MANUFACTURING TIDBITS
PROJECT BUSINESS AUTOMATION: A NEW CATEGORY OF BUSINESS SYSTEMS FOR LARGE MANUFACTURERS
by THOMAS R. CUTLER Much attention has been paid to the small and mid-sized manufacturer. As local and regional job creators that attention has been well-deserved. However, the reality is large manufacturers continue to represent a significant portion of jobs within the sector, and new solutions geared to their needs are among the most innovative and dynamic. Project Business Automation (PBA) is a new category of business systems built specifically to support large project-based manufacturers from end-to-end. PBA allows companies to operate with real-time visibility and control. Any large manufacturer that delivers its goods or services to its customers through projects will find PBA ideal. 25% of all large manufacturers require Project Business Automation Project-based industries represent between 20 to 30 percent of all large manufacturers, most of which require their own business system. Traditional systems do not work for this type of manufacturing process. Typically, a business system is any technological system that supports a business’ operations from end-toend, such as an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution. ERPs were originally designed for traditional industries with high-volume, repeatable processes.
12
Manufacturing Outlook / May 2021