Warehouse Automation and Shipping Solution Software
Thanks a lot, thieves.
Recent FBI reports show an average of nearly 860,000 cybercrime complaints every year, with financial losses climbing more than 30% year over year. Ransomware attacks alone are costing businesses around $1.85 million per incident, and the total damage often far exceeds the original ransom demand. So how can you protect your manufacturing or distribution business?Read More
In my thirty years of experience working with manufacturing and distribution companies on ERP, WMS, and Shipping Software implementations, I have learned that one thing is common: the tribal knowledge of a few team members who have worked for the company for a long time or are part of an elite team.
Tribal knowledge refers to any unwritten expertise within a company that is not widely known. This could be actual data, such as passwords, or more intellectual knowledge, such as operational processes. Because it is unwritten, tribal knowledge is typically shared by word of mouth (if at all). Most companies are blessed with hard-working individuals who understand the inner workings of the operations. However, this can be risky. Let’s Delve into this.
Read More
What do you know about ERP Systems? Have you considered there might be factors from many different areas that could influence ERP system selection and implementation? On the plus side, are there even more benefits than you may be aware of? In this #USMfgHour chat we discussed how to be successful with an ERP System.
This year has had its unfair share of gloom, but there have been some great bright spots as well. There were several disease breakthroughs, astronomical discoveries, and, of course, #USAMfgHour continued throughout all of 2020. As this year ends, Kirsten Austin of DCSC Inc., developer of DCWarehouse, a WMS shipping and supply chain solution for distributors and manufacturers, along with mascot Buddy, closes out the chat with a “Cheers to the Year” roundup and send-off into 2021.Read More
On 7/9/20, Karen Norheim of American Crane hosted a #USAMfgHour chat about Digital Transformation, and after brief introductions, Karen kicked off the chat by asking why digital transformation is so important for USA Manufacturing. @ZeroSurge said, “Digital transformation is crucial for every manufacturer that wants to stay competitive in today’s industry. This is due to the various efficiency and productivity boosts these technologies offer. Fortunately, these solutions are becoming more cost-effective too! Karen agreed and added, “Pace of change in our industry demands we embrace new tech or get left behind. It is critical to competitive advantage and business viability today and in the future.”
On 6/11/20, Marie Moser of East Pointe Search Group (@EastPointeSG) hosted our #USAMfgHour chat, covering how manufacturers can partner with a staffing firm to recruit top talent.
After introductions, Marie asked participants, “What are the top three attributes on your checklist when partnering with a recruiter?” Participants who worked with a recruiter said that expertise in their fields, reputation, and the candidate evaluation process were all important to them. Marie said that her clients generally look for integrity, proficiency, and respect for their time and investment when they work with her.
On May 21, 2020, Tony Nash, the CEO and Founder of Complete Intelligence (@complete_intel), hosted a #USAMfgHour chat on forecasting and AI for manufacturers. Below is a summary of Tony’s (@TonyNashonAsia) questions and answers on this very important topic.
Question 1: What are some of the trends manufacturers can expect to see in 2020 and in the next few years?
Answer 1a: “Procurement and category leaders will increasingly become strategy players within their companies. With AI/ML tools for cost transparency & scenario planning for manufacturing, these leaders can show ROI, significantly improve margins”
Email is a solid outreach to existing customers and brand awareness for future customers. It’s a great tool for communicating. – @torres_inklings
On 4/16/20, Bernie Fussenegger (@B2the7) guest-hosted the #USAMfgHour chat and shared valuable tips about email marketing for manufacturers.
On 3/5/20 Jennifer Wegman of Service Caster Corporation (@SERVICECASTER) hosted a #USAMfgHour chat about leadership and work-life balance on behalf of Bill Garland (@BillGarlandSpkr), who had a last-minute conflict and couldn’t appear live.
After brief introductions by participants, several of whom were new to the chat, we were off and running. The first item on Bill’s agenda was morning routines that prepare oneself mentally for the day ahead. Not surprisingly, coffee was a popular response. Other responses included journaling, meditating, taking a walk, spending time with family or pets, and early workouts. @AxisNJ said, “I usually take a few minutes to plan the day ahead, and look forward with a positive attitude!” This sentiment was seconded by many of the respondents.
In my years of Supply Chain and Technology Experience, one subject that always gets brought up with prospects and clients is the importance of upgrading. While I understand some reasons why people hold off, there are even more reasons to incorporate your software and technology updates into your annual plan or at least every other year.
While the importance of a stable, tested, and working software/hardware environment is absolutely critical, it is equally important to ensure you’re using technology that works with the latest databases, hardware, security systems, and services. Older technology can be subject to cyber-attacks and more. (Learn more about cyber security threats here.) Jumping straight into the latest and “greatest” technology is not always wise without a carefully thought-out plan. However, sticking with an older version of your ERP or WMS system prevents you from using more modern features, newer secure technology, and additional services you can offer your customers to keep up with the competition.
Let’s face it: software systems have various levels of functionality based on price points. Sometimes, you may outgrow the base package features. When this happens, a new implementation is inevitable, especially if the package does not have what you need and you’re spending thousands with a company to develop new features not already included. However, a brand-new implementation is not really necessary if you are consistently upgrading a product that continues to offer the latest updates. I’ve found, in general, that our clients who build in an annual or biennial upgrade process are happier on our system.
We add many new features with each build/update. We have also developed integrations with other specialized systems (EDI, Packaging Machines, Scales, Web Store Fronts, Various Shipping APIs, etc.). Rolling all those new features out to back-dated versions of the primary ERP System with which we work seamlessly is almost impossible. Customers using older versions of our WMS and the ERP Software cannot take advantage of significant new features and services that can directly resolve operational issues and streamline processes. Oddly enough, we’ve had clients who thought they outgrew the ERP and our WMS system who are still stuck in the implementation phase of a replacement product or those who abandoned the idea entirely and decided to upgrade with us after years of not having done so.
As your company grows, processes change, personnel evolves, and you start new initiatives. Combining an upgrade with analysis and updated training allows you to take your operations to a new level. This can mean expanding to new markets. For example, many of our clients have started working with Amazon®, and we can help them with their shipping and label requirements. We also have clients who increased their order volumes but utilized unnecessary manual processes outside our system. We worked with them to implement entirely paperless picking and automated additional processes. Last but not least, many of our manufacturing customers have increased their production and grew in the past year. For these customers, we helped implement even more wireless transactions and automation in their production processes, allowing their existing team members to become more efficient and use their time better.
In conclusion, upgrading your technology allows you to expand upon your current systems with additional helpful features rather than starting fresh. It also allows you a secure environment. This will save you time and money in the long run. Training personnel on a system they are already familiar with will be much easier. Staying consistently up to date with your ERP and WMS ensures you get the best modern technology to keep your operations running seamlessly and most efficiently. At DCSC, we update and add new features every couple of months and host free web sessions to review the updates with our customers. Here is a list of essential upgrades we have implemented over the years to help you understand why it is so important to stay up to date!
