| Business Case Solutions - 12 - Order Status Updates |
Business Case Solutions
To evaluate and update current practices for communication, it is important to understand the aspects of communication as they relate to an electronic manufacturing environment. While the information is available, if it is not simple to gather, interpret, and convey then proper communication will be a challenge.
Gather
Before you can adequately communicate, you must be able to quickly gather the required information. Because each can have an impact on delivery, you must have information on inventory and production.
- Inventory - You need to understand the status of inventory for a given job and potential delays from late parts. You should get answers to questions like: Are all components on order or on hand? Will the components currently on order be on time? Is production consuming components faster than expected? Are there currently any unexpected shortages? Will all parts be delivered in time to meet the due date for the order?
- Production - You need visibility of how a job is moving through production and any possible delays and causes of those delays. You should get answers to questions like: Is production producing at the expected rate or is something hindering completion of the projects? What are the sources of the delay and can they be removed or improved? Will we need to adjust the schedule or increase capacity to produce according to our commitments?
Interpret
Once you have the available information, you need to interpret the results in order to determine their impact. This can be done automatically with reports for simple questions like production status and available inventory. For more complex evaluations like whether a current project will be completed on time, users must assimilate disparate pieces of information to reach an answer. The higher the quality of the tools and reports, the easier it will be to determine what communications are needed and when they should be delivered.
Convey
After you gather and interpret the information, you must share the results with affected parties to complete the communication process. The methods of conveying the results vary by the types and complexities of the message.
- Forms - Often times, forms within the system provide enough information to gather, interpret, and convey the necessary information. Because the information is dynamic and current, forms should be used as much as possible as a first step in communication.
- Automatic Messages - Automatic messages can alert employees, management, and customers when projects are late, intervention is required, and orders are shipped. If setup properly, these messages will complete a good portion of the communication without human intervention.
- Reports - Reports are a good way to make complex information readily available upon demand. It is important that the reports contain the needed information in an organized layout to facilitate effective communication. A report can be both a tool for interpreting and communicating. However, it is critical to ensure the report is current so that it contains the most updated and correct information.
- Web Tools - Web tools are another effective tool for conveying information to employees, management, and customers. These are easy to deploy and available upon demand whenever and where ever the user has an internet connection.
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| Article ID: 3199 |
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