U.S. employment statistics hit a new milestone last year, though not a positive one. In August 2021, almost 4.3 million workers quit their jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. As the current workforce continues to shift and re-evaluate their options, employers everywhere are having a tough time finding and holding on to qualified workers. For example, the manufacturing industry has seen an 11% lag in employment from March – April 2020. Some industries bounced back by the end of 2020, but two years later there are still nearly 500,000 open manufacturing jobs.
Technology solutions can help address the labor shortage with faster, easier ways to onboard new workers, collect and share data, and track processes and performance. These things are critical in order to make timely adjustments that streamline operations and productivity.
There are also generational changes in the workforce to consider. Workers in the market are becoming increasingly tech-savvy and expect to use digital tools on the job. When considering how to attract top talent, it’s worth knowing that 91% of Gen Z candidates say the technology offered by an employer would be a factor in their decision whether or not to accept an offer.
With all these things in mind, business management solutions of all kinds are receiving a lot of attention. Let’s take a closer look at a few areas where technology can help improve business efficiency with both the resources you already have, and the new workers you bring on board.
Employee Onboarding
Turnover is a reality that must be considered. To meet production demands, businesses need their workforce hours to remain as stable as possible. This means it’s crucial to get new-hires trained and productive quickly.
Software with a dedicated repository which provides training documentation, videos, work instructions, and process steps can provide consistent support as workers ramp up. If the solution also includes performance monitoring, it can track their progress through onboarding and training to let businesses know when workers are ready to run a machine or can be scheduled for specific work tasks.
A simple, effective technology solution makes hiring and training easier by helping workers ramp up quickly so businesses can operate as expected.
A Single Source for Information
Most businesses deal with data all the time, but too often it is handled through manual methods like running to a file cabinet, or writing information down on paper. These methods are incredibly inefficient, add to the onboarding stress for new workers, and carry a very real risk of errors and delays—all of which impact productivity.
Streamlining data collection, sharing, and reporting by automating parts of your process can cut back on human error and wasted time hunting for information. Having a single source of truth also gives decision-makers much-needed visibility into things like inventory, order statuses, and production to better understand what’s happening in real time.
Software solutions can help manufacturers make better business decisions to improve operations, lower overhead, and provide higher job satisfaction by reducing the amount of manual, error-prone data processes.
Process and Performance Improvement
Real-time insight and data on your business processes enable business leaders to better discover and anticipate the things that impact the business productivity or even the end customer. When the flurry of activity necessary to run the business is in full swing, trying to keep track of production pace or worker productivity can be a real challenge.
Consider a software which automates process monitoring through workstation or process checkpoints. Some solutions can help track the time for various tasks, provide reports, and even flag when processes are exceeding expected times to complete. Data can be collected from each operator to understand their efficiency, identify where more training may be necessary, and reward top-performing workers. Some systems will also provide a better understanding of how many employees and/or shifts are needed to meet important deadlines.
Challenges Met and Solutions Found
The upheaval in the current labor market may not let up anytime soon, but it doesn’t have to completely derail your company. Business and production management solutions can give you the tools and information you need to make more efficient and productive use of your current workforce, eliminate the most repetitive and inefficient tasks, and bring on new workers more effectively.
With the numerous solution options and alphabet soup of ERP, CRM, BMS, and MES, it can get overwhelming quickly. Dorian Solutions is here to discuss your needs and help you find the right fit. We can help at any point in the journey from process review and analysis, to software development, integration, or implementation. Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or to request a call. Our mission is to provide you with the tools you need to get back to growing your business, and not just running it!
