To stay profitable as a manufacturer, you have to run a tight ship. I’ve been lucky enough to visit with owners and key people at thousands of manufacturers all over the world. My main goal during these visits is to listen and learn what makes them so good at what they do.

It turns out that the most successful ones, no matter what they make, all share a few key ideas. They get the basics right. Think of it as the ABCs of manufacturing:
• A for automation
• B for business intelligence
• C for customer care

Let’s break down what that really means for you.

A is for automation: Let your systems do the heavy lifting

Automation is the engine of efficiency. To compete on a global scale, you must keep your costs under control.

Automation is absolutely about cutting costs. But it’s also about unlocking your team’s true potential. It’s about eliminating the wasteful minutes spent on repetitive, manual tasks so your people can focus on innovation, problem-solving, and proactive management. When you let your systems handle the busywork, you empower your people to do their best work.

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