content serves as a thread to draw your target buyers to your website. When the target buyer visits your website, the website content will play a critical role. As a result, every manufacturing company must have the concise, engaging, and appealing website content. Make sure that your website contains everything you require to connect with your target buyer persona.
So, how do you know if your website's content is on track? Check out the list below for some key points that should be available on your website to make visitors feel valuable about your company.
Key-informative content: This type of content should assist buyers in expanding their existing knowledge of your company, product, or services. It must include your brand’s story, services, product catalogs and brochures, FAQs, and solution-focused blogs.
Trust-building content: This type of content encourages anxious buyers to trust your product or service, which may be entirely new for them. It includes previous buyer product reviews, client references, testimonials, buyer success stories, expert opinions, and business awards if any.
User-friendly content: This is the most Crucial aspect of your website's content. As covered in the buyer persona section, buyers have diverse interests in consuming information. Some prefer to read text, some prefer to watch videos, and others prefer to consume information through CAD drawings, diagrams, or infographics. As a result, ensure that your website contains various forms of content so that each visitor is comfortable consuming what you are serving them about your product.
SEO-optimized content: Ensure that your website contains your target buyers' keywords when searching for products. Creating SEO-friendly website content allows you to rank higher in Google searches and makes it easier for readers to find you.
Use Marketing Automation Platform
Because of the growing use of marketing automation tools, even the smallest manufacturers can now benefit from them. They're the easiest and most cost-effective way to gauge the success of your digital marketing efforts. So what benefits have you reaped from using the marketing automation software?
Helps you keep track of your prospects' locations
Assists you in obtaining the lead score, which tells you who your best leads are and where they originate
Keep track of the conversions throughout the buying cycle with this tool
As a result, the marketing automation technology helps you evaluate the return on your investment in numerous ways.
Do a Competitor Analysis
Analyzing your competitor's marketing strategies will help you develop sound business tactics for your next move. Competitor analysis aids you in understanding the market's demands and new prospects that you may have ignored previously. This strategic approach also aids in your understanding of where you stand in the market and what you need to come up with to stay ahead of competitors.
Final Words
Every buyer's attention isn't only focused on making a purchase. They also want a simple and pleasing purchase experience. Providing a delightful buying experience encourages customers to return to you for future purchases of the same or different products you have introduced. As a result, each of the checklists above plays a vital role in your potential customer's buying process and contributes to organic buyer growth.
FAQs
What is digital manufacturing?
Digital manufacturing is the simultaneous creation of product and manufacturing process descriptions using an integrated computer-based system that involves simulation, 3D visualizations, analytics, and collaborative tools.
How can manufacturers market their products?
Promote your product by using various content types, including blogs, press releases, infographics, and videos. Consider event sponsorships as a way to reach a particular demographic with your brand's message. Distribute complimentary product samples to potential customers to secure bulk purchases.
What is the most effective way to market a manufacturing firm?
For your target groups, write and publish richer, solution-oriented content. To make your company more known to the general public, take virtual tours of your facility and create product videos to give people a better understanding of your product and company.
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Article | October 8, 2021
The trends in the manufacturing industry for 2022 are expanding and altering the industry's conventional face. The future of manufacturing is going to merge with digitalization and technological applications. As a result, all operation methods, products, and manufacturing outcomes will be modernized with new technology applications.
To brighten the future of manufacturing, manufacturing companies must examine new trends in the industry before developing their manufacturing plans for 2022. Technological advancements are the next game-changer in the manufacturing business.
Adeaca's Vice President of Market Innovation and Project Business Evangelist had recently quoted in an interview with Media7 as,
“As technology takes over and enhances many of the processes we used to handle with manual labor, we are freed up to use our minds creatively, which leads to bigger and better leaps in innovation and productivity.” – Matt Mong, VP Market Innovation and Project Business Evangelist at Adeaca
The new trends in manufacturing are leveling up every part and element of the industry. In this article, we'll look at a new trend for each industry aspect that's assisting manufacturers in speeding up the production process, increasing ROI, and propelling their manufacturing business to new heights.
Additionally, it will assist you in addressing current industry challenges such as forecasting product demand, addressing skilled manpower shortages, and increasing manufacturing plant efficiency.
Five Manufacturing Industry Trends to Watch in 2022
Emerging trends in manufacturing provide a chance to review your production strategy for products and processes. Check out below the upcoming trends in manufacturing that are getting attention in the industry.
Customer Engagement and Purchase Experience
Creating an exceptional digital customer experience is a new trend in manufacturing. According to industry experts, mapping the customer journey and their interactions with your products is the first step towards establishing a positive connection with your potential consumers.
