Competing on product quality has never been more urgent as rising raw material and component costs continue to squeeze manufacturers’ margins. At the same time, unpredictable supply chains make it increasingly difficult to maintain consistent product quality and cost visibility. In the midst of these challenges, manufacturers are strengthening their evolving in-house and virtual workforces to play more integral roles in meeting the company’s quality goals. This in turn is bringing new demands on software to help manufacturers navigate cost and supply chain uncertainty to deliver the highest product quality.
For example, there is less room for scrap or defective products when raw material costs climb. Having a real-time view of yield, scrap, and defect rates plus an understanding why they are happening is one of the many areas where quality software adds value today. Another example is using software to identify new opportunities for reducing costs and working with key suppliers to improve yields. Additionally, quality software can help improve yields and reduce waste by providing accurate work instructions across every shop floor, work center, and team. When everyone owns product quality, having intuitive, easy access to quality data becomes critical to getting the job done.