One of the best ways to stay competitive is to offer a top-quality product. eCommerce gives consumers the ability to compare many different offers, so being second-rate will quickly take a company off their radar. As a manufacturer grows, it needs to maintain the same standard of production that first led to an increase in demand.
Fortunately, Microsoft Dynamics ERP technology tracks prior success and current standards to create strict quality guidelines which is why many use Microsoft Dynamics GP for quality control.
Defined metrics for product testing
When implementing an ERP system like Microsoft Dynamics GP, a company gets to determine its own standards for quality control. Find Account Software, a tech comparison blog for business, explained how Dynamics GP quality assurance can be used in every step of manufacturing.
QC testing should begin before production starts. Incoming raw materials are sampled and tested by the ERP software to determine if the supplier’s goods are up to the standards decided on by all parties. Problems detected in early testing eliminate wasted time and resources on the production line.
As materials move through manufacturing, progress is reported to the system. Microsoft Dynamics GP is flexible to a manufacturer’s needs, as testing points can be established throughout the production line in areas that consistently cause issues or need constant oversight.
Once the product is completed, it moves on to testing to locate any defect before it reaches the customer. The testing procedures for raw materials and finished products are determined by the company ERP implementation team. Members of the business working with a software partner can decide whether they want a single-step test or an intricate process that creates measurements based on a variety of operations.
All of the information that is collected by Microsoft Dynamics GP for quality control is available to users. Quality test results are shared with company members in other departments. Sales can advertise the strict standards products have met, while data from quality assurance can be delivered directly to customers.
Automated quality
Most companies don’t have the luxury of giving so much attention to a single product. Production lines must complete huge orders on schedule and each item manufactured has to be of consistent quality. ERP Software Blog shared the story of a spice company that used Microsoft Dynamics to facilitate increased production.
The quality control manager of a growing spice manufacturer found it difficult to keep up with reporting from different locations on Excel. The data from numerous production lines had to be checked and logged but the system he was using was slow and difficult to share.
The company implemented Microsoft Dynamics GP to centralize its QC data. The unified information stream not only provided for simpler oversight of multiple products and manufacturing floors, but the automated tools gave the entire company and consumers visibility of the finished merchandise.
QC information is automatically printed so it is available on sales invoices. Customers can set their own guidelines for materials and the information provided by the ERP system can show verification that all requirements have been met.
New criteria
Manufacturers need the ability to set guidelines for product quality and a flexible system that can change those guidelines as needed.
By 2018, food manufacturers have to stop using trans fat in the production of their goods. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled trans fats are no longer generally recognized as safe for human consumption. Companies have been given three years to remove partially hydrogenated oils from food and beverage production.
Food is an industry that must stay adaptable to constantly changing guidelines. Food Logistics recommended manufacturers employ ERP solutions to follow ever-changing government quality regulations. Constant data reporting is used to stay up to date with changing diets and health concerns. Redesigning production is already a huge expenditure. Efficient processes constantly reporting information prevent delays and other problems.
ERP guidelines give employees a clear set of standards to follow on the production floor and tools to deal with nonconforming orders. Microsoft Technet stated ERP solutions create warnings and processes for materials that don’t pass quality requirements. The data from production problems are tracked, measured and logged to prevent future issues. In the event of recalls, the software is used to backtrack mistakes in minutes rather than the hours or days it would take older systems.
Implementation strategy
Business has to move at ever-increasing speed. Implementing a system that reports product information from testing procedures, automates quality inspection processes and can readjust standards on the fly is a great tool for staying competitive.
If a manufacturer wanted to improve its QC procedures, it should locate a software partner ready to work with the unique needs of its merchandise. The company should determine which data needs to be captured, what qualities should be visible and where information needs to be received. Working with a software provider familiar with the given industry would be a huge head start.