Why You Need a Connected Shop Floor (Plus How To Get One With Genius ERP)

Your shop floor is central to your business, so why do so many manufacturers still rely on paper to manage it?

‍Manufacturing, especially custom manufacturing, is more complex than ever — meaning manufacturers have many things they must coordinate, track, and schedule to ensure that their shop runs smoothly. Manufacturers deserve a better way to manage their shop floors than passing paper around their shops.

Why do you need shop floor management?

Good shop floor management is crucial to streamlining manufacturing processes and improving efficiency. A connected shop floor ensures that everything on your shop floor, including your shop floor employees, is in sync with the rest of your business. Shop floor management software improves all aspects of your business by aligning your shop floor, helping managers make better decisions, and allowing shop floor workers to manage their tasks better.

A connected shop floor empowers workers by giving them easy access to their task lists, plus all the information they need to locate their work in progress — all in a paperless environment. Workers can find all the information they need to complete their jobs on a single screen, saving them time and improving productivity. Real-time data also lets managers monitor production performance and better balance priorities  — all adding up to greater efficiency.

Shop floor management systems that are integrated within an ERP are the best tools for manufacturers to manage their shop floors, not only because they give you all the tools you need to manage your shop, but they also integrate your shop floor with the rest of your organization. An ERP gives you a single source of truth and connects every department, from accounting to engineering to production to shipping within your organization. This allows for better coordination across all departments and helps you streamline your processes.

No other tool can give you the visibility and control of an ERP, ensuring your shop floor is connected with the rest of your business.

End-to-End Visibility

ERP shop floor management systems give your production manager end-to-end control by giving them complete visibility into every aspect of your shop floor.

If you are still using paper to manage your shop, your production manager will lack the time, data, and visibility they need to make sound strategic decisions about your shop floor. Instead, they will need to spend much of their time manually tracking and managing operations using spreadsheets and sticky notes.

ERP shop floor management software automates production line tracking freeing up much-needed time for your production manager. Automated tracking gives them the time and space to focus on more strategic elements of your business, plus it also supplies them with accurate real-time data that is quantifiable and actionable. Armed with this data about production line performance and efficiency, your production manager can better plan, prioritize, and make critical decisions to keep your shop floor running at maximum efficiency.

Improved Productivity

The reality is that even in a well-scheduled shop, your key shop floor workers spend too much time tracking down information, parts, and materials. ERP shop floor management software gives your workers quick and easy access to production tasks and parts lists — all from one easy-to-use screen. Production managers can easily assign tasks and resources based on real-time data, and your shop floor workers will always know what their tasks are and where to find materials and WIPs.

Machine operators will benefit from the real-time data and feedback, helping them to ensure their machines are running at peak efficiency and producing quality parts. Assemblers will be better scheduled and assigned and have access to all the information they need to locate materials and work effectively to uphold operational standards.

Benefits of ERP Shop Floor Management Software

• Real-time production monitoring
• Time savings
• Inventory, production planning, and scheduling are all managed from one system
• Paperless environment for easy information sharing
• Quantifiable and actionable real-time data
• Identify production inefficiencies early
• Fewer errors
• Add, set up, and remove shop floor operators based on demand
• Empower shop floor workers
• Allow management to make better decisions
• Gain total control over shop floor operations
• Reduce waste and overhead costs

Genius ShopFloor

Boost productivity and create a connected production floor with Genius ShopFloor.

Genius ShopFloor allows you to track manufacturing data and production progress and brings your operations together with complete visibility of your shop floor. Use real-time data to create instant alignment between management decisions and shop floor priorities. Your shop floor employees can also view their task lists, track their work time, locate WIP, and have a paperless work environment with our flexible, tablet-ready platform.

Paperless 4.0

Move to a paperless environment with an all-in-one digital display that consolidates all your information and allows you to simplify your processes.

From paperless access to information to time tracking, WIP tracking, live pick routes, and work order completion, Genius ShopFloor does it all from our easy-to-use tablet-ready platform. Everyone from upper management to the production floor will benefit from a controlled and unlimited flow of information, and you will reduce paperwork, human errors, and mistakes.

Real-time Priority Management

Create instantaneous alignment between upper management decisions and shop floor priorities.

With Genius ShopFloor, you can easily monitor production and keep track of material consumption. Our web-based Shopfloor module provides active traceability of completed jobs, production orders, and real-time access to engineering drawings with their latest revisions. You will be able to readjust your production plan based on real-time feedback and transmit instructions centered on these new priority orders.

Time Tracking

Monitor time by employee, track work-in-progress costs, and analyze the completion of planned work directly on Genius ERP’s Shopfloor interface.

With our easy-to-use and flexible platform, you can perform tasks on the go. With one click, you can streamline your break and lunch management processes for each employee. Your shop floor employees can also create and assign administrative tasks or to-do lists for specific requests according to the shop’s needs. Plus, improve productivity with automated processes such as digitized maintenance documentation.

Key Features of Genius ShopFloor:

• Paperless 4.0
• Flexibility
• Perform tasks on the go
• Cut back on paperwork
• Process automation
• Real-time data flow (labor, material, WIP tracking, work order locations, etc.)
• Secured profile per employee and adapted to their tasks
• Track and monitor time by employee
• Sorting of sequenced jobs, task bundles, and workflow
• Online status management and job screening
• Real-time display of sorted and scheduled tasks based on material availability, previous job completion, and inspections
• On-going up-to-date data
• Quality control
• Creation of RNC
• Photo capture and storage
• Reduction of human errors
• Completion of inspection documents
• Traceability of transactions and records
• Accurate defect tracking

Watch our free webinar to learn more about How to Connect your shop floor with Genius ERP.