The world of manufacturing is changing.

With the unexpected disruptions caused by the 2020 global

pandemic, it can be hard to predict what the following year will hold. Within any production facility or
organization, it is crucial to have adequate and advantageous operations management to ensure that
production runs smoothly, even in the case of unexpected disruptions.

Although it is challenging to predict what the following year will have in store for us, some operations
management trends are emerging. It is in the best interest of your company to keep these in mind as the
new year approaches as these will help your company recover from the disruptions caused by the
pandemic.

Trends in Operations Management

1. Increased Enterprise Data

2021 will see an increase in the amount of enterprise data at all levels of the organization. Enterprise
data represents all data that is shared by the users of an organization. As the loss of enterprise data can
accrue significant loss for your company, it is crucial that you prepare to have efficient ways of managing
and organizing it. Having a single platform that can allow your employees to access all of the information
they need will also be helpful in reducing the time wasted looking for relevant information.

2. Investing in Your Employees

One of the major determinants in employee satisfaction at work is their perception of how much they
are benefiting from working at a company. This is much more than simply receiving a paycheck.
Motivated employees that share your vision for the company will be highly beneficial. In the new year,
spend time talking to your employees about their experiences within your organization and identify
opportunities for enrichment, such as additional resources and training for self-development.

3. Increased Communication

In the next year, an emphasis on company-wide, mobile communication is predicted. With so many
people now working from home, it is crucial to ensure clear and efficient communication to improve
productivity. Mobile communication will ensure timely correspondence between all levels of the
organization and allow everyone to have access to important information, wherever they are.

4. Agility

With the events of 2020, consumers' priorities dramatically shifted. Some manufacturers saw demand
for their products soar while others remained with excess inventory. As things will remain uncertain for
some time, it is important for your company to improve its demand responsiveness. This can be
achieved by increasing the agility of your operations to be able to the quickly changing customer
demands. This may mean shortening your planning horizon to be able to quickly adjust your production
schedule as the 'new normal' settles in.
5. Focus on Customers

In addition to increasing demand responsiveness, companies will highly benefit from having great
customer relationships. As customers are expecting higher levels of customizations, short lead time, and
lower costs, your company will be able to maintain their competitive advantage by listening to the needs
of your customers. Companies may want to consider adding options for customizations of their products
to give then an additional advantage within the market competition.

Planet Together’s Advanced Planning and Scheduling software can help operations managers make their
overall production process more efficient. This software will allow manufacturers to have thorough
visibility into their production facility and locate areas where bottlenecks are prevalent. This means
identifying problems and problem-solving before they arise. As we embark into a new year that may
hold some unexpected changes, this visibility will be crucial for modern-day manufacturers that are
looking to meet their goals.

Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) Software

Advanced Planning and Scheduling Softwares have become a must for modern-day manufacturing
operations as customer demand for increased product assortment, fast delivery, and downward cost
pressures become prevalent. These systems help planners save time while providing greater agility in
updating ever-changing priorities, production schedules, and inventory plans. APS Systems can be
quickly integrated with an ERP/MRP software to fill the gaps where these systems lack planning and
scheduling flexibility, accuracy, and efficiency.

With APS you can:

 Create optimized schedules that balance production efficiency and delivery performance
 Maximize throughput on bottleneck resources to increase revenue
 Synchronize supply with demand to reduce inventories
 Provide company-wide visibility to resource capacity
 Enable scenario data-driven decision making

Link of Source:

https://www.planettogether.com/blog/trends-operations-management-2021