LNS Research: Manufacturers Leveraging Tech Are The Ones Who Stay On Top

By Trisha Leon, contributing writer

Manufacturing executives strive to achieve optimum quality, but they face obstacles in doing so. Reducing costs, meeting compliance requirements, and mitigating risk are three of the major challenges they encounter. According to a LNS Research article 10 Things Every Manufacturing Leader Must Know About Quality In 2014, “companies adapting to market changes and taking advantage of next-generation technology are the ones able to remain on top.” The article goes on to detail the strategies market leaders have deployed in achieving competitiveness while ensuring the highest quality.

One of the ways in which technology is improving quality is through Big Data. With more data from varied sources available now than ever before, businesses have access to information that will heighten quality and make their operation more efficient and valuable overall. The data itself can be a challenge — companies can get bogged down under the sheer volume. The opportunities for VARs and MSPs to provide solutions that aid their clients in managing and analyzing all this data are vast.

Other ways technology is driving quality is through mobile devices and the Internet of Things (IoT). These devices — smartphones, laptops, tablets, and more — allow companies to perform quality management remotely, which could lead to them heading off problems within quality control early or before they even occur.

Cloud and cloud-based portals — as part of enterprise quality management software (EQMS) solutions — are delivering new levels of communication and collaboration, helping to improve supplier quality before shipments are even made.

These and other technological strategies have contributed and will continue to contribute to higher levels of quality throughout the business and manufacturing industry. As trusted advisors, VARs and MSPs can provide information, solutions, and services to their manufacturing clients to help them leverage technology to overcome the challenges they face in improving quality, making them more competitive in today’s market.