Manufacturing is an ever-changing industry with a host of new challenges each year. It’s changing more rapidly than it did during the Industrial Revolution. Manufacturing businesses are continuously under pressure to develop new products and get them to market quickly. With both local and offshore competition, the pressure on your company will continue to increase.
To remain competitive, you must innovate through the use of technology. If you want to stay ahead of the game, you’ll need the best technology support available. This is why it’s so important to work with a professional IT services provider who understands the challenges manufacturing firms face.
When You Work With an IT Service Provider Who Works with Manufacturing Firms, You’ll Realize the Full Benefits of Your Technology
Your core technology solutions are essential, but it's getting difficult to find effective support to keep them in optimal condition. One way to deal with this is through well planned, managed technology from an IT provider experienced in your industry who can:
- Prevent unnecessary downtime with around-the-clock monitoring and regular maintenance designed to find and eliminate issues.
- Ensure you have the latest and best security to protect your technology assets.
- Mobilize your workforce through cloud solutions that allow remote access anytime, anywhere to your files and applications.
- Improve business continuity with planning that keeps you ready to recover your data whenever disaster strikes.
- Provide support for warehouse management software to help you operate as efficiently as possible at all times.
- Create a strategic IT plan designed to ensure you’re making the most of your budget to achieve your goals and objectives.
The Right Technology Strategy Can Improve Your IT Security And Reliability While Enhancing Your Efficiency & Productivity
Your IT strategy should address the following:
- Consolidation and Optimization: You need a dedicated technician that will work to analyze and resolve any inefficiencies in your existing IT infrastructure. He can help you consolidate technology resources that will improve efficiency and reduce costs.
- Continuous Monitoring and Maintenance of Your IT System: You need remote monitoring of your IT systems to ensure they are running at peak performance. This will mitigate any risks before they cause a breach or downtime. When issues can’t be addressed remotely, a designated tech should come onsite who knows how your firm operates.
- IT Budgetary Controls: Your IT provider should establish budgetary and cost-control processes when implementing IT service, support, and equipment-procurement strategies. Their goal should be to give you the best-running technology without unnecessary expenditures.
- Cybersecurity: With today's sophisticated hacking threats, you face more risks than ever. You need regular vulnerability assessments to determine your level of risk, if gaps exist in your network, and training for your employees to recognize phishing attempts that contain malware and computer viruses.
- Backup and Disaster Recovery: It's essential that you quickly recover your data after a power outage or other disaster to avoid backlogs and missed deadlines. To recover your data today means backing it up to a secure, offsite location in the Cloud. This way you can retrieve your data from any location where you have an internet connection. Your backup and disaster recovery plan must be customized, with security policies and procedures that are integrated into your corporate culture.
- Data and Voice Communications: Email and voice communications can be enhanced with Hosted Email Services and Hosted VoIP Business Phones. They ensure your business continuity if the power goes out or another disaster occurs. Hosted Email improves security, and VoIP Business Phone Systems can save you money and ensure you stay connected no matter what.
- Virtualization Services: Virtual servers, desktops, storage devices, applications, and computer networking resources can simplify your IT processes, promote efficiency and security, and reduce your technology costs.
- Identity and Access Management: You need a customized system to ensure only authorized personnel can access your proprietary and confidential data. This will help you comply with industry or regulatory confidentiality requirements that you must meet.
- Cloud Computing: Today's manufacturing companies can benefit from secure cloud solutions that provide scalable access to applications and computing resources. Software-as-a-Service (such as Microsoft Office 365) deliver applications to your employees wherever they have access to the Internet. This is more cost-effective than using desktop applications. It also provides scalability because you purchase the software on a per-user basis. You can add subscriptions for new employees as your manufacturing company grows, or scale back in slow times. Plus, cloud computing provides the ability for your employees to collaborate on projects whether they're onsite or offsite.
- Mobile Device Management: When employees bring their computing devices to work, you must ensure they're used securely. The same is true when they work on their mobile devices offsite. Mobile Device Management (MDM) ensures that your workforce uses their devices in a secure and controlled manner. It locates, wipes or locks a stolen or lost device, removes your business data from a personal device, and performs enforced encryption policies that keep your confidential data safe. It also prevents your workers from leaving your employment with proprietary or private information.
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): The right IT provider will help you use the management software aligned with your unique manufacturing operations. This includes things like product planning, marketing, inventory management, shipping, invoicing, accounts receivables and payables, and more.
Each year, we work with major manufacturing firms in Wisconsin and Illinois to help them increase productivity while keeping costs low. We can show you how having the right service and support can improve your processes, efficiency and security. Contact the team at adNET Technology Management for a complimentary IT Assessment to learn more.