Trendiest News in Tech

4 Devices That Use Ultra Wideband (UWB) Technology

UWB technology

Ultra Wideband has been the talk of the town since the beginning of this year, and a lot of progress has been made since then. From Google adding a UWB API for Android, to Apple finally releasing its long-awaited Apple AirTags, Ultra Wideband is quickly taking over the tech industry. Here are four devices that currently use UWB technology. 

Smartphones

Did you know that almost all phones will incorporate UWB going forward? Apple led the way with the Iphone 11, the first Apple phone to include UWB. Soon afterwards, Samsung followed up with their Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. And now, it has recently been revealed that Google’s Pixel phone is also going to have UWB capabilities. Phone manufacturers are quickly realizing the importance of UWB and how everyone is going to utilize it to the max just months from now.

AR/VR Headsets

We covered UWB’s involvement in AR / VR technology in our 5 Use Cases for UWB post, but to summarize, this radio technology will allow for more immersive experiences with less heavy equipment. Lower battery usage means less bulkier headsets, so one can have a more enjoyable experience, whether they are gaming or watching a movie.

Apple Watch

The Apple Watch Series 6 includes UWB technology for spatial awareness. This can help you in many ways, including maintaining social distances, locating lost items, open / close doors etc. 

Apple AirTags / Samsung SmartTag

Very recently, Apple rolled out its AirTags to efficiently locate lost items. The AirTags are a small circular tracker which you attach to any important items which you can lose easily, such as your keys and wallet. But before doing that, you need to add them in the ‘Find My’ app under ‘items’, so you can easily track your valuables. With the help of UWB, you can use precise location to find your lost objects.

BONUS (not a device) Mobile Apps

Since most smartphone companies are manufacturing UWB-enabled devices, this means that there is a huge opportunity for the mobile apps industry. Many apps will be compatible with UWB technology to be able to seamlessly integrate with the built-in UWB capabilities in newer phone models. 

Sunvera builds next-generation mobile apps that work seamlessly with UWB-enabled devices. Contact us now to get a free consultation.

Agile vs. Waterfall Development

Software development

When it comes to software development, you may have heard the terms agile vs. waterfall development. Not sure what they are? No worries, because we will cover both methodologies and compare and contrast the two so you can get a better idea of both.

What is the Waterfall Development Methodology?

Also known as Linear Sequential Life Cycle Model, this is a model that only moves to the next step of the development when the previous step has been completed. The team develops and tests each step of the design thoroughly and when the step has thoroughly been completed, the team moves on to the next step. Waterfall methodology is a step-by-step process that ensures quality but at the cost of time. 

What is Agile Development Methodology?

Unlike the Waterfall Methodology, both testing as well as development are worked upon side by side. This model allows for more communication between all the parties involved, i.e., developers, customers, managers, and testers. Furthermore, this model is collaboration-centric, which means that communication is the key here, and the tasks are broken down into smaller tasks which are then given a deadline to finish by. Agile Methodology is more flexible than the former, as it allows for the scope of the project to change once the development has started. 

What are the benefits of Waterfall Development Methodology?

Some of the key benefits of Waterfall Development Methodology are as follows:

  • This method is one of the simplest to use. Each step has precise objectives and an evaluation process because of its nature.
  • It tends to work well for small tasks with simple to understand specifications.
  • Quicker execution
  • The method and output are well recorded.
  • Capable of adapting equipment method
  • This Methodology for managing project constraints is effective.

What are the benefits of Agile Development Model?

  • The customer process is focused on. This ensures that the customer constantly participates during all phases.
  • Agile groups are highly self – motivated so that the development plans can produce a better outcome.
  • This method ensures that development quality is maintained, and the process is based entirely on progress. 
  • The customer and team, therefore, know exactly what is or isn’t complete. In the development process, this decreases the risk.

Drawbacks of the Waterfall Development Method

  • Not the perfect model for a complex project.
  • It’s a less efficient method if the requirement is not clear at the start.
  • Changes in the previous phases are very hard to move back.
  • After the development has ended, the testing process starts. Therefore, there are high opportunities for bugs in development that are costly to fix afterwards.

Differences between both the models

Agile

  • Well-known for its flexibility
  • Project development life cycle is broken down into individual milestones
  • Follows a step-by-step approach
  • The entire development can be viewed as an amalgamation of different tasks
  • Is flexible, and can be changed should the need arise
  • The members of the Agile Team work quicker and are thus interchangeable. Project managers are also not needed, because the whole team manages the projects
  • Agile development model works with time & equipment or unspecified funding exceptionally well. In fixed-price scenarios, it can increase stress.
  • Agile incorporates a product perspective in which the software satisfies its customers’ needs and changes according to the requirements of the consumers.
  • This methodology is a repetitive development approach and may be used several times due to these phases of planning, development, prototyping and other software development.

Waterfall

  • Isn’t as flexible and is rigid in nature
  • Each step of the development is broken down into different phases
  • Is a sequential design process
  • The entire development model is viewed as a single complete project
  • Is rigid, and cannot be changed or tweaked once the project has started
  • This model displays a vision of the project and focuses entirely on the achievement of the project
  • Decreases risk in the company’s fixed price contracts by obtaining an initial risk agreement.
  • The Waterfall model once completes all the project development phases such as design, development, and testing.
  • The process is always straightforward in the waterfall method, so the team leader plays a vital part in every phase of SDLC.

Agile vs. Waterfall: The Bottom Line

After deciding between agile vs. waterfall, it can still be a little tricky to assess how well a solution will work for you. Here’s what you can do to make sure you make the best decision. 

  • Use trial versions and explore all the available features.
  • Ask a lot of questions from the sales team and make a list of what you need vs what a particular software has to offer
  • Find software reviews online and see if there are any red flags. Customer reviews are sometimes more informative than the software reviews posted on different websites.

Sunvera can help you implement the right software solution for your business while helping you reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Contact us for a FREE 2-hour consultation. 

How to Create a Chatbot

Chatbot

Chatbots are present on almost every website that is selling a product or service nowadays, and it is a great way to quickly assist your site visitors who may have questions regarding what you offer. Many companies are looking to incorporate a chatbot on their site to get more leads, and here is everything you need to know about how to create a chatbot.

