Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication: What You Should Know

Posted on: 21 January 2015

After building those custom bookshelves in your home woodshop for a few years and selling them online, you might finally be ready to invest in a professional warehouse and some fancy manufacturing production software. Professional production methods might help you meet the demands of a growing business, which can keep your company profitable. However, choosing a program can be an overwhelming decision—and one that you might have to live with for a while. Here are two things to look for in manufacturing production software and how it can help your business:

1: Automatic Ordering Systems

If you are like most small business owners, you might be used to spending part of your time figuring out which supplies you need, ordering additional inventory, and counting incoming shipments. However, as your business grows, this can be more and more difficult to do. You might not always have time to estimate the number of plywood planks you have in stock or wait by your receiving dock to check that incoming truck.

Fortunately, some manufacturing production software contains automatic ordering systems, which will track the produced products and order new supplies for you. Here are a few ways this neat feature can help:

• Anticipate Your Needs: Did you just secure a huge order with a retailer overseas? Some systems can detect new orders and anticipate your supply needs. Instead of finding out you won't have enough brackets to fulfill that latest huge order, your system can quickly compare new orders to existing inventory levels and automatically order the difference to make up any deficit.
• Reduce Labor: When you don't have to spend time every day ordering products or paying someone else to do it, you might be able to be more productive and save money on labor.
• Track Sales Trends: As your manufacturing system cranks out fresh product, it can keep track of quantities for you. That way, you can keep track of sales trends and adjust your business accordingly. For example, if you see your floating shelf production has dropped off significantly, it might signal it is time to get back into brainstorming mode and create new, exciting products.

With the help of an automatic ordering system, you can keep production moving while you worry about other things.

2: Speed Controls

Another huge benefit to manufacturing software is it can help you speed up production. Instead of relying on line workers to cut out wood, attach brackets, and apply finishes, your production software can orchestrate the entire process and turn out loads of perfect inventory in a fraction of the time it would take otherwise. Here are a few other ways professional manufacturing equipment speeds things up:

• Minimize Shrink: If you waste materials, it can slow down production times and cost extra money. Fortunately, manufacturing software can quickly identify the best ways to produce the product you need without creating shrink. For example, your system might recommend a more effective way to cut out those carved wooden accents so you can use fewer hardwood planks.
• Identify Bottlenecks: Does your production line slow down during certain parts of the process? Some software programs can identify bottlenecks in production so you can adjust your system accordingly.
• Balances Efficiency with Speed: If your production line moves too quickly, you might end up dealing with damaged products. However, production software constantly monitors efficiency, so you don't sacrifice quality for speed.

Simply put, choosing the right manufacturing production software can save you from a world of hassle. In addition to anticipating your ordering needs, speeding up production, and creating a more consistent product, it can also make your day a lot easier.

Go to websites like this one for more info.