Users of Managing Automation’s TechMATCH product search tool took advantage of the tool’s functional breadth in recent months, perusing everything from MES systems and production line balancing tools to business intelligence software and human resources modules. The activity within TechMATCH provides a sketch of the software selection projects that manufacturing technology buyers consider important today — and the technology systems they may be purchasing tomorrow.
In March, the most popular technology area in TechMATCH was a long-standing favorite — manufacturing execution systems (MES). In second place was the software that forms the backbone of so many of today’s manufacturing businesses: enterprise resource planning (ERP).
The third category on the TechMATCH most viewed list was something of a surprise. Users flocked to view details and compare the functional offerings of production line balancing tools, a subset of TechMATCH’s lean manufacturing software tools. The art of line balancing is a standard lean production principle, and its resurgence may indicate that manufacturers are working to effect a delicate balance between worker productivity and inventory replenishment as the economic rebound gains steam.
The next most popular technology on manufacturers’ checklists was computer-aided process planning (CAPP), a subcategory of the popular product lifecycle management (PLM) category. CAPP helps manufacturers plan the production of various parts and assemblies, and acts as a liaison between CAD software and CAM software. The fact that it ranked so high in March could indicate that manufacturers are ramping up production of new products as they see consumers begin to increase spending.