What is a chatbot?

 

A chatbot is a virtual assistant that greets the visitors when they visit your website. It is an especially effective tool to have as it enables the users to have constant communication with the app developers and makes them feel important. In addition to this, chatbots are either free to make or cost very little money for a basic chatbot that greets the visitors when they visit the website. Chatbots are powered by AI and are governed by rules. They are designed to learn and mimic human conversations to the maximum possible extent. In addition to this, the more chatbots are running, the more they learn and adapt to the conversations that humans initiate. 

What are the benefits of having a chatbot?

 

Having a chatbot present at all times is a great way to let the customers engage with the app and allow them to be heard. Furthermore, as the users have the majority of their needs being met via Instagram, Facebook and other platforms, it is pointless to develop a new app just for the sake of having a chatbot. A smarter way to approach it is by integrating the chatbots into the poplar platforms and learning from their interactions with the users.

In addition to being proactive when it comes to customer service, chatbots come in handy when the customers come on to the messenger to talk to someone. If you do not have a customer service executive available, the customers can engage with the chatbots, keeping them on the line. By doing so, the customer service executive can then take over the conversation by then, 

If the app is gaining traffic but cannot convert it into sales, then the chatbot can reach out to the customers with a form to ask them why they did not purchase anything. By doing so, the developers will have a clear idea about the reasons and have the data necessary to ensure that they can work on those issues and convert the traffic into sales. 

Here are some additional benefits of having a chatbot.

How to create a chatbot?

 

If you are a coding geek, you can code a chatbot framework into existence; however, if you have no clue about coding and want to create a chatbot, you can do that too. This article will go over both coding and non-coding options to create a chatbot.

Non-coding options

 

Several platforms are quite popular when it comes to creating a chatbot and are easy-to-use. Every step of the way you’ll be asked to enter relevant information which will be used to determine how the chatbot will perform. Follow the following steps to better help you understand what your chatbot needs to be:

1. Know the kind of chatbot you want – This is where you ask what the chatbot needs to achieve. It can either be a simple chatbot that responds to greetings and is governed by rules which dictates how it performs. On the other hand, it can be an adaptive AI-powered chatbot which enables the chatbot to learn from the user interactions and grow.

2. Select the platform for the chatbot’s use – Where is the chatbot going to be deployed? Facebook, Instagram, or will it be hosted on your website? In any case, know where it is going to be deployed, and again, it all boils down to the goal that you are trying to achieve with the chatbot.

3. Opt for the right technology stack – Once you have decided what the chatbot is going to be doing and where it will be working, you can move on to the next step, which is choosing where and how to build it. You can either opt for a chatbot developer to design the bot for you or use the DIY platforms available online. 

4. Design the Conversation – This is where you teach the bot what to do, and if you have opted for chatbot development options of a developer, they’ll get it done for you. But if you have opted for DIY chatbot platforms, then the process is as simple as dragging and dropping. Once done, then you can move on to testing and then deploying the bot in the field.

Coding Options

 

If you decide to code the chatbot into existence, you can opt for Python, which is the most popular option for most chatbot developers. Developers opt for Python because it is equipped with Artificial Intelligence Markup Language, which makes life easier for developers when they create syntax for complicated chatbot features. In addition to this, Python is used to create all the conversational aspects hosted by the server.

If you do not know anything about coding and are not happy with the no-code options, you can hire a reputable software company that offers chatbot development services. Let the developers handle the entire process from start to finish as you tell them what exactly you are looking for in a chatbot.

Sunvera can help you implement the right software solution for your business while helping you reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Contact us for a FREE 2-hour consultation. 

What is PaaS in Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing

PaaS stands for Platform-as-a-Service, which is a ready-to-use platform that keeps the architectural structures behind the scenes so that the programmers can focus solely on coding. It enables the developers to keep their attention on the coding aspect, without having to spend time on the infrastructure that is needed to develop and launch apps. The service is similar to FaaS, which is function-as-a-service. The PaaS service allows the developers to use the hardware and software on their servers, which frees up the developers’ time. In addition to this, many organizations view this as a sound option that enables them to operate cost-effectively. Lets go into more detail on what exactly is PaaS in cloud computing, and more information about it, including how you can incorporate it into your small or mid-sized business.

What does PaaS provide?

PaaS will not transform the existing IT infrastructure of a company for developing the software.  It is supplied with the hosted infrastructure of a PaaS cloud service provider. Developers often use a web browser to access the services. To provide solutions like hosting an application and Java development, PaaS can be delivered through public, private, and hybrid clouds.

Other PaaS services include:

Coordination of development teams

Development of applications

Evaluating and implementation of applications

Integration of Web Services

Safety of information

Integration of the database

The main advantage of PaaS is user-friendliness and convenience. A large number of infrastructure and other IT services are provided by the PaaS provider, which users can access through any web browser. The option to pay-per-use allows companies to reduce their operating costs for hardware and software at the premises.

Advantages and Disadvantages of PaaS

Accessibility of service or consistency may be an issue for PaaS. If a provider suffers a service breakdown or other infrastructure breakdown, this can negatively affect clients and lead to expensive productivity deficiencies. Even so, PaaS providers are busy. There is also a possible issue with organizational change to a PaaS product. For instance, if a PaaS provider does not support the current programming language or chooses to use another set of design tools, it can have disruptive effects on users.

To know the implications of the provider’s plan on their environment and capacity, customers must adopt the PaaS service provider’s blueprint. Lock-in vendors are another significant issue since many of the knowledge and programs from one PaaS product to another competing product cannot easily migrate. When selecting a PaaS provider, users must assess the corporate risks of service downtime and vendor lock-in. They can either opt for PaaS on AWS or PaaS on Azure.

PaaS products are aimed at the development of software. The platforms provide computer and storage facilities, as well as text editing, versioning, compilation, and evaluating services that allow developers to develop new software efficiently and decisively. A PaaS item also allows project managers, irrespective of geographical position, to cooperate and collaborate.

PaaS architectures hide from developers and other users their underlying infrastructure. This means that the cloud provider handles and operates the server and controls the distribution of resources, which is similar to the serverless computer and function-as-a-services architecture.

