Cloud technologies have transformed the way businesses operate, and organizations in the manufacturing industry are no different. Manufacturing processes are increasingly being moved to the digital realm to enable companies to perform efficiently and effectively. Office 365 in particular has become a tool capable of empowering manufacturers and improving operations. Let's take a closer look at what Office 365 means for manufacturing:
1. Better communication and collaboration
Organizations are not monolithic entities. Many businesses are extending their reach across the country and even expanding to a more global audience. With resources devoted to so many different places, it can be difficult to keep everyone updated and ensure that people can work together effectively. Mobile devices and cloud-based applications have helped to mitigate the distance between workers, and Office 365 is a critical tool for enabling remote operations. As Forrester noted in a report, mobile access to SharePoint and Office Professional Plus through Office 365 provides a better understanding of inventory levels in real time. Managers can keep up-to-date information flowing across the supply chain and into distribution, resulting in improved delivery time and lower inventory costs. Other segments of the manufacturing team can use Skype and Yammer for improved communication, bolstering employee and customer satisfaction.
2. Tool consolidation
As manufacturers grow, their infrastructure can become more complex and unwieldy. Supporting all of these tools is costly and causes issues with navigation and data integration. Rather than using a bunch of disparate tools, manufacturers can take advantage of Office 365's suite of interoperable features. Jabil CIO Gary Cantrell noted that choosing Office 365 was a way to simplify and consolidate the IT environment with a fully integrated productivity platform. This ensures that workers have a user interface that inherently advocates collaboration and ensures that there are no compatibility issues when sharing important information and files.
"Migrating processes to Office 365 empowers manufacturers to keep up with complex business environments."
3. Improved agility
In today's fast-paced world, it's becoming more difficult for businesses to keep up and leverage technology in a beneficial way. In one Office 365 case study, Fortescue Metals Group had a server environment that wasn't keeping pace with the company's accelerated growth, resulting in downtime, slow onboarding and additional costs. By moving to Office 365, the organization's IT services were more reliable, secure and agile. Office 365 modules allow manufacturers to connect to plants in real time to avoid production issues, foster innovation, and improve service. Migrating processes to Office 365 inherently improves agility and empowers manufacturers to keep up with complex business environments.
The cloud has changed what organizations and workers expect. Office 365 is a critical cloud-based suite that can directly benefit the manufacturing industry, as well as many other verticals. Using Office 365s modules, businesses can improve their agility, consolidate their IT environment and bolster communication. To find out more about what Office 365 can do for your business team up with a certified partner like ISG Technology.