A few of the most popular strategies to improve the consumer purchasing experience and engagement are as follows:
Build a knowledge base for your products on your business website
Create a comprehensive FAQs page that addresses all of the buyer's possible queries
Create a chatbot to provide immediate help to the buyer with further inquiries
Create a brand story and a comprehensive description of your manufacturing business
If possible, provide product statistics and success stories, and content about consumer satisfaction with your product
Create a product functionality video or explanatory picture material to familiarize the potential customer with your product
These are some of the trends that engage your prospective buyers and increase their purchasing experience through a range of product-related information and educate them about you and your products.
Smart Technology-enabled Products
Smart is the new norm in every industry. The old operations and goods that were once a part of everyone's life have now been replaced by technology. Manufacturing is no exception to this alteration. Due to the increasing demand for smart products among customers, every company is now looking forward to inventing and manufacturing smart products.
Explore and understand how you may incorporate cutting-edge technology (Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Edge Computing, and Digital Twins, and more) into your products to help them stay updated with manufacturing trends.
Virtual and Augmented Reality in Manufacturing (Industry 4.0)
Transforming traditional manufacturing systems and processes into smart, tech-savvy ones is a new trend in manufacturing. The future of manufacturing is expected to witness this digitization in 2022 and beyond. Therefore, you must convert your conventional manufacturing plants into smart ones, i.e., as per the concept of Industry 4.0 – the fourth industrial revolution.
Discover how prominent companies are implementing Industry 4.0
The following are some popular transformations that many popular manufacturing factories are adopting to become part of the industry revolution.
To achieve a zero-carbon footprint, manufacturers may use analytics systems to determine the amount of trash they create and develop ways to eliminate it. (Implemented by Whirlpool)
Utilize an analytics platform to decipher usage data for energy, water, and other utilities. (Implemented by Whirlpool)
Utilize technology such as Siemens' Mindsphere, which enables online analysis of several aspects of a production plant and helps manufacturers create digital models using real-time data. (Implemented by Siemens)
Utilize a combination of IoT and cloud-based technologies to avoid downtime and gather analytics data. (Implemented by Hirotec – a Japan based manufacturing company)
Machine learning technology can be used to foretell and avoid system failures in your manufacturing plant. (Implemented by Hirotec – a Japan based manufacturing company)
Utilize robotics and to accelerate manufacturing across many verticals. (Implemented by Ford)
Utilize 3D printing to improve the precision of product design and to avert product defects during the early production stage. (Implemented by Aerospace: Airbus) These are some examples that other well-known manufacturing companies in the market, such as Hewlett-Packard, Ford, Whirlpool, and Siemens are currently using. So, consult an expert and determine how to leverage emerging technology to turn your production plant into a smart manufacturing unit.
Internet of Things (IoT) to Boost Revenue
Manufacturing companies have begun to leverage the Internet of Things to establish connectivity between machines and operational procedures throughout manufacturing. This linkage between machine and operation significantly decreases the human supervision required for each step and completely automates them.
Manufacturers intend to incorporate these IoT trends in manufacturing into both their products and operational processes. IoT further enables manufacturers to operate and monitor their work remotely. As a result, they can concentrate on developing new strategies and preparing for future ventures.
Shifting Focus from B2B to B2C Model
Several manufacturers skip intermediaries and connect directly with their consumers to sell efficiently to their target consumer group. This purposeful approach has multiple benefits, which are outlined below.
Manufacturers may skip the lengthy retail sales cycle and achieve a shorter time to market
The absence of a third party between the manufacturer and the customer reduces the risk of brand misinterpretation or dilution
Direct interaction with customers enables manufacturers to obtain more accurate consumer data, product feedback, and requirements for new product development
Manufacturers can control the price of their products due to the absence of a third party between them and the target consumer group
These benefits of the B2C model attract manufacturers and encourage them to develop added production techniques with these benefits in mind.
Final Words
Technology, innovation, and digitization are the future of manufacturing. The IoT trends in manufacturing are essential for industrial production and will allow the manufacturing industry to obtain a new competitive edge. Hence, manufacturers must keep in mind this industry revolution (industry 4.0 and 5.0) while developing strategies for their manufacturing operations in 2022.
FAQs
What are the benefits of adopting the Internet of Things in manufacturing?
IoT devices can monitor industrial operations, manufacturing cycles, and other warehouse data management processes automatically. This benefit decreases the amount of time spent monitoring individual operations and increases production speed.
What role will smart manufacturing play in the future?
According to a grand view research analysis, the smart manufacturing market was worth USD 236.12 billion in 2020 and is expected to extend at a 12.4 percent compound annual growth rate to reach USD 589.98 billion by 2028.
What are the critical components of the smart factory of the future?
Robotics, the Internet of Things, big data, and cloud-based administration will be critical components of the future smart factory.
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