Types of PaaS

The different types of PaaS, are as follows:

  • PaaS Public
  • PaaS Private
  • PaaS Hybrid
  • PaaS Communications
  • PaaS Mobile

PaaS Public

 The most suitable and viable option for developers is Public, as it has enabled them to build public cloud applications. Public PaaS enables users to control the deployment of software, while the cloud provider manages the delivery of all other major IT components required for hosting applications, including hardware and software, databases, servers, and networks of storage systems.

Public PaaS retailers offer middleware that increases the scope, without the need for infrastructure setup, configuration, and control of database servers. PaaS consists of several main processes for cloud infrastructure such as servers, networking systems, hardware and software, storage services, micro-ware, and databases.  The PaaS service provider owns and manages all these various technologies.

These managed solutions not only reduce the client’s administrative burden of IT but also provide customers with an attractive financial argument. This is especially a good option if the developers cannot invest in these basic IT elements so that you cannot use them to the greatest degree. PaaS also offers tools like development tools, languages for programming, libraries, database management systems, and other such tools that are needed to operate cloud systems.

Since PaaS is a cloud-based service, it has many risks involved, such as security threats, in other cloud services. PaaS is built on the notion of using common resources like networks and servers. Therefore, security risks include installing sensitive data in this setting and stolen data from hackers because of unauthorized access and attacks. However, the main cloud services have been better able to prevent such violations than the typical data center, so that the risk of information security is not what many in IT loathed at first.

Here are a few websites for domains that can be used:

  • GoDaddy
  • com
  • Amazon Web Services Route 53

It is more advantageous to sign up your domain with them if you are using a cloud provider such as AWS/Azure, to manage everything centrally.

PaaS configuration

The main part of the setup is the configuration. While some open sources such as Dokku, CapRover, Flynn are available, we’ll use CapRover as an example.

In four more steps, it will break this part down:

  • SSH in the SSH
  • Setup and installation of docker
  • Set up NPM
  • CapRover installation and setup

The above steps should start and run your PaaS.

PaaS Business Model

A PaaS business model enables the user/customer of PaaS suppliers not to develop the entire infrastructure but only to work on developing and executing projects. A Platform as a Service model is born with headlines being aggressively pursued as leading PaaS service provider by the 900-Pfund Gorillas (Amazon, Google, Microsoft, etc.). This business model drives the growth of cloud-based enterprises. To start up a cloud-based business, it no longer is necessary to invest in all infrastructure.

Today all you need to do is to organize how much storage you need, how much performance and support services you need, and it’s a very competitive rate for one of many different service providers.

The important thing to understand in the PaaS model is that one company or service provider provides a service. Although this business model has a supply and demand side, only one participant is the supplier. Moreover, there is no filtering mechanism available – buyers can either accept or not accept a menu of services (and go elsewhere).

In application development that lives on platforms supplied as a service, there are now far better revenue opportunities. Big investment in servers, data centers, and security measures has already been made in large platform players. Today, you can find new or improved products or services that are provided straight from the cloud, as if through a pipe, that provide value to the end-user.

Sunvera can help you implement the right software solution for your business while helping you reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Contact us for a FREE 2-hour consultation. 

5 App Interface Mistakes to Avoid In 2021

Mobile app interface

With the ever-changing landscape of apps, the needs and demands have changed as well. Keeping this in mind, the most important aspect to note when developing an app is ensuring that the users have an easy time navigating the app. However, if the user interface is too buggy or complicated, then chances are that the users will not return to use the app anymore, and all the time, resources, and energy spent will go to waste. This article highlights five app interface mistakes that developers need to avoid in 2021.

1. Being oblivious to the demands of the users 

One of the most common mistakes that developers make is that they do not know who their users are and who the target audience for the app is. No matter how good the app is, if it is not marketed to the right people, then random traffic will start to visit the app, and the developers will not be able to gain anything out of it as the app will not reach the people who are supposed to be using it in the first place.

Over time, the app will change and evolve, but it has to lay down the right framework to build upon. UCD or User-Centric Design is an approach that most developers take to understand the audience and keep in mind at every step of the development process. Market research will help the developers to understand the needs of the users and cater to them accordingly. 

2. Stuffing Features

Having an app that is focused on a specific use is what the developers must hope to achieve right from the get-go, and if they try to stuff it with loads of features, it will ruin the users’ experience. An app must know what it is trying to achieve and if it does not know that, it will try to do everything and end up doing nothing. An easy way of doing this lies in designing the app with the users’ intent in mind. Having an app that does everything is not necessarily a bad thing, but in that case, have a navigator tool in place so that the users are guided through everything that the app is capable of and how they can use it to achieve what they want to. In addition to this, make the app’s design easily understandable so that first-time users do not get caught up in the app’s intricate design.

3. Using technical terms that the users cannot comprehend.

It is understood that each profession has a specific language that is common among the communities of the practice. However, this language is not known by everyone, and if someone reads a language that they don’t understand the meaning of, they will be put off. It cannot be stressed enough that the app must be presented in a universal language for everyone and even if the need arises where you have to use such words, let the users know what it means. In addition to this, keep in mind that you are designing an app that will most-likely be used by people all over the world, all of whom come from different backgrounds and speak other tongues. The language may be known in the geographical region of the developers. However, if the app is designed for everyone everywhere, then this will not work. 

4. The app UI design is grouped.

When a user tries an app for the first time, the app should not throw excessive features and information in the user’s face where they don’t know what to do. Streamline everything and make everything linear so that the app users understand what they are doing and how to use it in the most efficient way possible. You do not want to have so many pop-ups about your sales that it causes hindrances for the users. Keep it simple, make it visually appealing, and you will have a successful app.

5. Unable to retain the newcomers of the app

The end-goal for every developer is to retain as many users as they can on the app. However, that may not always be the case for numerous reasons, but if the first impression of the app is designed smartly, keeping in mind the newcomers of the app, there is a good chance of retaining them. According to Localytics, 1 in 4 users never return to the app, and it is because they did not have an enjoyable initial experience. 

Let Sunvera build your next million-dollar app with the perfect app interface to attract users. Contact us for a FREE 2-hour consultation. 

