Thanks to e-commerce, manufacturers now have the entire world as their marketplace. Unfortunately, so does the competition. If you were a specialty manufacturer in the 2000s or earlier, staking out a convenient location was the best way to gain an advantage. Now, competitive edge comes from improving operational efficiency.
Even something as simple as digitizing and automating the way you manage product documents can speed up processes, cut costs, and help you stand out from the pack. But how do you manage these files across numerous departments and platforms?
Product-centric document management is a strategic process manufacturers use to organize all documents related to their specific products or product lines. Implementing this management style can improve efficiency and data visibility, but it’s challenging without the right technology. Let’s explore why product-centric document management is so important and how to find a software partner that simplifies the implementation process.
When documents are scattered across multiple platforms, it can be difficult for stakeholders in each department to know which version is the most recent. At best, this can result in miscommunications, but at worse, it can cause costly production mistakes. For example, the factory may go into production on a product order based on outdated Computer-Aided Design (CAD) drawings, not realizing that they have recently changed. Not only does this waste time and money, but it could also result in lost reputation if the company fulfills the order incorrectly.
Product-centric document management will resolve most of these issues, but it’s impossible without the proper solutions. That’s where Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) comes in. PLM platforms are high efficient database systems that helps manufacturers unify every aspect of their product and process data management in one solution. The software updates in real-time and integrates with business systems (e.g., ERP, CAD, CRM), so stakeholders can access a single source of truth for all product data.
PRO.FILE from Revalize is a state-of-the-art PLM solution designed for the needs of manufacturers. The software serves as the company’s “Product Data Backbone,” a data backbone that automatically links documents with the corresponding product structures, making all information easily accessible in one place. Built for easy configuration, PRO.FILE allows users to integrate the system with their other software and achieve ROI in record time. In fact, 90% of PRO.FILE users can fully set up the system within 20 days, while many competitor products take months or even years to implement.
Schedule a demo with one of our specialists to see what PLM can do for your organization.
