Manufacturers, by the very nature of their business, are continually making adjustments. Some days they’re dealing with product reconfigurations or workflow adjustments. Other times it’s an unexpected change in inventory cycles that impacts multiple sides of the business. In this complex industry, the desire to improve sales is often a driving force behind the need to assess the capabilities of the entire infrastructure. Can you make more, can you make it better, can you make it less expensively?

The typical questions asked at this point look something like this. 

1. Where can we gain leverage, and what would it take to attain a more efficient and profitable level of output? 
2. How quickly can we move forward?
3. What will it cost?

While providing answers to these questions is a part of our daily business at TRI Solutions, Inc., we want to challenge our clients to think differently in terms of their Capacity Planning. Integrating all aspects of your business does not only refer to the connection between the supply chain and financials. It’s much more than that. By aligning your business for its future state of increased capacity, at a more efficient and profitable level, your prospective clients will also gain a higher level of confidence in your capabilities of handling their potenital orders. With better data and financials, you will be able to surpass your competition in a head-to-head assessment conducted by prospective clients looking for a manufacturing partner.

When businesses shop for a manufacturer, their level of trust depends on a multitude of variables beyond cost and current capabilities. They want to understand what your future looks like in terms of capacity and agility. They want to hear about the investments you’ve made in your infrastructure and the plans you’ve outlined for your future state. By integrating all aspects of your business into a cohesive model, your prospective clients will perceive your business as one of growth and innovation. Who wouldn’t want a partner that thinks this way? Your ability to arm your sales and marketing teams with a comprehensive system can set the stage for new sales. Prospective clients want partners who can customize, who are agile, who can work through normal business changes without disrupting production. As a manufacturer, you have a need to keep your current client orders running smoothly. You also have a need to keep the pipleine filled with prospective consumers who can get excited about the capabilities of your operation.

If you’ve never lost business due to your ability to rapidly grow or make adjustments, you’re in an elite group. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some manufacturers are stifled at a current level of efficiency that will hinder their future state. So let’s think ahead. Even if you’re not at a crossroads with capacity planning, this is definitely an exercise worth your time. Take a look at these next 5 questions. 

1. Have we lost a current client due to an inability to grow, adjust, or meet new demands? 
2. Have we lost a potential sale with a new client due to their lack of confidence in our ability to grow with them?
3. Are we losing business to other manufacturers who are thinking differently than we are?
4. Are we delaying new solutions because we’re worried about implementation costs or downtime during migration?
   
5. Is our marketing content stuck on the current state instead of a future state?

Is it possible you could benefit from an expert analysis of your current levels of efficiency, within all workflows, across all departments? Is it possible you’ve allowed misinformation about the ERP industry to affect your consideration of this solution? If the answers to the above five questions made you pause for a moment, then we want to raise our hand and say, “we’re here to listen to your challenges and ideas”. We’ll patiently guide you through any scenarios you want to consider. And by looking at your options ahead of time, you could avert a scenario that could have a lasting negative impact on your business. By considering how, when, and why a change in sales activity could place unnecessary challenges on your current system, you’ll be prepared to grab additional market share and keep your business running smoothly. In addition, the story your sales and marketing teams can tell about the full capabilities of an upgraded system can completely change their ability to close the right type of business and bring in the right type of customers.

Let’s Think Ahead…together.

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