Apps That Need To Be Invented

Mobile app

With millions of apps taking over the online marketplace, app ideas seem to be in shortage. Here’s a rucksack of ideas for apps that need to be invented. Give it a read and see how there is a gulf in the market that needs to be filled by launching these apps.

Design Your Room With AR

There have been times when we brought a piece of furniture home to find out that it does not go with the décor or that it cannot fit in our homes. To curb those issues, we can have an app that uses augmented reality to help us see whether the piece of furniture would look good or not. By doing so, we will be opening up a whole new pathway for the customers. You could also strike partnerships with furniture companies to let the customers access their wares from the app.

Camera PDF Converter

Converting pdfs is always a task that we have to go out of our way to do. However, there is a need for an app that converts the documents directly into pdfs and stores them for you. By doing so, you will be saving yourself the hassle of storing all the documents in a file and such. Another benefit that this app could be giving to the users is that it gives the users options to store their files as .jpeg files or as multipage pdf files.

Medical App Ideas

There are hundreds of interesting medical apps in the market, but there is also room for more apps that need to be invented. How about an app that looks after you by reminding you of the meds you need to take and what you should eat, keeping in mind your health restrictions? It can be a great app as it can provide the users with the healthy recipes they need; professional chef-bloggers could post recipes on the app and use those recipes. You can also filter out the recipes by letting the app know what health issues you face. For instance, if you suffer from high blood pressure, then the app lets you know of recipes specifically good for people with this issue.

Lastly, the app could be connected to the local grocery stores, and it provides the customers all the grocery stores that have the ingredients they need and if they are available to order.

Uber for Railway

We have apps for almost all modes of transportation. However, one mode that still lacks development are railways. Letting the users know what time the train will be at the station and what stations it goes to and the prices of the seats will greatly reduce the congestions and huge crowds that we often see at railway stations. This app has a chance to be popular because of the rush hour congestions that many countries face. These are two huge markets that the app could start from and then go from there.

Carpooling but Not in an Uber Way

We have many ride-hailing apps, but what we suggest is an app where people post about their trips, such as when and where they will be going, and the people can contact them and hop on to get a ride. There can be a payment method such as both the rider and the passenger can split the gas fare 50/50 or something else that works for them both. By doing so, both the passenger and the driver can get to their destinations without paying a lot for the fuel. In addition to this, this is a great alternative to Uber, where you would not have to pay as much as Uber.

Voice Translation App

One of the biggest barriers that we face when we go abroad is the language barrier. But what if there was an app that converted speech in real time like it listens to what we are saying and translates it into the language that we need. In addition to this, the app could also provide language lessons to the users who would enhance their language skills further.

An App That Helps You Figure Out What to Gift Your Friends

We have all been in the position of having to figure out what we need to gift our friends and family members. This app would be great for people who need help figuring out what to gift, and the app would scour their social media profiles, determine what their likes and dislikes are, and suggest you a list of gifts you could give them.

Reading these ideas may have brought up some other creative ideas in your head. Wondering if your app idea is worth millions? Take our quick App Idea Survey to decide if you should get your app developed or not.

Sunvera Software provides effective and powerful mobile solutions for business. Whether you need an app to drive eCommerce sales, or attract more clients by providing greater flexibility and easy access to your products and services, we have a solution for everyone. Contact us for a FREE 2-hour consultation.

AWS Migration in 5 Easy Steps

AWS partner logo

What is AWS?

AWS stands for Amazon Web Services and is a cloud-based solution that is provided by Amazon. AWS is currently being used by millions of customers, businesses, and government agencies. In addition to this, it has 175 web services with data centers across the globe. Furthermore, AWS is scalable, customizable, and innovative.

What is AWS Migration?

In essence, AWS migration is the transferring of data from one cloud service to Amazon, or it could also be the transfer of data from on-premises to the cloud. A lot of data that businesses generate every day and store on-premises is a costly and ineffective process, so transferring the data to the cloud is a much safer and reliable measure since AWS gives you tools to take care of the data, including AWS auto-scaling.

Why should we migrate to AWS?

As per the recent stats, it is predicted that more than 1/3rd of the data would go through the cloud by 2020. Keeping this in mind, there are other reasons as to why you should seriously consider migrating to AWS, such as:

  • Update your current IT base
  • Equipt yourself for the future
  • Minimal setting up costs
  • Security
  • Ramp up the business agility
  • Your website is now getting heavy traffic
  • Recover data in case of loss

How do we migrate to AWS?

Well, if it is an on-premises server that you used to store the data, then you can migrate your data to AWS using the following steps:

Step 1

Opportunity & Evaluation

It is well documented that 70% of IT projects cannot succeed, and an additional 60% of dev-ops are unable to achieve or bring nothing to the table. The problem can be rooted back to a lack of understanding in the planning process. It would help if you kept in mind numerous core things when you consider migrating, such as your property, the apps, the data, motivations, stakeholders’ goals, and the budget. One of the first things that you need to keep in mind is the Business Architecture Overview; to develop this, the following items need to be done:

  1. Understand the business requirements.
  2. The vision
  3. Stakeholder buy-in
  4. ROI and business plan

Step 2

Portfolio and Planning

In this step, you need to inspect configuration management databases (CMDBs) and tools like AWS Discovery Service or RISC Networks to understand better what’s in the environment. Once you have this knowledge, you can create a strategy to approach critical phases of migrations, i.e., Application and Data Migration.

  1. The licensing process is a complex one, and you need to keep this in mind with AWS migration.
  2. In case you operate a large mainframe, you might need to integrate them accordingly with an SOA/Cloud-Native Application, which will create a hybrid architecture.       
  3. If any of your apps are dependent on one another, then you may need to create a strategy to move them to the cloud without disrupting the order in which they are dependent.

Step 3 & 4

Designing, Migrating & Validating Applications

When migrating, you need to move the least complex app, learn the target platform as you relocate, and then slowly migrate all of your more complex apps onto the system. In addition to this, the team’s Cloud Centers of Excellence help the companies to migrate more effectively without running into any problematic issues. As you move towards the AWS servers, you need to test and decommission the old system simultaneously. These two systems need to be run parallel to ensure that everything is being tested in real-time.

