TMAC MEPNN: Smart Manufacturing - Software Integration

INTRODUCTION Horizontal Software Integration is the consolidation of different software applications into a single process. Vertical Software Integration is the process of integrating subsystems according to their functionality. Together, they create the process by which software subsystem components are arranged into a functioning whole. The aim of this integrative process is not to improve the efficiency of any one subsystem of a business, but the business in its entirety. PROBLEM As a business expands, so does its complexity, and the challenges it faces by trying to integrate its various parts (engineering, manufacturing, inventory management, and so on) into a smoothly operating unit. These “growing pains” can harm the company's reputation and bottom line and transform the image of a company from efficient and customer friendly to a cumbersome, faceless corporation, unresponsive to customer needs and unable to act upon new ideas. CAUSE Inadequate software integration is a prime cause of customer dissatisfaction and business failure. It often occurs when management views changes to the software infrastructure as mere expenses rather than improvements, investments, or upgrades. The adage, “Let's stick to what works,” more properly described as, “Let's stick to what worked in the past,” can lead to failure to adapt to their own growth. This results in internal communication breakdowns and dysfunctionality between and even within departments. Externally, it results in customers whose expectations are not met. BENEFIT Software integration provides comprehensive support from the earliest stages of Customer Relationship Management to final payment, while simultaneously producing data which allows management to grow overall business value. The various software applications, operating through the Cloud, allow access from anywhere at any time, allowing solutions to come from outside as well as within the workplace. As a result, productivity increases, efficiency of interaction between customer and company improves, and information is gathered and analyzed more effectively. Most importantly, communication is maximized at every level, reducing friction and producing the figurative “well‐oiled machine.” CALL TO ACTION Our technological landscape is changing: Smart Manufacturing / Advanced Manufacturing Technology, AMT, is an industrial evolution that will help companies prioritize long‐term business goals over low‐risk, short‐term returns and succeed in today’s smart‐manufacturing environment. Reach out to TMAC, the Texas MEP, for expert knowledge of Smart Manufacturing and assistance with technology implementation. www.TMAC.org (800) 625-4876