Downtime is a crippling cost in the manufacturing sector, and too common for the average business. Whether from a data breach, ineffective processes, or an unreliable network, it’s projected that manufacturers experience 15 hours of downtime per week, losing $22,000 per minute.
From shutdowns to production delays, waiting on production to get back up and running severely disrupts the entire process. But there are solutions to help manufacturers not only face but conquer downtime—managed IT services. Partnering with a managed service provider (MSP) that has industry-specific experience is essential for any manufacturing business that wants to strategically avoid and manage downtime, all while making proactive technology decisions to stay ahead of the competition.
We know that’s easy for us to say, but let’s prove it. In this article, we will take a look at a few essential manufacturing IT solutions that reduce downtime in the industry. Who knows? Maybe you will find the exact solution you’re looking for.
Cybersecurity Solutions to Combat Manufacturing Cyber Threats
The manufacturing sector is no exception when it comes to rising cyber threats—cybercriminals continue to target both small businesses and large corporations across industries. Such threats include:
- Ransomware
- Supply chain attacks
- Employee phishing scams
- Data breaches
To protect against any potential cyberattacks, it’s essential to take a proactive approach to cybersecurity solutions. In the manufacturing industry, there are several solutions that can help keep your data and processes secure, including:
- Firewalls: Firewalls provide an extra layer of security between internal networks and the internet, preventing unauthorized access and blocking suspicious traffic.
- Intrusion detection systems: Intrusion detection systems are designed to detect any external attempts to access a network, alerting IT personnel instantly and providing the opportunity to take immediate action.
- Data encryption: Companies should use data encryption to protect sensitive data from potential cybercriminals, preventing them from accessing and exploiting it.
- Multi-factor authentication: Multi-factor authentication is an extra layer of security that requires two or more authentication factors for access to critical systems and information.
Automating Manufacturing Processes for Increased Production
Automating certain processes within the manufacturing industry is key in reducing downtime. Automated processes can help streamline all of the different steps involved with production, therefore leading to quicker turnaround times and improved efficiency overall.
From automated data collection to automated machine diagnostics, these solutions can pinpoint issues that might delay production times.
24/7 Monitoring and Proactive Technology Solutions
In manufacturing, if you wait until after the problem occurs to fix something, it’s too late. You’ve cost your company money—sometimes thousands of dollars—lost the trust of your customers and had your reputation sullied. That’s why 24/7 monitoring is so important.
Having a 24/7 monitoring system in place helps you to make sure that any potential issues with any of the machines or services used during production can be detected early and fixed in a timely manner. This reduces downtime significantly as spotting any errors or failures before they become critical is essential for keeping production running smoothly.
Customized Manufacturing Software Solutions
Software solutions play an integral part in reducing downtime. Having the right software solutions available can help streamline any processes within the production process and eliminate any potential errors that could lead to a complete shutdown of production.
Having a single source for all your software needs provides visibility into what’s happening on the factory floor, allowing you to react quickly if something goes wrong. Furthermore, with the help of an experienced MSP, you can make sure that you’re choosing the best software solution for your needs and offload software management to the experts.
Leveraging Data for Improved Performance
Data is a critical aspect of any operation, no matter how large or small. Having access to the production data can help you make better decisions, improve the process, and reduce downtime in your manufacturing business.
By leveraging data analytics tools and sharing the data with your managed service provider, you can easily identify any potential problems before they become major issues and quickly fix them without causing any disruption.
Reduce Downtime and Improve Manufacturing Processes with Weber TC
The manufacturing industry is complex and ever-evolving, so it’s important to have flexible, scalable IT solutions in place to reduce downtime while not shying away from new technologies and growth opportunities.
If you’re looking for a reliable managed service provider to help reduce downtime in the manufacturing industry, then look no further than Weber TC. Our team of experts can provide the perfect IT Solutions for your manufacturing business and ensure that production runs as smoothly as possible. Schedule a free consultation to learn how to make your manufacturing process more efficient.
