The Importance of Knowledge Workers in Manufacturing / Driving effective action using Plex ERP



In today's manufacturing landscape, knowledge workers—professionals equipped with specialized skills—are central to achieving operational excellence. As management visionary Peter Drucker noted, "The most valuable asset of a company is its people." This post explores the significance of fostering knowledge workers through effective actions, particularly via visual management, and illustrates how tools like Open Assignments and Activity Manager facilitate this process. (Plex ERP)


Enhancing Efficiency Through Visual Management

Knowledge workers drive efficiency and innovation in manufacturing. Visual management plays a pivotal role in clarifying tasks and responsibilities:

  • Clarity: Visual management systems reduce ambiguity and enhance focus. 
  • Engagement: By utilizing visual tools, employees feel invested in their roles. As Jean-Marie Dru remarked, "Imagination is the engine of strategy," indicating that an engaged workforce is crucial for achieving organizational goals.

Plex ERP: Open Assignments and Supported Actions

Plex ERP aids manufacturers in managing tasks through its Open Assignments feature, providing clarity for users managing their workloads. This integration takes advantages of the "Assigned To" functionality across the different modules in Plex.

Open Assignments Overview

Open Assignments serves as a centralized task management hub, allowing users to see their responsibilities at a glance:

  • Visibility: Only applications with open tasks for the user appear, refining focus.
  • Sorting: Tasks are organized alphabetically, facilitating easy access.
  • User Filtering: Users can click on applications to view specific assignments pre-filtered for their needs.

Supported Actions in Open Assignments

  • Task Tracking: Direct viewing and management of assigned tasks.
  • Accessibility: Clear visualization of responsibilities across various applications while accessing the Plex Launch main screen.






Things Not Supported by Open Assignments

Despite its advantages, there are limitations to Open Assignments:

  • Task Hierarchy: Does not allow for a breakdown into subtasks.
  • Cross-Tenant Functionality: Limited to the current tenant, lacking integration across multiple environments.
  • Bulk Actions: Users cannot edit multiple tasks simultaneously.

Important Settings for Open Assignments

To fully utilize the Open Assignments feature, the following settings must be configured:

  • Open Assignments Display: This setting must be enabled to make the Open Assignments section visible on the Launch Page.
  • Include User Workflow Action All: Necessary for displaying all workflows assigned to the user.

Enabling these settings ensures that users have a comprehensive view of their tasks, allowing for effective management and prioritization.

    Applications currently supported. (New applications may be added in the future)
  • Modules supported Admin Checked Out Documents
  • Checklist Assignments
  • Communication Log
  • Gage Calibration Priorities
  • Improvement Projects
  • Internal and Supplier Audits
  • Issue Management
  • Iteration Checklist Assignments
  • PM [Preventative Maintenance] Requirements
  • Problem - Approvals
  • Problem - Champion
  • Problem - Containment Responsible
  • Problem - Control Plan Responsible
  • Problem - Corrective Action
  • Problem - FMEA Responsible
  • Problem - Preventative Section
  • Problem - Verification Section
  • Purchase Orders
  • Rejection Control
  • Suggestions
  • Support Manager
  • Tool Set Maintenance Priority
  • Work Requests
  • Workflow Open Actions

Activity Manager: A Robust Task Management Solution

For a more comprehensive task management approach, Plex provides the Activity Manager, enhancing capabilities beyond what Open Assignments offers.

Overview of Activity Manager

Activity Manager offers a richer experience for task management, particularly beneficial for organizations managing multiple tenants:

Important Considerations

  • Activity Manager operates on a separate backend database from most Plex applications, which may influence data synchronization.
  • Display limitations may occur due to security settings, which control visibility based on tenant access.

As the manufacturing landscape evolves, the focus on knowledge workers becomes increasingly essential. Tools like Open Assignments and the more advanced Activity Manager greatly enhance task management, enabling organizations to streamline processes and empower their workforce.

Understanding the relationship between effective action, visual management, and workforce development is crucial for achieving operational success. Fostering an environment where knowledge is shared and actions are clearly defined, organizations can not only address issues but also proactively enhance efficiency for a more productive future.

The Importance of Knowledge Workers in Manufacturing

The Importance of Knowledge Workers in Manufacturing

In today's manufacturing landscape, knowledge workers—professionals equipped with specialized skills—are central to achieving operational excellence. As management visionary Peter Drucker noted, "The most valuable asset of a company is its people." This blog explores the significance of fostering knowledge workers through effective actions, particularly via visual management, and illustrates how tools like Plex ERP and Activity Manager facilitate this process.

Enhancing Efficiency Through Visual Management

Knowledge workers drive efficiency and innovation in manufacturing. Visual management plays a pivotal role in clarifying tasks and responsibilities:

  • Clarity: Visual management systems reduce ambiguity and enhance focus. Drucker highlighted, "What gets measured gets managed." This shows how visibility contributes to streamlined workflows.
  • Engagement: By utilizing visual tools, employees feel invested in their roles. As Jean-Marie Dru remarked, "Imagination is the engine of strategy," indicating that an engaged workforce is crucial for achieving organizational goals.

Building Knowledge Workers

Organizations can cultivate knowledge workers through strategic investments:

  • Training Programs: Ongoing education in new technologies ensures employees remain competitive.
  • Collaborative Environments: W. Edwards Deming stated, “The job is to work on the system, not on the people.” Collaborating allows knowledge workers to share insights and enhance overall effectiveness.

Plex ERP: Open Assignments and Supported Actions

Plex ERP aids manufacturers in managing tasks through its Open Assignments feature, providing clarity for users managing their workloads.

