5 Communication Conundrums in the Manufacturing Sector

In this post, we’ll look at five communication conundrums manufacturers face and how they can be solved…

Gone are the days where manufacturing was a siloed operation. Modern organizations are spread across the country and across the globe. Yet teams still need to be connected to a multitude of colleagues, including quality managers, supervisors, and specialists.

Of course, not everybody requires or prefers the same mode of communication. While instant messaging might work for small updates between production managers, video calling may be better for remote assistance between a machine operative and engineer.

The cloud is looming for practically all organizations that haven’t made the switch – but for those in manufacturing more than most. In a sector where supply and demand are constantly shifting, teams need to be able to adapt to requirements rapidly.

In terms of communication, that means having access to the support, resources and expertise they need without delay. The challenge is making that move to the cloud without disruption to existing tools for enterprise resource planning, asset monitoring, and analytics.

These solutions are vital to all modern manufacturing businesses, making seamless integration a must-have to avoid disruption and maximise productivity.

In your everyday working environment, disruption typically results in lost time, a poor service or a little less productivity. Not in manufacturing, where heavy machinery and hazardous environments are the norm. In this instance, communication can literally be a matter of life and death, which is why it’s so vital to get the right solutions in place – but also minimise disruption when doing so.

Employees need to be kept in the know about potential risks in their working environment. Engineers require prompt communication when malfunctions are detected or expected. And effortless data sharing is a must to keep everything compliant.

We touched upon how communication can help manufacturers innovate. On the flipside, falling behind with communication infrastructure can hold manufacturers back.

Exciting things are happening at the cutting edge of communication. For example, virtual and augmented reality can be used for virtual tours, quality management, machinery inspections, or even staff training. Staff engagement can also be improved vastly with new, more immersive forms of communication like the metaverse.

However, organizations that are tied to legacy investments will miss out in this respect. Keeping up with the latest communication trends to avoid falling behind is another key challenge for manufacturers.

As with any sector and any investment, costs have to be factored into manufacturers’ decisions about communication technology. Organizations are happy to invest in tech that will deliver tangible benefits like productivity and efficiency, but ideally they want to save money.

The right communications solutions can do both – reducing expenditure and delivering benefits to the way teams work. The conundrum is finding that perfect fit, which streamlines expenses, leverages insights, and improves productivity – not to mention proving its value to decision makers.

With experience transforming estates and managing unified communications for global manufacturers, Aura is a natural choice to help organizations solve the conundrums listed above.

We serve one of the world’s largest car manufacturers, constantly evolving it’s UC estate to maintain 4.0 readiness, streamline expenditure, and improve collaboration, safety, and productivity.

Our global network covers 145 countries with field services for versatile solutions like Microsoft Teams, which can be crucial to solving many of manufacturers’ problems. The cutting-edge collaboration platform prevents manufacturers from falling behind the competition as well as offering a wealth of collaboration options to global teams.

Aura can bolster that with voice calling capabilities through Aura Connect, further diversifying the communication options available through Teams. Our Cloud Migration services can also minimise disruption, helping manufacturers migrate at their own pace.

That’s all wrapped up with our Aura One approach. In short, we can consolidate all of your global communications requirements to give you everything in one contract with one point of contact. You’ll enjoy a fully integrated solution with huge time and cost savings, plus comprehensive analytics from Aura Insight to keep you at the top of your game going forward.

Whether you’re struggling with one of the issues discussed above or something completely different, Aura is on hand to solve your communication conundrums in the manufacturing sector. The first step is to talk through your requirements with our expert team. Arrange a call today!