Step 5

Modern Operating Model 

The best strategy to optimize AWS is to automate everything. In addition to this, DevOps is also a practical path that businesses can take to achieve this. Once you have done this, you need to go back to the ROI and the business plan to ensure that the stakeholders are satisfied. The end-users are happy that management changes have taken place to facilitate the shift of the DevOps-centric structure. Lastly, it would be best to evaluate whether you are using the AWS foundation architecture to transform the business because the business plan’s transformation is the primary goal of shifting to AWS.

Sunvera can help you implement the right software solution for your business while helping you reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Contact us for a FREE 2-hour AWS consultation. 

Applications of AI Across Different Verticals

Artificial intelligence

The term ‘artificial intelligence’ was formed in 1956 at a conference in New Hampshire, and since then, the world has seen a number of milestones with different adoptions of AI. From virtual assistants such as Alexa to self-driving cars, AI technology is helping consumers improve their lives and make everyday operations easier. But what about businesses? How will they be using AI to attract customers, manage their business, and save time? It turns out, different verticals have their own applications of AI to scale their business and overall growth

Artificial Intelligence Software Market Growth

As the world continues to adopt AI practices, the software market is growing, as expected. According to Statista, the market is expected to reach $126 billion by 2025. Applications will include natural language processing, robotic process automation, and machine learning. 

COVID-19 Propelling the AI Movement

A major question to address is: Has COVID-19 propelled the AI movement? The answer is yes. 

In a survey by RELX, more than a thousand senior executives were surveyed on the topic of AI adoption during the pandemic. The majority of respondents (68%) increased their investment in AI technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic, 48% invested in new AI technologies while 46% invested further in AI technologies already in use at their companies. Similarly, 63% of business leaders polled reported having a positive experience with applications of AI technologies, as it helped their business stay resilient during rough times.  

However, it is crucial to note that the companies are using AI to increase worker productivity, not necessarily replace labor. That is not to say that AI is not being used to replace labor at all, it just means that those were not the results that were yielded from this survey. 

How AI is Being Used in Different Industries

Healthcare: As healthcare is rapidly transforming, especially during the pandemic, AI is increasing its presence in the vertical through various ways. Check out 5 Ways AI is Transforming the Healthcare Industry. Some other advanced healthcare methods that involve AI and ML are applying it to reduce diagnose errors, improving patient convenience, and assisting in delivering telehealth services.

Agriculture: The terms ‘smart farm’ and ‘farming 4.0’ are spreading fast within the agriculture sector. Both terms are synonyms for automation in farms which involve the application of AI. Robots are ready to take over farms and carry out various processes involved in the food chain including detecting weeds and packing. This will likely take over human jobs as mundane tasks will be handled by advanced technology. 

Manufacturing: Another sector which requires mundane processes to be handled, manufacturers are constantly looking for several tasks to be automated. Luckily, AI is here to save the day again. Common applications of AI include product development, price forecasting for raw materials, and customizing the look and feel of the products as well. 

Retail: Artificial intelligence is changing the way stores operate, both in-store and online. The main goal here is to improve customer service. Whether that is through helping customers find a product in a store, reduce long lines during checkout, or even robots that recognize customers by face and determine their likes and dislikes. The possibilities are endless.

Real Estate: You may have heard of various technology disrupting the real estate scene before, such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) online tours. Well, AI is also transforming the way realtors do business in various ways. Realtors can take advantage of this technological shift by incorporating a chatbot to their site, examining Big Data to have more targeting marketing campaigns, and better manage their properties. 

I want to Incorporate AI Technology to My Business, Where Do I Start?

Artificial intelligence can get complex, so you need to partner with a reputable software development company that has decades of experience to examine your business properly and craft the perfect AI solution to scale your business. From AI strategy consulting to development, we got you covered every step of the way. 

Sunvera is one of the top AI companies in Orange County, and can help you implement the right software solution for your business while helping you reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Contact us for a FREE 2-hour consultation.  

How Precision Farming Produces More and Better Crops

Two farmers

As the world moves towards Industry 4.0, so does the agriculture world. Farmers are becoming more technological with how they grow and sustain their crops, and many are turning to precision farming to be able to produce more crops which can be properly maintained. As a greater number of farmers are seeing great results by using this method, it is clear that this advanced method of farming will take over the agriculture industry in the coming years. 

What is Precision Agriculture?

Precision farming is a method where you use a management system to input every detail you apply to your farm (ex. how much soil is being used in a particular area, how often you water a specific crop etc.), which is then used to make more informed decisions in the future. So in short terms, precision agriculture is a greater level of farm management which yields increased productivity, sustainability, and can help you produce more crops while increasing your harvesting rate. 

Precision Farming Software Market

The software market for precision agriculture was valued at $993.24 million in 2019, and is expected to have a CAGR of 16.7% from 2020 to 2025. These stats indicate that precision farming is one of the fastest growing trends in agriculture. 

Precision Technology in Agriculture

On the more technological side, there are a number of tools that can be integrated with precision agriculture practices. Let’s go over the top three tools being used by farmers.

  1. Global Positioning System (GPS): No, a GPS is not just used for you to navigate through a new area. Farmers need them too! A good GPS system allows farmers to easily locate their crops. GPS also allows for farmers to collect soil samples, map out weed locations, determine what areas of their farm can be harvested, and a lot more. 
  1. Automation: As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to replace human workers with robots, the agriculture world is experiencing the same shift. Automation is quickly taking over farms to handle mundane tasks such as spraying, seeding, harvesting, and packing. 
  1. Sensor-based technology: Sensors are being implemented in farms to determine what actions should be taken based on weather patterns, temperature, pH etc. These further actions can be done either manually or with automation, depending on how technological your farm is. 

You can read about more farming technologies here. 

Where to Start?

Now that you have learned a little bit more about precision agriculture, one of the most important questions may come to your head. How do I implement it, and how easy is it to do so? The answer we have for you is: it depends. It all comes down to which software company you partner with, and how their reputation is. 

Our employees at Sunvera Software have 30+ years of software development experience and have worked with numerous agricultural clients in the past, helping farmers increase their crop production while lowering their farm management and operation costs.

