1. MARGIN PRESSURE

Fierce competition increasing over time continue to tighten profit margins.  Now more than ever manufacturer’s technology solutions to create additional value to their client base, while sourcing it to also find unrealized profits from Business Intelligence solutions.

2. LACK OF SKILLED TALENT

It’s estimated there are 600,000 vacant manufacturing jobs in the U.S. alone, compounded by an aging workforce and a new talent pool of millennials with lackluster views on a career in the manufacturing industry as a top choice.

3. TOUGH CUSTOMER SATISFACTION REQUIREMENTS

In a face paced digital world, customers expect customer facing employees to immediately know their concerns.  Trying to keep up with spreadsheets, legacy environments, and lack of internal communication: sales and customer service aren’t sufficiently equipped to provide a great customer experience.

4. INACCURATE SALES/DEMAND FORECASTING

An inability to efficiently manage order and demand forecasting is a challenge shared across today’s manufacturing industry. Plugging the needs and wants of customers early into the planning cycle an arduous task. Causing increased pressure for manufacturers to adapt quickly or miss growth opportunities.

5. LIMITED CHANNEL VISIBILITY

A big market opportunity for manufacturers is dealers and distributors, with less than optimal visibility, the best path to establish partnership benefits are leading missed sales opportunities. Boating industry manufacturers can create those partnership connections to drive sales through a seamless integration.

Benefits of partnership and sales driven integration:

1. Collaborative information
2. Additional Revenues
3. Clean Actionable Data
4. Accurate Demand Forecasting
5. Collaboration Tools

With less than 5-minutes, a computer or mobile device connected to the internet and a Google search using “struggles faced by manufacturers” provides a consistent theme revolving around labor and technology as the biggest needs within the industry.

The good news is, innovative solutions focused exclusively on the needs of the boat manufacturing industry.  Nautical CRM & ERP, the boat manufacturing industry’s exclusive end-to-end technology solution.  Offering cloud based modules tailored to your company’s specific needs.  Below is a list of the current production ready software solutions:

1. Nautical CRM

A client relationship management solution designed to create deeper, more meaningful customer relationships. Armed with real-time information and interactions are intuitively tracked and organized for fast delivery on an as needed basis.  As a cloud based solution, our technology is primed for collaboration with dealers to create a seamless partnership integration and unrealized sales opportunities with channel partners.

2. Nautical Warranty & Service

A fully equipped technology solution that provides interaction with affiliated dealership service and parts departments as designated by the manufacturer.  The software is fully integrated with a login-based customer dashboard, internal connections with established warranty associated departments, time clock for dealership personnel or for manually logging in hours associated with warranty work.  Integrated chat, email, parts order, invoicing, scheduling calendar, detailed customer and service information, support ticket system, announcements and notification system.  Each user has established role-based permissions assigned by the manufacturer.

3. Nautical HR Manager

A complete human resource and payroll management platform with an optional job board integration designed to stem any labor shortage issues.  It comes fully equipped with employee time clock, attendance reports, leave and absent categories tailored to the company, approve or reject time off request, access granted based on staff roles, assign employee training, training status and performance, employee awards, gifting options for employee morale, and an easy to understand dashboard interface with a fully integrated knowledge base for quick reference.

4. Nautical Executive (data-driven insight,  inventory control and procurement)

Business intelligence and up-to-the-minute real time data delivered anywhere on any device.  With detailed business insight, ability to react on the fly to avert any issue associated with the users role within the company.  Reporting and research with intuitive drill-down options or overall snapshot of product inventory, sales, purchases, suppliers, warehouse, accounts receivable, accounts payable, stock counts, transfers, quotes, video conferencing, company-wide or individual notification and chat and complete POS system.  Procurement acquisition functions include company specific procurement rules, assigned procurement lead, procurement wizard, supplier comparison and canvassing tools, approval overrides based on budgetary parameters and/or required board approval.  This module is too feature-rich to fully describe here.  A guided tour is recommended to get a full perspective of its capability and data driven insight contained within.

References:

• https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2017/05/01/challenges-facing-manufacturing-and-distribution.html
• https://us.hitachi-solutions.com/blog/top-five-challenges-facing-manufacturing-industry/
• https://www.manufacturingtomorrow.com/article/2017/10/manufacturing-challenges-and-industry-40/10525