{"id":10405,"date":"2025-05-16T09:00:10","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T09:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.geniuserp.com\/resources\/how-real-time-business-intelligence-helps-manufacturers-make-better-decisions\/"},"modified":"2025-10-27T20:26:20","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T20:26:20","slug":"how-real-time-business-intelligence-helps-manufacturers-make-better-decisions","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/www.geniuserp.com\/en-gb\/resources\/how-real-time-business-intelligence-helps-manufacturers-make-better-decisions\/","title":{"rendered":"How Real-Time Business Intelligence Helps Manufacturers Make Better Decisions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Manufacturers today have more access to data than ever before\u2014but having data isn\u2019t enough. The real challenge is turning that data into insights that help you run a better business, in real time.<\/span><\/p>\n

We spoke with two Genius ERP customers\u2014<\/span>Kaleb James<\/b>, Managing Director of <\/span>Stafford Engineering<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Mathieu Robert<\/b>, President & CEO of <\/span>G.M. Precision<\/span><\/a>\u2014about how Business Intelligence (BI) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are helping them stay ahead of the curve. Here\u2019s what they shared.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Real-Time KPIs Help Manufacturers Make Better Decisions<\/span><\/h2>\n

Too often, manufacturers track KPIs that only tell them what has already happened, long after they could have made a difference.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMost businesses track KPIs that exist in the past\u2014the \u2018what has happened\u2019\u2014not \u2018what is currently happening,\u2019\u201d says Kaleb. \u201cThey tend to be financial ones, such as job costs or gross margins or what you see in your profit and loss or management accounts, a few weeks after you have any chance to influence the outcome.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Both Kaleb and Mathieu agree: <\/span>The <\/b>real power of BI<\/b><\/a> comes from real-time insights that drive action. <\/b>
\n<\/b>
\n<\/span>At G.M. Precision, real-time production data helped Mathieu and his team uncover hidden inefficiencies.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBy using real-time data collected from our production machines, we realized that our method for validating actual machining time could be skewed due to various factors that delay production. Real-time machine status monitoring software allowed us to determine the actual hourly unit production time, including time losses caused by both planned and unplanned equipment downtime,\u201d says Mathieu.<\/span><\/p>\n

This shift\u2014from after-the-fact reporting to live visibility\u2014helped them improve efficiency and productivity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Make Data Simple, Visible, and Actionable<\/span><\/h2>\n

One common theme from both manufacturers: <\/span>BI tools have to be easy to access and easy to act on<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kaleb points out that a good <\/span>BI toolkit<\/span><\/a> should focus on the information that matters most to your operations.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cToo often data is hard to visualize, hard to get to, or worse yet locked away so that it\u2019s not readily available.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA good BI toolkit will allow you to surface the things that matter to you most. This could be as simple as visualizing any materials that have been ordered and are now due or overdue, so procurement can focus on following up suppliers, ensuring the material is ready when the guys doing the work need it, boosting efficiency and throughput.\u201d <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u201cThe key here,\u201d emphasizes Kaleb, \u201cIs that it should always be available and up to date, as opposed to a report that needs to be run and then sorted through.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead of relying on reports, Stafford Engineering installed TVs around their shop floor, displaying up-to-the-minute KPIs where everyone can see them.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have found that the small outlay in some internet-ready large screen TVs displaying KPI\u2019s in strategic locations within the business gets this noticed, and the actions follow from there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Similarly, at G.M. Precision, real-time data has allowed their team to react faster and provide more accurate updates to customers about production progress.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to updating customers on production progress, we\u2019re now much more targeted with the information we share,\u201d says Mathieu. \u201cIt also helps us better plan our production schedule.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Start Simple\u2014and Expect to Evolve<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re just <\/span>getting started with BI<\/span><\/a> or KPI dashboards, both Kaleb and Mathieu agree: <\/span>Don\u2019t aim for perfection on day one.<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cStart with simple indicators that make sense to you\u2014and then improve your KPIs over time,\u201d advises Mathieu.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kaleb agrees and adds that it\u2019s important to think about where your data is coming from.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMy advice for anyone considering a BI solution is to first consider where your data sources are located and ensure that your BI solution can handle multiple data sources,\u201d he says. <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u201cOften, what you think you want at first evolves along the way as you see the power of good data insights and what they can bring to your business.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Final Thoughts: Making Business Intelligence Work for Manufacturers<\/span><\/h2>\n

Both Stafford Engineering and G.M. Precision show that effective BI isn\u2019t about getting everything perfect\u2014it\u2019s about giving your team access to real-time data they can act on and continuously improve.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Start simple, stay focused on what matters most to your operations, and keep building from there. The sooner you can shift from tracking what happened to <\/span>using real-time insights<\/span><\/a> to guide your business forward, the stronger your manufacturing business will be.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Discover how real-time business intelligence helps manufacturers make faster, smarter decisions using live data and actionable KPIs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":9351,"template":"","class_list":["post-10405","resources","type-resources","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","resources-type-blog","resources-topic-analytics-reporting-en-uk","resources-topic-custom-manufacturing-en-uk","resources-topic-erp-en-uk","resources-industries-all-industries-en-uk"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nReal-Time Data Helps Manufacturers Make Better Decisions<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how real-time business intelligence helps manufacturers make faster, smarter decisions using live data and actionable KPIs.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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