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Manufacturing Planning: Become Disruption-Proof with Modern EAM

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    Manufacturing planning is your roadmap. It’s your guide through the ups and downs of the unknown. But to master it, you need something more than outdated tools and processes.

    To create a solid production plan, and to be able to stick to it, you need modern Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) software.

    Here’s a look at how modern EAM software puts you in control of realizing the objectives of manufacturing planning, production planning, production scheduling, and more.

     

    What is manufacturing planning?

    You probably know what manufacturing planning is — but when was the last time you really looked at the strategy involved? When was the last time you asked yourself, “Has our current manufacturing planning process evolved along with our digital tools, supply chain challenges, customer demand, and overall needs?”

    If you’ve never done that kind of reflection, you’re not alone.

    Traditional manufacturing planning has made many organizations feel slow and inflexible instead of lean and streamlined. It addresses production disruptions by using the same tried-and-tested answers, even if those answers are becoming outdated. That’s why it’s important to go back to basics when updating your manufacturing planning process. Here are a few key things you should strive for:

    • Supply chain planning and insights

    • Reliable asset performance

    • Finite capacity scheduling

    • Mobile manufacturing data access

    • Fewer disruptions

    • Controlled and transparent operational costs

    • Workflow optimization

    • Material requirements forecasting

     

    The role of modern EAM software in manufacturing planning

    The role of modern EAM software in manufacturing planning is to succeed where traditional EAM has failed. It’s built on the same foundation, but it improves upon many of the original weaknesses, including low-value data, time-consuming implementation, disparate systems, and a focus limited to machine maintenance. 

    That’s right: modern EAM software is here to help you combine insights, data, scheduling, asset control, and spare parts inventory management tasks from across the shop floor into cohesive manufacturing plans that ensure disruptions to production are minimized.

    Here are modern EAM software's most valuable maintenance planning capabilities:

     

    Modern EAM unifies data 

    Traditional EAM has a bad habit of treating maintenance and production data as two different conversations. For effective manufacturing planning and execution, you need those conversations to happen simultaneously — and in the same place. 

    That’s where modern EAM software comes in.

    By combining maintenance and production data in a single digital workspace, each department has a solid understanding of its own needs, both independently and in relation to each other. This helps teams stay aligned because everyone has access to the same source of truth.

     

    Modern EAM simplifies manufacturing planning

    Although traditional EAM has its strengths, it’s notoriously time-consuming to implement, which cuts down on its functionality and ROI. By creating an all-inclusive platform for maintaining the ability to execute your manufacturing plan, modern EAM software puts data and insights at your fingertips without forcing you to jump through hoops. You’ll be able to find the answers you need within seconds, even in the middle of a manufacturing task.

    Modern EAM can evolve with your needs

    These days, achieving the execution of manufacturing planning is a whole different animal. That’s why modern EAM software can constantly evolve to help you understand your needs, implement targeted solutions, and overcome new challenges like a supply chain shortage or shifting customer satisfaction benchmarks.

    Modern EAM software has also evolved in another sense: by improving upon the offerings of its predecessor. Rather than just illuminating issues as traditional EAM might do, today’s software provides multiple paths to resolution, including notifications and escalations. You can also prioritize solutions based on production scheduling needs, inventory challenges, or advanced planning techniques.

     

    What does disruption-proof manufacturing planning look like?

    The ultimate goal of manufacturing planning and, thus, modern EAM software is to create a disruption-proof operation. Here’s what that looks like:

    Machine downtime vs. non-machine downtime

    Machine downtime is an obvious disruption in your production and, of course, really throws a wrench in your process and scheduling. However, non-machine downtime — any other issue that inhibits your ability to create quality products — is an equally important consideration for any manufacturing operation.

    Modern EAM software goes beyond machine breakdowns to give you insight into any obstacles or workflow interruptions you might encounter, including:

    • Maintenance scheduling

    • Quality control

    • Corrective action requests

    • Incomplete shipments

    • Damaged inventory or parts

    • Safety audits

    It’s your tool for managing your organization holistically, rather than trying to tackle its pain points one at a time.

    Improved visibility

    In many ways, modern EAM software acts like a pair of binoculars. It helps you synthesize multiple sources of data into one clear, transparent view of the truth. It also allows you to focus on resource allocation, employee activity, maintenance scheduling, supply chain management, and all the other tasks involved in manufacturing planning.

    This visibility doesn’t just help you solve problems on the factory floor. It also illuminates the areas in which your manufacturing planning efforts are paying off, helping you set actionable goals for efficiency, productivity, and advanced planning.

    Increased user-friendliness

    Today's manufacturing process planning lives in the cloud. That’s right; modern EAM software doesn’t require any pricey upgrades, equipment overhauls, or time-consuming personalization to utilize. Instead, it’s quick and easy to implement, meaning you can have it in users’ hands without a frustrating learning curve. 

    On top of that, it’s also a shop floor favorite. When workers like the software you’ve provided, they’re more likely to actually use it — which means you’ll get the data, insights, and process improvements you’ve been looking for.

     

    How to streamline your manufacturing planning

    Manufacturing planning, like manufacturing itself, has a lot of moving parts. If you’ve been using traditional EAM to help with the heavy lifting of removing the disruptors to your plan, you’re missing out. Modern EAM software simplifies the process and empowers you to ensure the reliability of your equipment and execution, from production scheduling to asset management. It also puts data at your fingertips whenever and wherever you need it, helping boost efficiency across your factory.

    If you’re ready to create a disruption-proof environment for your organization, get started today. Download our eBook to learn more about modern EAM and its long list of benefits!