Best Ways to Collect Data in Manufacturing

Data analysis is the heart of any well-functioning manufacturing company. Without accurate, real-time data, manufacturing plants are left in the dark about costs, areas that need improvements, quality assurance, employee production, and so many other valuable insights. 

With that in mind, the question is, “What is the best way to collect data in manufacturing?” The answer to that question depends on several factors, including facility size, the type of products manufactured, and resources. 

You can collect data via observation, surveys, end-of-month reports, etc. However, most Lean Six Sigma and Kaizen experts would agree that some form of real-time digital data collection is the best method. 

Continue reading to learn more about the best ways to collect data at your manufacturing plant and how GoCanvas can help. 

How is Data Collected in Manufacturing? 

Modern-day manufacturing involves a lot of machinery, software, calculations, and people. Depending on the type of facility, manufacturers can collect data in various ways, including but not limited to: 

• IoT sensor integration. 
• Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA).
• Radiofrequency identification (RFID).
• Machine integration. 
• Paper forms.
• Observations.
• Surveys.
• Document review (weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.)
• Microsoft Excel and other types of spreadsheets.
• Manufacturing form apps.

While it is essential to collect data, the method of data collection is just as important. In the next section, learn why real-time manufacturing data is beneficial for all manufacturing plants regardless of size. 

Why is Real-Time Manufacturing Data Collection Beneficial? 

If a manufacturer wants to compete in a highly competitive space, they’ll need to improve operations to make it as lean as possible. That means making a product faster, better, less expensive, and more efficient than competitors. 

Collecting data insights from the plant floor can improve your business in the following ways: 

• Better cross-department communication.
• Helps implement lean processes and reduce waste.
• Enhanced decision-making.
• Optimized manufacturing processes.
• Elimination of paper trails.
• Reduced inaccuracies in data collection. 
• Faster response time to issues.
• And more.

What Improvements Can I Make to My Manufacturing Business With Data? 

Suppose your company uses a manufacturing mobile app for quality control and quality assurance. In that case, you can calculate errors committed per day,  the time it takes the average worker to complete a task, material costs, etc. 

Your team can leverage this data to continually improve your manufacturing process until your plant behaves like a well-oiled machine. Additionally, you can use data insights gained from manufacturer apps to: 

• Improve safety.
• Streamline productions efforts. 
• Schedule employees at the right time. 
• Identify trends and problem areas. 
• Better understand training needs .
• Identify, assess, and overcome challenges that hinder growth. 
• Save time and money.

Learn how GoCanvas has helped thousands of companies streamline their processes and improve the bottom line in the next section. 

Try Go-Canvas Manufacturing Apps

Collecting data on paper forms or relying on observations to improve your manufacturing process can lead to unfavorable results. In competitive markets, the more data collection redundancies you have, the more time and information you lose. 

Our manufacturing form apps include countless templates to help streamline your data collection efforts and continuously improve operations. GoCanvas manufacturing templates are customizable, dynamic and help employees submit accurate data in real-time.  

You can use our manufacturing data collection apps to organize work orders, manage doc records, improve floor safety, and more. Browse our vast selection of manufacturing templates and make them your own. Try our manufacturing apps today for free – no credit card required.