Manufacturers are not naïve to the process of hiring a new generation to fill roles left by an aging workforce. The millennial generation, however, poses new challenges that manufacturers have never faced before. As digital natives, they are the first generation that has grown up with personal computing devices and the internet and, as a result, they have always been connected to information from anywhere — even while on the job. Unfortunately, manufacturers have not kept up with the pace of personal technology advancements, and now many are rushing to upgrade their current paper-based processes and stationary computer monitors.

By introducing mobile technology that can streamline work processes, manufacturers can begin to leverage this technology to attract and retain the next generation of information workers, who will then in turn drive the future of the organization.

Streamlining Current Manufacturing Processes With Mobility

Opportunities to incorporate mobile technology throughout the manufacturing floor are plentiful, and since 77 percent of millennials wish to have greater mobile connectivity in the workplace, now is the perfect time to add mobile tech to streamline processes. Since only 44 percent of manufacturers support shop floor control via mobile devices, most manufacturing facilities require the use of paper logs or stationary computers to manage everyday processes such as scheduling, machine usage, payroll and quality control management.

Each of these methods leads to inefficiencies, as standard computers usually are in a separate office area away from the manufacturing floor and paper logs can often lead to human error and redundancies. By using more rugged mobile solutions instead of these antiquated processes, workers and supervisors are able to quickly input data while on the floor, access production capacity information, monitor inventory and check job schedules in real-time when they are back in the office or even in the boardroom.

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