The manufacturing sector in Kenya has for the longest time been using a manual system of doing things. This is mostly due to the fact that the decision makers in this sector are mostly in the older generation. Also, as they say if something is not broken why fix it, essentially the manual way of doing things has been working for them and as such they don’t see a need to change things.
However, the Covid-19 pandemic which brought about curfews and work from home policies has forced many to rethink their ways of doing business, manufacturers included. For the manufacturing sector, the curfews and lockdowns meant that their sales people could not reach their customers not to mention the disruption in their supplies. As such, many manufacturers were forced to adopt technology like ERP systems only as a means of survival but this has turned out to be a blessing in disguise as they are now realizing the benefits.
Some of the local manufacturers who had to adopt technology on their day to day operations include Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS) and Synresins. Before the pandemic, these two companies are what one would have considered to be digital immigrants in that they were not early adopters of technology. However, the disruptions which came about courtesy of Covid-19 made them rethink some of their processes and led to the adoption of technology including Syspro ERP systems to enable them automate some of their processes.
Here are some of the benefits of digital transformation in the manufacturing sector;
Data Integrity
The Syspro ERP system runs a robust SQL database that ensures that the data housed in the system is secure and has integrity. Data integrity in this case refers to accuracy and consistency of data over its life cycle, it is important in that data which is compromised is of little or no use to an enterprise. As such, maintaining data integrity is a core focus of many enterprise security solutions.
Operational efficiency
The Syspro ERP system has enabled the businesses to automate some of their tasks which has led to efficiency in performing them. In the case of MEDS, which deals with the supplies of medicines, they were able to integrate their ERP system to a barcode scanning system. This has enabled them to reduce the paperwork in their warehouses as well as reduced the turnaround time for deliveries as one can, at the click of a button know what is in stock and also the exact location of the same.
Reduced Cost
One of the biggest advantages of digital transformation has to be reduced costs of doing business. After, adopting technology, MEDS reported a 30% reduction in staffing costs at their warehouses as they needed fewer staff to man them. They also recorded a 80% drop in the costs of conducting meeting, this was due to the fact that they are now conducted virtually hence there is no need to incur costs associated with traveling costs for their board members. The cost of stationary also reduced as there was no need to print documents as everything was being done online.
Improved Customer Experience
The Syspro ERP system enables the firm’s clients to be able to make orders for goods and services directly on the system. This avoids the lag that usually comes between placing and order and receiving the goods as such creating a better experience for the firm’s customers.
Improved Decision Making
The Syspro ERP system enables one to have a good view over all the aspects of a manufacturing business as well as produce timely reports. From the raw materials to the stock as well as the sales in a particular month or period. The management can then be able to use these reports to make timely and effective decisions concerning their business so as to enable them to optimize profits.