What Kinds of Software are Needed Most in Manufacturing? (Part 1)

The manufacturing industry is buzzing with connectivity, data-integration, and smart technologies. As the latest industrial revolution, Industry 4.0, starts to gain ground, you may wonder what this means for the future of manufacturing, and subsequently, manufacturing software.

At this current moment, there are still strides to be made before fully reaching the next industrial revolution, but technological advancements are on the right path to making a smart factory possible.

The goal of a smart factory is to provide visibility, connectivity, and autonomy via real-time insight. To do this, manufacturing software that is increasingly intelligent needs to be implemented. As an everyday consumer, you likely use some form of smart technology – asking Alexa to play your favorite song or turning a light off with the touch of a button on your phone. Home connectivity is great, and an example of how smart technologies can be used, but the idea of a smart factory takes that connectivity to a whole other level.

In that capacity, smart technology is applied across a multi-faceted organization, everything from the use of an ERP system to report and track across divisions of a company or using a CMMS solution to monitor and manage maintenance. (Yes, we know, there’s a lot of acronyms used in manufacturing – learn more about all of those terms here!)

In order to make a factory truly smart is the ability to track, compile, and evaluate data from the manufacturing production process. Cue manufacturing analytics.

Manufacturing analytics extends beyond the manufacturing of goods and into the area of creating efficient processes with the use of big data. More on this later, but let’s talk about the various manufacturing software that can be implemented, in some cases in conjunction with one another, to make a smart factory.

What Types of Software do Manufacturers Use?

Wow – software for manufacturing is a broad, vast topic. There is an abundance of manufacturing software options for manufacturers, but not all are created equal. Let’s start with the general categories and then dive deep into what each one can, or can’t do, for your company.

• CAD (Computer-Aided Design) and CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) – The two terms go hand-in-hand and pertain to the design and programming of various processes of manufacturing. Specifically, it applies to the machine tools and parts that make the machine work.
• MRP – (Material Requirements Planning) – Production and inventory are the sole focus of this software category and will only be used by those directly involved in the manufacturing process. Today MRP systems are included in most manufacturing ERP systems.
• MES (Manufacturing Execution System) – Specifically tracking manufacturing processes, an MES is great for running the actual plants. However, it also provides data on a high-level.
• CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) – Keeping a centralized record of all assets and equipment helps organize maintenance. An example of this type of software, is Fiix, a maintenance management system, that helps tracked needed maintenance and schedules work-orders in real-time.

Source: Sensrtrx