Does your enterprise software help give you the insight to keep up with the pace of demand?

Manufacturing organizations bear the brunt of global competition. Whether your plant operations consist primarily of discrete, repetitive, build-to-order, continuous process, or mixed-mode models, competitive pressures and increasing customer demands are driving most manufacturers to produce goods ever faster, at lower cost, and in compliance with more exacting quality, regulatory, and market requirements. As both cycle times and margins shrink, profitability can be achieved only by:

• Reducing costs and lead times through strategies such as outsourced manufacturing, lean or demand-driven manufacturing initiatives, postponement, and shared services.

• Meeting customer demands for shorter lead times, greater traceability, custom configuration or packaging, and compliance initiatives such as radio frequency identification (RFID).

• Bringing new products to market faster.

• Offering advanced services such as vendor-managed inventory (VMI), returns management, or warranty and repair services.

This "Build a Competitive Edge for Manufacturing Plant Operations" white paper outlines ways that technology can help manufacturers meet these challenges, increase operational efficiency, and step ahead of competitors.