Why might you be angry and upset after the implementation of production management software

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Norms out of thin air

Many of our clients start to panic after the implementation of production management software, because they realize that the norms they’ve been using for so long are completely useless and unrealistic.  

1. Some of the products they considered best-selling were underperforming (at least at the current pricing). For many months the company was making losses, unconsciously paying extra for these products, because the costs were calculated a long time ago, and did not include everything. 
2. There is another group of products that make money for the company – but as the business owners didn’t have full revenue data, they didn’t notice the opportunity and the products were undervalued.

As a company owner, you are naturally upset when you see how much money has gone down the drain over the years. Why didn’t you think about manufacturing software years ago? Instead of making a hefty profit, the more orders you accepted, the busier you were, but there was not that much money coming vs money invested. The implementation means a tough lesson: it’s high time to:

• revise profitability of contracts/orders
• set adequate pricing
• include machine changeover time and setting up
• prepare offers based on the calculation of the actual cost 
• estimate and evaluate

Promises made, and now where am I?

The second major problem many of our clients notice is how many tasks they took on – and can’t deliver.

Once you enter all orders into your manufacturing software, you can get a clear picture of how many projects you committed to and which of them are overdue. It might be terrifying to see the number of tasks and products you promised to deliver. When the projects were kept in different places (Excel spreadsheets, paper notebooks, emails, your notes), it was hard to get the scale of the problem. Now you have them in one system, and it is really scary to see all looming deadlines. 

Even when you use some kind of inventory or accounting software, it only shows the number of orders without a clear indication of how many items are in each of them. One order is shown as one item (even if it consists of multiple positions). In Prodio, you see everything at a glance: orders with their status, time left, due dates and deadlines. That’s why company owners are horrified: how could we get so behind with things? Of course, when you use the list of orders in production management software, you can straighten things step by step, catch up and make sure you never make the same mistakes.

Time tracking and attendance

Sometimes the implementation of production management software is postponed because of fear of the reaction of your team. What if the workers decide to quit? 

Very often, the fears turn out to be completely unfounded though. Workers want to take pride in their job, show good quality, get praise, and see that their effort is recognized. Manufacturing software where all tasks are clear, priorities set, and jobs assigned makes their work easier. And while they might be initially wary of having their work time monitored, they will quickly notice how useful this feature is for them as well – that is, if you won’t track every second of their time. The atmosphere will improve because it is clear who is responsible for which task, and each mistake is not automatically the worker’s fault.

Those issues might be frustrating to face, but once you get them cleared and done, you and your staff can truly see how valuable can such a software truly be. Plus, you can always reach out to our friendly staff who can tell you how exactly you can use avoid those issues during implementation – and get the most out of Prodio.  So try out our 14-day free trial of Prodio – you will see just how many things it can improve in your company.     

Conclusion

We understand that implementing a modern production system in a facility comes with some challenges. As you suddenly get so much new data about your production, orders and workers performance, this might at some point feel overwhelming – or frustrating. But should this stop you from modernizing how your facility works? Absolutely not – especially since you can rely on our Prodio support team to help you solve any challenges or issues you might be facing.        

Production Management Software FAQ

What is production management software? 

Production management software is a specialized tool designed to streamline and automate various aspects of the production process. With such a tool, facility owners and their teams can efficiently plan, organize, and track tasks, resources, and deadlines. 

How can production management software benefit my business?

With production management software, businesses can boost their production efficiency, reduce waste but also enhance communication among their staff. Thanks to the production planning and monitoring features for example, managers can streamline workflows, monitor progress, and ensure all deadlines will be met. With real-time data insights meanwhile, manufactuters can manage their resources more effectively, make better decisions and deliver high-quality products within budget and timelines.

Can production management software handle complex production processes?

Of course, production management software can handle both short and simple production processes but long and complex ones as well. What’s more, it can easily handle multiple projects simultaneously (all with different requirements), track progress for each and also swiftly update the production schedule if needed.

Is production management software suitable for both small and large teams?

Absolutely. The solution can be customised to each individual company needs, depending on the size of your team and complexity of your production operations. Plus, it can be scaled with ease, so it’s ideal for quickly growing companies.

What challenges manufacturers might face when implementing a production management system?

The biggest one might be that the amount of data they get might be overwhelming for them. Real-time data might also highlight inefficiencies in their production process, which for some manufacturers might be frustrating. Workers might also be initially wary of the platform, especially if it comes with work time monitoring.