Sunvera can help you implement the right software solution for your business while helping you reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Contact us for a FREE 2-hour consultation.  

Product Cost Reduction in Manufacturing: 5 Ways

Manufacturer
  1. Reduce energy costs: Examining the current energy consumption costs is another good route to go when looking for ways to reduce cost of manufacturing goods. Do you need to upgrade any equipment? Have you installed LED lighting? Is there equipment running when it is not necessary? Ask yourself questions like these and take appropriate actions. 
  1. An employee scheduling solution: An overlooked tip is that of employee scheduling. Since manufacturing is done in a dynamic environment, and employees do not have regular 9-5 jobs, It is critical that the employees are on-site when needed, and they know exactly what their function is. Otherwise, it can result in MAJOR costs as processes can go wrong. An employee shift scheduling solution allows you to assign shifts so you can track exactly who will be at the site and what their job function will be. These solutions can also have a feature for self-scheduling which employees really like. 

Manufacturing processes are making a positive shift to produce more in less time, while saving costs. The best way for you to optimize production with product cost reduction is to utilize both advanced technologies and simple methods to produce smarter while meeting customer demands. 

Sunvera can help you implement the right software solution for your business while helping you reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Contact us for a FREE 2-hour consultation. 

  1. Examine your supply chain management software: A good manufacturer will track every step of the process, as well as all of the costs associated with production and availability of resources. A good supply chain management software is an all-in-one solution to keep track of everything. Here are some of the key features of a good supply chain management software. Organization is key to reduce extra unnecessary costs and excess inventory. 
  1. Reduce energy costs: Examining the current energy consumption costs is another good route to go when looking for ways to reduce cost of manufacturing goods. Do you need to upgrade any equipment? Have you installed LED lighting? Is there equipment running when it is not necessary? Ask yourself questions like these and take appropriate actions. 
  1. An employee scheduling solution: An overlooked tip is that of employee scheduling. Since manufacturing is done in a dynamic environment, and employees do not have regular 9-5 jobs, It is critical that the employees are on-site when needed, and they know exactly what their function is. Otherwise, it can result in MAJOR costs as processes can go wrong. An employee shift scheduling solution allows you to assign shifts so you can track exactly who will be at the site and what their job function will be. These solutions can also have a feature for self-scheduling which employees really like. 

Manufacturing processes are making a positive shift to produce more in less time, while saving costs. The best way for you to optimize production with product cost reduction is to utilize both advanced technologies and simple methods to produce smarter while meeting customer demands. 

Sunvera can help you implement the right software solution for your business while helping you reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Contact us for a FREE 2-hour consultation. 

  1. Implement smart manufacturing processes: Smart technology has taken over practically every industry such as real estate, healthcare, and now manufacturing. There are endless ways to incorporate smart technology to improve the manufacturing process, including self-driving vehicles for material handling, IoT sensors, and other smart factory monitoring technologies. Smart technology is an attractive option for many manufacturers as there is already a labor shortage. With smart factories, you can have smart technology take over repetitive and mundane processes while employees can work with more complex processes. This can help you cut your manufacturing costs while improving productivity and efficiency. 
  1. Examine your supply chain management software: A good manufacturer will track every step of the process, as well as all of the costs associated with production and availability of resources. A good supply chain management software is an all-in-one solution to keep track of everything. Here are some of the key features of a good supply chain management software. Organization is key to reduce extra unnecessary costs and excess inventory. 
  1. Reduce energy costs: Examining the current energy consumption costs is another good route to go when looking for ways to reduce cost of manufacturing goods. Do you need to upgrade any equipment? Have you installed LED lighting? Is there equipment running when it is not necessary? Ask yourself questions like these and take appropriate actions. 
  1. An employee scheduling solution: An overlooked tip is that of employee scheduling. Since manufacturing is done in a dynamic environment, and employees do not have regular 9-5 jobs, It is critical that the employees are on-site when needed, and they know exactly what their function is. Otherwise, it can result in MAJOR costs as processes can go wrong. An employee shift scheduling solution allows you to assign shifts so you can track exactly who will be at the site and what their job function will be. These solutions can also have a feature for self-scheduling which employees really like. 

Manufacturing processes are making a positive shift to produce more in less time, while saving costs. The best way for you to optimize production with product cost reduction is to utilize both advanced technologies and simple methods to produce smarter while meeting customer demands. 

Sunvera can help you implement the right software solution for your business while helping you reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Contact us for a FREE 2-hour consultation. 

  • Pursuing perfection: They say perfection does not exist, but if you have the mindset of pursuing perfection, you will not be too far off from it. If every employee strives towards perfection and finds different ways to keep improving their product and process, manufacturers will have outstanding results.
  1. Implement smart manufacturing processes: Smart technology has taken over practically every industry such as real estate, healthcare, and now manufacturing. There are endless ways to incorporate smart technology to improve the manufacturing process, including self-driving vehicles for material handling, IoT sensors, and other smart factory monitoring technologies. Smart technology is an attractive option for many manufacturers as there is already a labor shortage. With smart factories, you can have smart technology take over repetitive and mundane processes while employees can work with more complex processes. This can help you cut your manufacturing costs while improving productivity and efficiency. 
  1. Examine your supply chain management software: A good manufacturer will track every step of the process, as well as all of the costs associated with production and availability of resources. A good supply chain management software is an all-in-one solution to keep track of everything. Here are some of the key features of a good supply chain management software. Organization is key to reduce extra unnecessary costs and excess inventory. 
  1. Reduce energy costs: Examining the current energy consumption costs is another good route to go when looking for ways to reduce cost of manufacturing goods. Do you need to upgrade any equipment? Have you installed LED lighting? Is there equipment running when it is not necessary? Ask yourself questions like these and take appropriate actions. 
  1. An employee scheduling solution: An overlooked tip is that of employee scheduling. Since manufacturing is done in a dynamic environment, and employees do not have regular 9-5 jobs, It is critical that the employees are on-site when needed, and they know exactly what their function is. Otherwise, it can result in MAJOR costs as processes can go wrong. An employee shift scheduling solution allows you to assign shifts so you can track exactly who will be at the site and what their job function will be. These solutions can also have a feature for self-scheduling which employees really like. 

