How Fishbowl Can Help Any Manufacturer

One of the many challenges facing manufacturing companies is not just the ability to scale a physical process, but scaling the management process that must accompany an increasing production demand. You need more capabilities without adding unnecessary steps, and this is where the strength of a manufacturing specific software like Fishbowl Manufacturing can make all the difference in your business.

Fishbowl Manufacturing, included in their Fishbowl Advanced Product, contains features to fit your specific manufacturing needs. Let’s get into it!

Types of Manufacturing and How Fishbowl Manufacturing Helps

Batch Manufacturing

Batch manufacturing involves creating products or items in a single batch to meet customer demand, often used in commercial baking or clothing production, and this process is repeated continuously to keep up with incoming consumer needs. Batch manufacturing often works with non-metallic substances such as powder, liquid, minerals, and gasses.

One of the primary benefits of batch manufacturing is the ability to create large quantities of products in a short period. However, it can also result in excess or expired inventory and higher costs if not managed effectively.

Fishbowl Manufacturing provides the ability to set various types of Units of Measure (UOM) for raw goods and materials, and makes use of material expiration tracking, reducing the time and error involved with manual management of inventory or unit conversions. This flexibility helps keep costs down and ensures efficient use of inventory, leading to more reliable manufacturing operations.

Discrete Manufacturing

Discrete manufacturing is a flexible process often used by furniture or electronic production, and involves manufacturing multiple products on a single assembly line. This method is highly customizable using a build-to-order business model, with the downside of the time required to retool machinery and lines for different products, resulting in inefficiency.

Fishbowl Manufacturing allows manufacturers to add one-time items or items with multiple quantities to a Bill of Materials (BOM), providing simple or large-scale customization of orders, which brings greater flexibility while keeping costs down.

Job Shop Manufacturing

Job shop manufacturing is similar to discrete manufacturing in that it is focused on one-off manufacturing jobs, like commercial printing or machining shops. Where the production varies is in the assembly lines, with most of the manufacturing work created by hand or limited automation.

Fishbowl Manufacturing is designed to be flexible and handle a wide range of inventory and manufacturing requirements while also providing Job Costing and Labor Management. As production and material load increases, Fishbowl can handle the extra load, and accurately track costs by project or person. Instruction notes can also be added to line items in a BOM, making it easier for workers to double-check item customization as needed.

Repetitive Manufacturing

Repetitive manufacturing involves the creation of a single product over and over again, from refrigerator manufacturers to beer production. The assembly line does not often change the products they manufacture, they adjust the frequency of production based on demand.

Fishbowl Manufacturing provides manufacturers with Material Resource Planning (MRP) to know when and where materials are needed, while tracking their progress. The ability to plan your resources and demand allow production to scale as needed while eliminating inventory surprises.

How Fishbowl Manufacturing Can Help Any Manufacturer

Every manufacturer faces different demands, but Fishbowl Manufacturing also provides the important inventory solutions to manage the process end-to-end.

Inventory management: Fishbowl Manufacturing allows you to track inventory levels in real-time, reducing the risk of stockouts and overstocking.
Production planning: You can plan production schedules and track progress, ensuring that orders are fulfilled on time and within budget.
Quality control: Fishbowl Manufacturing allows you to monitor quality control throughout the production process, reducing the risk of defects and ensuring customer satisfaction.
Cost control: Fishbowl Manufacturing can help you track the costs associated with each stage of the production process, allowing you to identify areas where you can reduce costs and improve efficiency.

How to implement Fishbowl Manufacturing for your business

Assess your business needs: What is your process and what areas does your business need the most help?
Pick your solution: Choose the plan that best suits your business needs and budget.
Onboard Fishbowl Manufacturing: Find the right training to fit your business and provide proper training for your employees.
Add Integrations to enhance your process: Fishbowl partners provide additional inventory solutions to make your warehouse runs as efficient as your manufacturing.

When should you update your training for Fishbowl Manufacturing?

Your manufacturing business will inevitably change; new employees join your team, processes need refreshing, new products may require new approaches. In each instance, additional training or consultation can hone both your production process and inventory process. In the same way your equipment and tooling requires maintenance, your business and employees benefit from regular training, which pays dividends in long-term efficiencies.

Takeaway

Manufacturing companies face the dual challenge of scaling both their physical and management processes to meet increasing production demand. Fishbowl Manufacturing provides the feature sets to meet nearly any manufacturing application, while also providing the tools necessary for inventory management, production planning, quality control, and cost control. Add in the right integrations with the proper training, and your manufacturing business can produce and manage your full process at the highest level of efficiency.

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