Survey of Manufacturers and Logistic Organisations Reveals Need for Operational Information
Information Management Solutions Ltd. (IMS), the strategic data consultancy and implementation specialist, has announced the results of a survey of manufacturing and logistics organisations. The survey reveals that too many are working too long on too much data and not enough on business strategy.
67% of responses complained that they were more overloaded at work than they were three years ago, with 75% working more than �standard� work hours. 74% said they did not spend enough time working on business strategy and that they would like more operational information on which to base decisions. Interestingly, the biggest information failures surround product and process, rather than financial information. In all, a third wanted more information on quality and orders (33% each), then more information on suppliers (27%), followed by inventory (24%) and then financial facts (21%).
Cost Control was a major IT concern in 50% of responses, followed by inter-organisation communications (33%), customer and supplier integration (31%),rate of technological change (29%), security (20%) and comparative advantage (17%).
41% analyse their historic data occasionally to try to predict future scenarios and 39% do so frequently, but more worryingly, 15% never do. In this technological age, 68% do not have �secure, screen-based, real-enough-time reporting – anywhere�, but 78% would like it.
IMS Managing Director, Robin Edmonds commented;
�We commissioned the survey to find out just how severe the problem was. The findings support IMS� theory that business Intelligence applied in the operational areas offers the most competitive advantage for an organization today.�
He continued;
�Many manufacturers and logistic organisations don�t realize that there are solutions out there to prevent �data overload paralysis� and provide �quality information analysis�. They also tend to think that any solution to their problem will be expensive. Very often they have the hardware and software tools they need readily available within their organizations already and for only a few thousand pounds they can manage the business much more effectively with immediate pay-backs.
We recently undertook a series of seminars around the UK in conjunction with The Institute of Directors, Microsoft and a key publisher. These seminars demonstrated with practical examples how IT can help business decision making. We plan to hold more.�
The survey of 107 respondents was carried out in September at the Computers in Manufacturing Event and analysed during October and November by market research specialists MPMR.
