Project Management Solution for Manufacturers
Published: 12/12/2022
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In today’s article, we encourage you to carefully examine your project management tool. If it is not cloud-based, we strongly advise you to start looking for a more innovative solution. Whether you’re a project manager or the managing director, this article will explain why the change is necessary.
The manufacturing industry relies on project management. Your company’s success always depends on how well projects are planned and executed. Failures are not only costly but can also ruin the reputation built over many years overnight - and they are often caused by the software that has become outdated. Just as they invest in upgrading on-site equipment, manufacturing companies should also innovate their digital tools.
Some may argue that older software still does the job, so there’s no need to spend money on a new tool. This is exactly the mindset that hinders industry digitisation and needs to be abandoned. To be straightforward, you need a more modern solution - and one clear sign of this is that it is cloud-based. Cloud software is also designed to scale and evolve over time, so you won’t need to replace it anytime soon.
Similarly to any industry that employs a project-based approach, manufacturing cannot operate effectively without the right software. Despite its lack of digitisation, this remains an area where businesses in manufacturing consistently invest, and for good reasons. However, the software they adopted just a few years ago and the options available today are very different. Chances are, your older project management solution is now outdated.
To begin with, older software is often device-dependent, which is not ideal for manufacturing environments. It means it won’t gather data as efficiently, offers less flexibility for employees, and generally performs less effectively. Not to mention, such tools tend to be more expensive than modern alternatives. In short, using it exposes you to underperformance at a higher cost. Can you really afford that?
Project management is one of the most essential disciplines for ensuring not only that tasks are completed on time but also that resources are utilised effectively. In today’s fast-paced environment, traditional industry methods are gradually becoming less effective. Let’s explore why innovation is vital.
Project management naturally involves working on multiple tasks at once, as they are usually at different stages of completion. However, the larger the volume of tasks, the greater the challenge and the risk of errors. Simply put, when you distribute your attention across different tasks, you inevitably lose focus each time you switch. For most people, it also takes time to recalibrate their brain, resulting in lost momentum. It remains manageable if you stay within the same project scope; however, most project managers need to continually switch from one project to another.
While multitasking is intended to boost productivity by dividing your efforts across several tasks, it often backfires. No matter how skilled the project manager, they are only human — and constantly switching between tasks without completing them ultimately leads to failure. There is also a psychological aspect to this, not to mention reduced performance. Our brains are wired to release the happiness hormone dopamine when we finish tasks. It’s therefore no surprise that many project managers quickly become burnt out — they work all the time, but reaching full completion takes much longer when efforts are scattered across multiple areas.
Traditional project management solutions are not designed to be used by the entire team and are usually only utilised by the project manager. This makes them siloed, and therefore the workflows are not always smooth and rely heavily on the attentiveness of the primary software user. As pointed out a few times already, human error is a frequent issue, and therefore even the most detail-attentive project manager can occasionally miss some key development, leading to disrupted workflows.
The handover process is often quite tedious because it mostly involves manual follow-up. We are confident that the project manager has more important tasks than emailing or calling their team members to notify them that the task is ready for transfer. Naturally, workflows that involve manual handovers tend to be slower, and communication can easily break down. Additionally, mistakes often only become apparent much later in the process. This means you not only have to trace back to where the error occurred but also re-do all subsequent steps. This creates a recipe for project disaster.
There is a way to revolutionise the project management process in manufacturing without spending large sums. An average cloud-based project management solution isn’t a big investment, but a very wise one that will help you achieve long-term goals. Available on either a monthly or annual subscription plan, these browser-based tools scale with you.
Every project has many moving parts and involves people from various areas of expertise. Naturally, one of the key tasks for a project manager is to ensure that all components work together as a progress-driving mechanism rather than as independent cogs. As previously mentioned, seamless workflows are essential for ultimate success. One of the most valued features of cloud-based solutions is their ability to serve as a centralised platform for your projects. Using them allows not only you but also all parties involved in the project to see what others are doing, how far along they are, and to quickly identify those who may need additional support.
Unlike traditional solutions, cloud tools are accessible via an internet browser and can therefore be used from anywhere in the world, across different devices. This is a significant advantage if you have staff in different locations. Furthermore, there is no limit (apart from software packages, which depend on the vendor) to how many users can be utilising the tool simultaneously. This means that not only do your teams have a centralised place to collaborate, but they can do so in real-time. Changes are also attributed to the individuals who make them, making it easy to trace where issues originated. Additionally, they are simple to revert with just a couple of clicks.
Since your cloud-based project management solution will be recording large volumes of data, it would all go to waste unless you are able to analyse it. Traditional practices usually involve creating a report template in PowerPoint that is then manually filled with data collected from various tools you use. Depending on the size of the report, this can be very time-consuming, and by the time you finish, a new batch of data has already arrived. Not to mention, it is also highly prone to human error. A single typo can distort your entire report and the conclusions drawn from it.
Solutions based on the cloud always include a reporting tool. There are two types: the dashboard that highlights the key metrics you track and more detailed reports that examine overall performance more closely. Usually, both are customisable. You can select which metrics interest you, how they are displayed, when the report is generated, and who it is sent to. Since the platform gathers the data, your input isn’t needed - all you have to do is click a button to receive your report within seconds. You can also deepen your insights even further. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) tools have a great advantage that broadens your data horizons further. But that warrants a section of its own.
You need to embrace project management innovation now, and cloud-based SaaS solutions are here to assist you. The reality is, you'll probably require a few tools to succeed. But this shouldn't worry you. On the contrary, SaaS technology is designed to be layered and help you create unique systems by linking different solutions.
The way SaaS solutions connect with each other is through integrations. Most solutions proudly list the available integrations on their websites, and some are willing to create a customised software link for their customers, also known as an API. Having a centralised tech stack allows your tools to share the data they collect independently, reducing silos and making it easier to analyse in different contexts. Such an approach provides you with many opportunities you might otherwise miss.
In manufacturing, a project management solution integrated with a time and attendance system can work wonders. It provides valuable insights into how workers spend their time on various tasks, which can lead to more accurate forecasting and better resource allocation. Some solutions, such as Timesheet Portal, also enable automation of client invoicing and expense claim approvals. Adding the accounting package to your digital toolbox creates a seamless platform for efficient workflows across all departments. In essence, through integrations, you can unify the efforts of everyone within the business instead of having teams work in isolation.
While using project management software is a big advantage for the manufacturing industry, most companies still stick to traditional, and therefore outdated, practices. We are still experiencing the surge of technological progress, and the solutions that were sufficient five years ago no longer suffice. You need to switch to a cloud-based platform or you will struggle to stay competitive. The demand is increasing, and project managers are only human - they stand little chance against machines.
This doesn’t mean you need to compete against them. Instead, let them support you and help you reach new heights. With SaaS technology, you don’t need to worry about replacing your tools anytime soon - they are designed to grow and scale with you. They are also built to be stackable, allowing you to fully align your teams by choosing the right solutions for your tech stack. It’s time to improve your workflows - you, your team, and your business deserve that.
Keen to explore cloud-based solutions? Begin with Timesheet Portal.