Agile Manufacturing: a competitive advantage for the industry

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Industrial companies are undergoing rapid change. The increasingly competitive global market , the massive technological disruption and the rising customer expectations in terms of speed, service, quality and price are some of the reasons that are driving these changes. Agile Manufacturing has been the approach adopted by many companies to overcome this challenge.

Customers/consumers are more demanding. They want different products. They want to see their needs and desires reflected in the products they buy. They demand to have decision-making power over the appearance of the product they buy and they do not want to pay more for it.

The truth is that, in an increasingly globalized world, with access to information and rapid research methods, it becomes easy for consumers to find a supplier capable of meeting their demands at the price they are willing to pay.

This means that the life cycle of products is getting shorter and shorter. It is india whatsapp number database to produce more, better and in a more personalized way , which immediately poses a major challenge to production:

1. "How to satisfy customer needs without increasing costs?”

2. "How to have a "Hi-Mix" of products, produced in increasingly smaller series reaching the limit of batch size 1, while maintaining profitability?"

What is Agile Manufacturing?
"Agile Manufacturing" is a concept with numerous definitions, however, in this context, it makes sense to highlight two:

• Agile Manufacturing is about the ability to react and adapt .
This approach focuses on an effective and efficient way to respond to changes in the market and customer demand.

• Agile Manufacturing is also described as an enterprise-wide approach .
This approach aims to connect all elements of the organization with customers and suppliers, using technology to achieve this, in a coordinated and aligned way.

In short: Agile Manufacturing involves being connected, fast, proactive and, overall, competitive.
Agile Manufacturing and Lean Manufacturing
Although different, these approaches go hand in hand. Both are focused on increasing the sustainability of the business and have an impact on the way the company produces and manages its operations.

At first glance, the difference can be easily detected by the terminology, that is, the term “ agile ” implies “being in shape”, while “lean” means “being lean” or “being thin”.

Thus, objectively, "agile" means being prepared, flexible and reacting quickly, while "lean" refers to minimal waste, maximum organization and efficiency. Thus, in Lean Manufacturing , the focus is on reducing costs through continuous improvement , measuring performance and eradicating waste throughout the value chain.

On the other hand, Agile Manufacturing seeks to respond to customer demands quickly, through a flexible and effective production design.
The role of technology
The digitalization of processes is, therefore, essential to being an “agile” company. Digital technologies and Agile Manufacturing must go hand in hand.

Technological solutions, such as Cegid Primavera's solution for industry , boost a company's production capacity. Through them, it is possible to anticipate production problems, eliminate information silos within the organization and throughout the value chain, and respond quickly to customer needs.
These types of solutions are structural pieces for the implementation of an agile approach in the production of any company.