We’ve all heard that technology can make our lives better, but it can be hard to know, specifically, what technology to use. There are plenty of examples of technology that can be used in a job shop. Some things, however, work better than others. Below are five examples of technology that can do wonders for a job shop. Read the descriptions and see which ones could help your shop.
Visual Whiteboard
Scheduling can be the hardest part of a job shop. It becomes even more complicated when the schedule changes. Running a schedule manually is difficult and will make your shop less competitive. However, ERP systems have a solution for this: digital scheduling. In E2, it’s called Visual Whiteboard Scheduling. It brings all the pros of a whiteboard, but it’s easier to change and schedule every job in your shop. Try it out and watch all your jobs get completed on time.
Free Marketing
If no one knows about your shop, they won’t call you for a quote, but marketing your shop can be expensive. That has changed with technology. Now there are plenty of options for free marketing. You can create a page for your shop on Facebook, Google My Business, or many other social media sites. Your shop may already have a page on these sites if enough people have looked for it on there.
If you don’t want to make something new, you can spruce up your website. While a complete site overhaul can be effective, it’s also expensive. Try picking out a few keywords that people would use when searching for your shop, particularly if there are processes you do well or that are unique. Then, make sure you use these keywords on your website. For example, if there is an About Us page, you could have a shortlist of the types of work your shop does. These keywords will help people searching for a shop like yours find you online.
Quality Module
There are few things more annoying than having to scrap or completely rework a piece because a problem wasn’t caught early enough. If you have a quality module in your ERP system, then it becomes much easier to catch these issues early on. With E2’s quality control software, you can also see which changes to your process could have the biggest impact and produce higher-quality jobs in less time. All of which can make your shop more profitable.
Digital records
One of the biggest issues in manufacturing these days is the brain drain. Older employees who know everything about running the shop are retiring and they’re taking their knowledge and experience with them. You can preserve that knowledge by keeping digital records for your shop. Digital records could be anything from a customer’s last order with you, to the route for a particular job. Keeping digital records helps with overall communication in the shop as well. You won’t have to track down a particular person to get an answer to your question when you can just look it up in your ERP system. Digital records save time, and, especially on the shop floor, time is money.
Quick Quotes and Estimates
There is a careful balance to creating a quote. You want to be sure it’s accurate and will make your shop a profit, but it can’t be too high. More importantly, you also have to get it back to the customer before they accept someone else’s quote. Using an ERP system, you can create quotes or estimates with a few clicks. No need to remember the cost for the raw material because the ERP software will remember it for you. It can also put in whatever percentage of overage you want to ensure your shop makes money without charging prices that are too high. Using an ERP system for quotes or estimates not only saves time, but more people will likely accept your quotes as well.
Technology has been revolutionizing the shop floor since there its invention. Technology these days can put any information at your fingertips, and make sure your shop is top of mind for potential customers. All you have to do is use it.
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