Jargon abounds in the business world.  Whether you are looking at “lean management” or “right sized leadership” or any of the other slogans, there is a white paper for all of t hem.   Still, there is a term you should become more familiar with, since it will inevitably change the way you do business.  Now, manufacturing firms are looking at the rise of “smart operations.”

Piggybacking off the trend of garnering information from the Internet of Things or Big Data (more jargon!), industry leaders are beginning to recognize the value of looking at all points of operation to see if they can be done more efficiently.  This can take the form of several key qualities, which every industry leader needs to consider.

Outside Partnerships.  Instead of adding new departments to an already bloated organizational chart, many businesses are finding that forming strategic partnerships with key players adds a level of creativity that can only be achieved with an objective outsider.  Strategic partners can discover better equipment design, identify places where your brand isn’t working hard enough or give you insight into an area of your field with which you may be unfamiliar.

Leaving Legacy Equipment. Smart operations doesn’t necessarily mean a shoestring budget – but neither does it mean your equipment operates with a shoestring and a prayer, either!  Just because the shop came with the machine doesn’t mean it’s fully utilizing your precious resources.

Creativity in Design. Look beyond the standard way that things have always been done and see if there is a swifter, better way to operate.  Some of the best tools were designed by people who actually had to work with those tools every day, so consult with others in your company who are actually manning the stations.  Or use that outside partnership!

Komax can provide both the creativity and the partnership experience to help identify more efficient processes in your own business.  Ultimately, smart operations will help firms supercharge their value chains by utilizing technologies that help analyze processes in real time providing new levels of manufacturing efficiency and excellence.