There can be little debate about two aspects of the electronics industry.
Firstly, few other industries can compare to this sector or keep up when it comes to extremely rapid changes and ever-shrinking manufacturing turnaround times and product lifecycles.
Secondly, the growth of the Internet of Things, Big Data and predictive analytics means we are poised on the edge of an explosive demand for electronics, semiconductors, sensors and readers, as machine-to-machine tracking and analytics are set to shiver, shakeout, and shape the very way that products are manufactured, all along the design, supply and production line.Of course, with the expected rising demand for electronics, agility and speed to market for the industry is becoming more critical than ever to meet this sector’s challenges. These include constant product innovation, short product life cycles, high levels of obsolete inventory and complex supply chains.
According to research from consulting firm Accenture, “manufacturers spend about five to six percent of revenues to manage all aspects of a customer return”. Electronics firms also report that return rates are growing. As a result, functionality to support and bring insight to returns handling must be a strategic ERP requirement.
Traceability is another critical piece of functionality in this industry. Many electronic fabrication plants utilize expensive raw materials and contain precise and expensive equipment and lot traceability helps track the performance of people, machinery, materials and suppliers.
The best electronics firms use near real-time performance and traceability data to optimize production, reduce defects, minimize warranty claims and police their supply base. It would be hard to imagine a successful electronics firm without it.
Our software solutions have been at the heart of this dynamic sector for over two decades. Our in-house industry experts are crafting innovative, electronic manufacturing ERP solutions with these challenges in mind to ensure we are accommodating, anticipating and embracing this revolution in the electronics industry.
Fasten your seatbelts as industry 4.0 continues to grow and further enriches and extends ERP, while also rattling some cages in the electronics manufacturing sector.