Open Assignments Overview

Open Assignments serves as a centralized task management hub, allowing users to see their responsibilities at a glance:

  • Visibility: Only applications with open tasks for the user appear, refining focus.
  • Sorting: Tasks are organized alphabetically, facilitating easy access.
  • User Filtering: Users can click on applications to view specific assignments pre-filtered for their needs.

Supported Actions in Open Assignments

  • Task Tracking: Direct viewing and management of assigned tasks.
  • Notification Settings: Enables alerts for updates on existing tasks.
  • Accessibility: Provides a clear visualization of responsibilities across various applications.

Things Not Supported by Open Assignments

Despite its advantages, there are limitations to Open Assignments:

  • Task Hierarchy: Does not allow for breakdown into subtasks.
  • Cross-Tenant Functionality: Limited to the current tenant, lacking integration across multiple environments.
  • Bulk Actions: Users cannot edit multiple tasks simultaneously.

Important Settings for Open Assignments

To fully utilize the Open Assignments feature, the following settings must be configured:

  • Open Assignments Display: This setting must be enabled to make the Open Assignments section visible on the Launch Page.
  • Include User Workflow Action All: Necessary for displaying all workflows assigned to the user.

Enabling these settings ensures that users have a comprehensive view of their tasks, allowing for effective management and prioritization.

Activity Manager: A Robust Task Management Solution

For a more comprehensive task management approach, Plex provides the Activity Manager, enhancing capabilities beyond what Open Assignments offers.

Overview of Activity Manager

Activity Manager offers a richer experience for task management, particularly beneficial for organizations managing multiple tenants:

  • Cross-Tenant Capabilities: Users can view tasks across various tenants, providing a holistic view of responsibilities.
  • Activity Hierarchy Support: Users can break tasks into subtasks, streamlining complex project management.

Key Features of Activity Manager

Feature Description
Task Hierarchy Supports three levels of hierarchy (parent, child, grandchild activities), enhancing project clarity.
Email Notifications Assignees and assigners can receive notifications regarding newly created activities.
Filtering Options Users can filter tasks by attributes such as due date, priority, and assignee, simplifying prioritization.
Robust Reporting Activities can be exported in varied formats (CSV, Excel, JSON), enabling data analysis.

Functionality in Activity Manager

  • Action Bar: Offers options to add, edit, and manage activities, including adding child activities.
  • Grid Overview: Displays icons based on activity types, with color-coding for status and priority, making task management visually intuitive.

Important Considerations

  • Activity Manager operates on a separate backend database from most Plex applications, which may influence data synchronization.
  • Display limitations may occur due to security settings, controlling visibility based on tenant access.

Conclusion

As the manufacturing landscape evolves, the focus on knowledge workers becomes increasingly essential. Tools like Plex ERP’s Open Assignments and the more advanced Activity Manager greatly enhance task management, enabling organizations to streamline processes and empower their workforce.

Understanding the relationship between effective action, visual management, and workforce development is crucial for achieving operational success. As Albert Einstein wisely remarked, "Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them." By fostering an environment where knowledge is shared and actions are clearly defined, organizations can address issues and proactively enhance efficiency for a more productive future.

Popular posts from this blog

From Dormant to Dangerous: Understanding the security risk of dormant user accounts

Image
  In today's digital era, the security of cloud SaaS systems is paramount. An often-neglected aspect of cybersecurity is the management of dormant user accounts, which can unintentionally become gateways for cybercriminals, leading to significant data breaches. The process of regularly auditing and deactivating these inactive accounts is vital to safeguard the integrity and security of an enterprise. By ensuring that only active, necessary users have access to your resources, you minimize the risk of unauthorized access and strengthen your defense mechanisms. This guide delves into the necessity of tackling this issue head-on and outlines effective strategies for managing dormant accounts to secure your valuable data assets. Risks Associated with Dormant User Accounts Dormant user accounts are ticking time bombs in the realm of cybersecurity. These accounts, often forgotten or overlooked after an employee's departure or during system migrations, present a significant security r...
Read more

World Backup Day: The Indispensable Role of Data Backups and Cautionary Tales of Data Loss

Image
World Backup Day is observed annually on March 31st, serves as a reminder of the critical importance of data backups in today's digitally driven world. This day underscores the undeniable fact that data loss, whether due to human error, system failure, or malicious acts by threat actors, is not a matter of 'if' but 'when'. The Unquestionable Importance of Data Backups In the present digital era, data is arguably one of the most valuable assets for both individuals and organizations. From irreplaceable personal photos and videos to crucial business documents and customer data, digital information forms the backbone of our personal and professional lives. Consequently, data loss can have devastating consequences, leading to significant emotional distress for individuals and potentially crippling financial losses for businesses. The Harsh Reality of Data Loss Data loss is a pervasive and inevitable occurrence in our digitally interconnected world. According to the 2024...
Read more

Automate the schedule of AR invoices and statements using the Plex ERP Document Delivery module.

Image
Manual invoicing and emailing of customer statements can be a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. According to a study by Skynova, most businesses handle up to 500 invoices each month and spend at least five days processing invoices .  The same study also found that 57% of invoice data is entered manually and 49% of businesses require two to three people to approve an invoice. These manual processes can lead to delays in payment and inefficiencies in the accounting process. Invoicing automation can help reduce the time and resources spent on manual invoicing. According to Skynova,Only about half of invoices (52%) are received electronically. The rest are paper invoices that need to be physically sorted, entered, and filed, adding additional steps to the invoice process. The following module in Plex manufacturing allows automatically delivery AR invoices and customer statements via email which can lead to improvement and reduce of the waste of resources associated by manu...
Read more