Manufacturing processes are making a positive shift to produce more in less time, while saving costs. The best way for you to optimize production with product cost reduction is to utilize both advanced technologies and simple methods to produce smarter while meeting customer demands. 

Sunvera can help you implement the right software solution for your business while helping you reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Contact us for a FREE 2-hour consultation. 

  • Establishing pull: Since excess inventory is a huge problem that manufacturers often face, it is crucial to have a pull-based system. This is to ensure that you will have all of the materials you need in just the right quantities and the products can be manufactured in time. 
  • Pursuing perfection: They say perfection does not exist, but if you have the mindset of pursuing perfection, you will not be too far off from it. If every employee strives towards perfection and finds different ways to keep improving their product and process, manufacturers will have outstanding results.
  1. Implement smart manufacturing processes: Smart technology has taken over practically every industry such as real estate, healthcare, and now manufacturing. There are endless ways to incorporate smart technology to improve the manufacturing process, including self-driving vehicles for material handling, IoT sensors, and other smart factory monitoring technologies. Smart technology is an attractive option for many manufacturers as there is already a labor shortage. With smart factories, you can have smart technology take over repetitive and mundane processes while employees can work with more complex processes. This can help you cut your manufacturing costs while improving productivity and efficiency. 
  1. Examine your supply chain management software: A good manufacturer will track every step of the process, as well as all of the costs associated with production and availability of resources. A good supply chain management software is an all-in-one solution to keep track of everything. Here are some of the key features of a good supply chain management software. Organization is key to reduce extra unnecessary costs and excess inventory. 
  1. Reduce energy costs: Examining the current energy consumption costs is another good route to go when looking for ways to reduce cost of manufacturing goods. Do you need to upgrade any equipment? Have you installed LED lighting? Is there equipment running when it is not necessary? Ask yourself questions like these and take appropriate actions. 
  1. An employee scheduling solution: An overlooked tip is that of employee scheduling. Since manufacturing is done in a dynamic environment, and employees do not have regular 9-5 jobs, It is critical that the employees are on-site when needed, and they know exactly what their function is. Otherwise, it can result in MAJOR costs as processes can go wrong. An employee shift scheduling solution allows you to assign shifts so you can track exactly who will be at the site and what their job function will be. These solutions can also have a feature for self-scheduling which employees really like. 

Manufacturing processes are making a positive shift to produce more in less time, while saving costs. The best way for you to optimize production with product cost reduction is to utilize both advanced technologies and simple methods to produce smarter while meeting customer demands. 

Sunvera can help you implement the right software solution for your business while helping you reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Contact us for a FREE 2-hour consultation. 

  • Creating flow: After the features of your product have been finalized, you want to balance out the production process to make sure the product is developed efficiently. All of the employees should have a clear idea of what to do. That is essentially what creating flow means.
  • Establishing pull: Since excess inventory is a huge problem that manufacturers often face, it is crucial to have a pull-based system. This is to ensure that you will have all of the materials you need in just the right quantities and the products can be manufactured in time. 
  • Pursuing perfection: They say perfection does not exist, but if you have the mindset of pursuing perfection, you will not be too far off from it. If every employee strives towards perfection and finds different ways to keep improving their product and process, manufacturers will have outstanding results.
  1. Implement smart manufacturing processes: Smart technology has taken over practically every industry such as real estate, healthcare, and now manufacturing. There are endless ways to incorporate smart technology to improve the manufacturing process, including self-driving vehicles for material handling, IoT sensors, and other smart factory monitoring technologies. Smart technology is an attractive option for many manufacturers as there is already a labor shortage. With smart factories, you can have smart technology take over repetitive and mundane processes while employees can work with more complex processes. This can help you cut your manufacturing costs while improving productivity and efficiency. 
  1. Examine your supply chain management software: A good manufacturer will track every step of the process, as well as all of the costs associated with production and availability of resources. A good supply chain management software is an all-in-one solution to keep track of everything. Here are some of the key features of a good supply chain management software. Organization is key to reduce extra unnecessary costs and excess inventory. 
  1. Reduce energy costs: Examining the current energy consumption costs is another good route to go when looking for ways to reduce cost of manufacturing goods. Do you need to upgrade any equipment? Have you installed LED lighting? Is there equipment running when it is not necessary? Ask yourself questions like these and take appropriate actions. 
  1. An employee scheduling solution: An overlooked tip is that of employee scheduling. Since manufacturing is done in a dynamic environment, and employees do not have regular 9-5 jobs, It is critical that the employees are on-site when needed, and they know exactly what their function is. Otherwise, it can result in MAJOR costs as processes can go wrong. An employee shift scheduling solution allows you to assign shifts so you can track exactly who will be at the site and what their job function will be. These solutions can also have a feature for self-scheduling which employees really like. 

Manufacturing processes are making a positive shift to produce more in less time, while saving costs. The best way for you to optimize production with product cost reduction is to utilize both advanced technologies and simple methods to produce smarter while meeting customer demands. 

Sunvera can help you implement the right software solution for your business while helping you reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Contact us for a FREE 2-hour consultation. 

