Automated data collection may ease the labor shortage, at least a little bit. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the United States is facing an unprecedented labor shortage. As of June 2022, there are slightly more than 11 million job openings and just 6 million unemployed workers.
Of course, these statistics don’t tell the whole story, but they do point to what most companies are saying: it’s hard, if not impossible, to find good help these days.
If your company is struggling to fill vacancies, you’re not alone. And while we can’t offer to find you employees, we can say that automated data collection can ease a little bit of your employees’ time so they can work on other projects. Here’s how automated data collection may help the labor shortage.
Fewer Errors and More Efficient Fulfillment
As part of business process automation, automated data collection ensures accuracy. It eliminates errors and reduces fulfillment orders, both of which improve business outcomes. This enhanced accuracy offers better insight into inventory levels, product and component availability, machine performance, and more, all of which can help operations.
Enhanced Staff Planning
Automated data collection can also help management as they plan the need for workers around production demands. Workers can also be moved from job to job without loss of productivity. By automating reports and demand forecasts, managers can take proactive initiative to adjust staffing based on elastic demand.
Faster Onboarding
During times of labor shortages such as the time we are now experiencing, high turnover isn’t uncommon. Companies vying for skilled labor may snatch good employees away. In such cases, hiring quickly becomes a necessity, as does faster onboarding. The faster you can onboard employees, the quicker they can become productive contributors.
Many aspects of onboarding can be automated. New hire paperwork, for example, can be automated through HR platforms integrated with an ERP system. Employee training can also be automated, thus shortening the time it takes to complete.
Automate Data Collection with ERP
The first step toward automating data collection is to leverage all the features of your current ERP system. If you have Sage or Acumatica, our Resources page provides training videos and more to help you use your current system to its fullest capacity.
If you do not have Sage or Acumatica, we invite you to read some of our case studies demonstrating how other companies have used these platforms to improve efficiency, automate business processes, and improve margins.
Emerald TC
Emerald TC provides software and consulting for manufacturing companies. We can help you choose the right ERP system for your needs and offer Sage, Acumatica, and other software packages for every type and size manufacturing company. Contact us or call 678-456-6919 for more information.