How SharePoint Benefits Manufacturing Management Processes

30 OCT 2019

Application of software in manufacturing evolved as a way to achieve competitive advantage but in the fast-pacing tech world of today, companies have realized that in-house developed software alone is not sufficient in scaling the business and generating revenues.

Flexible working environments, remote access, and real-time collaboration are valued by employees now more than ever, and Microsoft SharePoint not only brings these benefits but also provides solutions for manufacturing processes.

Challenges like better team collaboration, complex workload management, and productivity enhancement are particularly amplified in the manufacturing industry, and Microsoft’s Office 365 and SharePoint are the proactive solutions to any business challenge.

SharePoint for Manufacturing Process Management

Manufacturing Industries are embracing SharePoint technology in their process management after witnessing the benefits like document management, easy collaboration, intranet solutions, process automation, and more.

HOW IS SHAREPOINT HELPING MANUFACTURERS?

Manufacturers are building SharePoint collaboration systems mostly with ERP integrations. They are now equipped with reliable digital solutions to increase productivity across all business units.

• Business Process Automation

Let’s face it, manual processes consume more than 30% of the available productive time. Microsoft SharePoint, when leveraged with Power Automate and Microsoft Power Apps, is enabling manufacturers to automate manufacturing processes. With built-in workflow capabilities, SharePoint is eliminating manual handling, tracking, and handoffs in production. Manufacturers are also able to monitor, track & check the status of every activity in real-time by digitizing and automating workflows. With the adoption of Business Process Automation and RPA (Robotic Process Automation), instant fulfillment of tasks is achieved. Automated notifications & alerts help manufacturers and the workforce resolve the occurrence of suspicious activities immediately. Learn more about Power Automate Use Cases for Manufacturers.

• Paperless Document Management

Managing contract records, policies, and orders is hassle-free with SharePoint deployment. Employees in manufacturing firms have gotten rid of irksome paperwork. They no longer rely on carrying papers from place to place. Manufacturers are securely maintaining customer/vendor contracts, documents, product histories, etc. thereby reducing significant cost and time in manual paperwork. They’re also able to build document management capabilities by integrating in-house or third-party CRM and ERP systems with SharePoint. We understand manufacturers face challenges in production as it involves lengthy and time-consuming form approvals. With over a decade’s experience as SharePoint and Office 365 consultants, we have built custom SharePoint forms and workflows to help expedite our client’s document approval processes which have helped them save a fortune of productive time and cost.

• Unified Collaboration Platform

Various stakeholders need to collaborate & communicate on certain processes like design, production, and quality frequently. Restricted communication leads to the occurrence of minor and major errors. More than 85% of manufactures today leverage SharePoint to support team collaboration and publish intranet content for secured collaboration between internal and external stakeholders. Cross-functional teams can communicate easily from dispersed geographic locations and collaborate anytime. With SharePoint, manufacturers have a centralized collaboration platform where members of the project are conducting meetings online from anywhere on any device.

• Product Life-cycle Management (PLM)

Manufacturers are leveraging SharePoint for rapid innovation, problem resolution, and quick decision-making in PLM/PDM. SharePoint allows different teams to eliminate wait time in information receiving & gathering from their extended teams, they can look up information and documents themselves thus eliminating the time-consuming information requests. Teams can collaborate and share information in real-time from the project initiation stage, to work-in-progress, to the project completion stage and add their comments whenever required.

• Enhanced Mobility Features

Empower employees with on-the-go collaboration & communication with SharePoint. Manufacturers are empowering their sales teams with SharePoint mobility solutions to promote the availability and accessibility of data anywhere, anytime on their devices. Sales templates, product information, metrics, demos, etc. are made available to the sales force for enhanced goal achievement.

• SharePoint Web Portals, Sites, and Applications

SharePoint allows the development of Portals, websites, and applications for easy project management. With portals, manufacturers are able to connect with vendors and trading partners. They realize without a proper channel to connect with their trading partners they will lack visibility to leverage the benefits and opportunities of seamless collaboration. SharePoint has the ability to develop contract management and facilitate the sharing of contracts, documents, and orders with external vendors.

What Can Manufacturers Achieve with SharePoint and Office 365?

• Expedite stock transfer approvals
• Expedite purchase requisitions
• Expedite reimbursement processes
• Easy management of policies, contract work orders, and compliance records
• Easy management of overdue invoices
• Manage and resolve shipping issues instantly
• Demand forecasts
• Easy production planning
• Comprehensive project management
• Inventory monitoring and optimization

SharePoint Development & Migration Services

Star Knowledge is a certified Microsoft Partner who provides well-structured, comprehensive Office 365 consulting services and SharePoint consulting, development & migration services. Our portfolio includes successful complex projects delivered to companies from Manufacturing, Healthcare, Architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC), Retail, and a wide range of other industries.

As a manufacturer, if you’re looking at moving to SharePoint, our consultants can help you deploy SharePoint in no time with minimum effort and operational downtime. Contact our team to know more.