The manufacturing industry has continued to rise throughout 2015, and expectations continue to push forward. Much of this is due to technological advances and how companies are using technology to be more productive and efficient. With advances in technologies such as cloud computing, 3-D printing, predictive applications, and VoIP systems, manufacturing companies are able to maintain a higher level of productivity, while reducing costs and cutting down on maintenance and troubleshooting efforts. This article will take a look at a few of the new revolutionary tech trends that are helping push the manufacturing industry forward.
Cloud Computing
Cloud computing has become a huge asset to the manufacturing industry. The vast benefits of cloud storage and cloud applications have helped many companies become more productive and more efficient. For instance, big data combined with cloud computing has helped GE Water & Power perform at levels that will save them around $66 billion over the course of the next 15 years. With cloud storage making access to data more readily available across large networks and intranets, manufacturers are saving both time and money due to real-time data transfers, instant customer support, and data backup.
3-D Printing
The process of 3-D printing is also known as additive manufacturing in the industry. This innovative technology has been nothing short of revolutionary for the manufacturing businesses, as items made of metal, plastic, and mixed materials can be mass-produced in an extremely cheap and fast process. 3-D printing is perfect for product testing and development as well, as new parts can be created and adjusted as necessary by simply changing the settings on the 3-D printer. 3-D printing also allows the companies to draw up ideas and test them without wasting lots of money on practice and testing.
Social Media
Social media is one of the top marketing methods in the manufacturing industry. The reason is quite obvious, as companies can communicate with current customers and can attract thousands of new customers through social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and many others. Many companies use social media to monitor customer concerns, track current trends, and use promotions to increase sales and the customer base.
Marketing
Marketing is a huge trend in manufacturing, just as it is in most industries. While many manufacturing companies still depend on third-party PR firms, this is changing, as the innovation of the internet continues to grow with new technologies and opportunities that power the success of many companies. Other marketing innovations include blogging, tradeshows, social media, and video content such as starter videos, explainer videos, how-to videos, etc.
Next-shoring
Next-shoring is one of the latest innovations to rock the marketing industry. The process of next-shoring is to get the company as close to the manufacturing suppliers and customers as possible. Instead of outsourcing work overseas where it can take weeks or even months for products to be shipped to the United states, manufacturers are now using next-shoring to increase the speed at which products can be shipped from the manufacturer to the retail store. By utilizing this technology, manufacturers are saving time, money and resources.
Conclusion
The manufacturing industry has seen an explosion in recent years, and the forecast for the next several years is surging forward. Technological trends are at the head of all this success, and are leading the way in increasing the American economy. As more manufacturing companies adopt these trends, the increase in the industry will see huge increases in productivity, cost-efficiency and overall efficiency.