Top 5 Benefits of Owning a VCR:

1. You can own a rewinder shaped like a race car
2. Remembers where you left off after 15 years on shelf
3. Find hit movies for $1 in the looney bin or flea market
4. You get to hear the audio in FastFoward too
5. FF though anti-privacy warnings with ease

Of course, in theory you’d have to travel 6 miles to and fro twice a week to rent and return videos . . . if video stores still existed!

Recently there was a headline that alluded to how technology would have changed great literature. I thought of the books that we are assigned to read in school and then in college. Even short stories that typically hold some sort of moral or life lesson for the reader. As I thought about these books I was reminded of “The Great Gatsby”. Imagine if Jay Gatsby and Daisy could have texted, skyped, or used some other form of IM or video chat. It could have saved them so much trouble, but it would have destroyed the subtle nuances of the storyline.

I recently read a book that was written quite a few years ago, but it was considered modern when it was written. In the story, one of the characters was given a VCR as a gift. I knew that the book had been in print for awhile, but I found myself amused by the thought of someone receiving a VCR as a gift.  Technology and setting are vital parts of the story. These things establish characteristics, ability, and accessibility within a story.

What is your manufacturing story? Are you content with the VCR or DVD player, or are you streaming HD via an online service (cloud technology)? Do you have manual processes (spreadsheet driven) or data housed in silos, rather than a fully connected (and visible) enterprise running with a complete end-to-end view of the business?

Considering that technology could have such a profound affect on literature, imagine the possibilities when technology is applied in a business environment.  ERP systems that are five or more years old and have not been kept current with updates (or platform innovation) are the equivalent of having an old box television sitting on your desk. Your picture is not quite as clear as that 4K-HD-LED your competitor is using.

The need for a clearer picture or insight into your manufacturing process as well as sales, customer service, and all the other functions that create your manufacturing environment has never been more important than now. The increased amounts of data provided by new and updated ERP systems can change your storyline. This data can better provide production floor analysis, lead times, raw material requirements, and incorporate a robust customer service and sales platform that works cohesively. Technology is the conduit for a storyline that focuses on competitive and operational advantage.

Feel free to browse our Manufacturing Whitepapers and Video Library here.