  • Mapping the value stream: Going along with the first point, you now need to decide what route to go to provide a valuable product for the customers. The best way to do this is to first map out all of the processes that will be involved, and then separate the different features of your product into two categories: not valuable but necessary and not valuable and unnecessary. Here’s an example. The cord of a hair dryer is not something that adds value to the hair dryer so the customers naturally do not care about it. However, it is necessary (unless you are going for a cordless hair dryer) for functionality purposes. The features that customers will care about may be the size of the hair dryer, the different buttons that perform various functions, etc. Any extra design on the hair dryer that will do nothing to give customers a good experience with the hair dryer should be eliminated. 
  • Creating flow: After the features of your product have been finalized, you want to balance out the production process to make sure the product is developed efficiently. All of the employees should have a clear idea of what to do. That is essentially what creating flow means.
  • Establishing pull: Since excess inventory is a huge problem that manufacturers often face, it is crucial to have a pull-based system. This is to ensure that you will have all of the materials you need in just the right quantities and the products can be manufactured in time. 
  • Pursuing perfection: They say perfection does not exist, but if you have the mindset of pursuing perfection, you will not be too far off from it. If every employee strives towards perfection and finds different ways to keep improving their product and process, manufacturers will have outstanding results.
  1. Implement smart manufacturing processes: Smart technology has taken over practically every industry such as real estate, healthcare, and now manufacturing. There are endless ways to incorporate smart technology to improve the manufacturing process, including self-driving vehicles for material handling, IoT sensors, and other smart factory monitoring technologies. Smart technology is an attractive option for many manufacturers as there is already a labor shortage. With smart factories, you can have smart technology take over repetitive and mundane processes while employees can work with more complex processes. This can help you cut your manufacturing costs while improving productivity and efficiency. 
  1. Examine your supply chain management software: A good manufacturer will track every step of the process, as well as all of the costs associated with production and availability of resources. A good supply chain management software is an all-in-one solution to keep track of everything. Here are some of the key features of a good supply chain management software. Organization is key to reduce extra unnecessary costs and excess inventory. 
  1. Reduce energy costs: Examining the current energy consumption costs is another good route to go when looking for ways to reduce cost of manufacturing goods. Do you need to upgrade any equipment? Have you installed LED lighting? Is there equipment running when it is not necessary? Ask yourself questions like these and take appropriate actions. 
  1. An employee scheduling solution: An overlooked tip is that of employee scheduling. Since manufacturing is done in a dynamic environment, and employees do not have regular 9-5 jobs, It is critical that the employees are on-site when needed, and they know exactly what their function is. Otherwise, it can result in MAJOR costs as processes can go wrong. An employee shift scheduling solution allows you to assign shifts so you can track exactly who will be at the site and what their job function will be. These solutions can also have a feature for self-scheduling which employees really like. 

Manufacturing processes are making a positive shift to produce more in less time, while saving costs. The best way for you to optimize production with product cost reduction is to utilize both advanced technologies and simple methods to produce smarter while meeting customer demands. 

Sunvera can help you implement the right software solution for your business while helping you reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Contact us for a FREE 2-hour consultation. 

  • Defining value: This is a customer-centric approach. Manufacturers need to define what value means to the customers and focus their efforts on manufacturing a product with the valuable features and nothing excessive that will give a poor return on investment. 
  • Mapping the value stream: Going along with the first point, you now need to decide what route to go to provide a valuable product for the customers. The best way to do this is to first map out all of the processes that will be involved, and then separate the different features of your product into two categories: not valuable but necessary and not valuable and unnecessary. Here’s an example. The cord of a hair dryer is not something that adds value to the hair dryer so the customers naturally do not care about it. However, it is necessary (unless you are going for a cordless hair dryer) for functionality purposes. The features that customers will care about may be the size of the hair dryer, the different buttons that perform various functions, etc. Any extra design on the hair dryer that will do nothing to give customers a good experience with the hair dryer should be eliminated. 
  • Creating flow: After the features of your product have been finalized, you want to balance out the production process to make sure the product is developed efficiently. All of the employees should have a clear idea of what to do. That is essentially what creating flow means.
  • Establishing pull: Since excess inventory is a huge problem that manufacturers often face, it is crucial to have a pull-based system. This is to ensure that you will have all of the materials you need in just the right quantities and the products can be manufactured in time. 
  • Pursuing perfection: They say perfection does not exist, but if you have the mindset of pursuing perfection, you will not be too far off from it. If every employee strives towards perfection and finds different ways to keep improving their product and process, manufacturers will have outstanding results.
  1. Implement smart manufacturing processes: Smart technology has taken over practically every industry such as real estate, healthcare, and now manufacturing. There are endless ways to incorporate smart technology to improve the manufacturing process, including self-driving vehicles for material handling, IoT sensors, and other smart factory monitoring technologies. Smart technology is an attractive option for many manufacturers as there is already a labor shortage. With smart factories, you can have smart technology take over repetitive and mundane processes while employees can work with more complex processes. This can help you cut your manufacturing costs while improving productivity and efficiency. 
  1. Examine your supply chain management software: A good manufacturer will track every step of the process, as well as all of the costs associated with production and availability of resources. A good supply chain management software is an all-in-one solution to keep track of everything. Here are some of the key features of a good supply chain management software. Organization is key to reduce extra unnecessary costs and excess inventory. 
  1. Reduce energy costs: Examining the current energy consumption costs is another good route to go when looking for ways to reduce cost of manufacturing goods. Do you need to upgrade any equipment? Have you installed LED lighting? Is there equipment running when it is not necessary? Ask yourself questions like these and take appropriate actions. 
  1. An employee scheduling solution: An overlooked tip is that of employee scheduling. Since manufacturing is done in a dynamic environment, and employees do not have regular 9-5 jobs, It is critical that the employees are on-site when needed, and they know exactly what their function is. Otherwise, it can result in MAJOR costs as processes can go wrong. An employee shift scheduling solution allows you to assign shifts so you can track exactly who will be at the site and what their job function will be. These solutions can also have a feature for self-scheduling which employees really like. 

Manufacturing processes are making a positive shift to produce more in less time, while saving costs. The best way for you to optimize production with product cost reduction is to utilize both advanced technologies and simple methods to produce smarter while meeting customer demands. 

Sunvera can help you implement the right software solution for your business while helping you reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Contact us for a FREE 2-hour consultation. 

  1. Lean manufacturing: This method is widely used in the manufacturing world, and it is one of the best ways to gain maximum manufacturing cost savings. To put it in simple words, lean manufacturing is efficient production that maximizes productivity while minimizing waste. The waste can come in many forms: time, overproduction, defective products, too much spent on features that customers do not care for etc. There are 5 different components of lean manufacturing which directly translate to product cost reduction, including:
  • Defining value: This is a customer-centric approach. Manufacturers need to define what value means to the customers and focus their efforts on manufacturing a product with the valuable features and nothing excessive that will give a poor return on investment. 
  • Mapping the value stream: Going along with the first point, you now need to decide what route to go to provide a valuable product for the customers. The best way to do this is to first map out all of the processes that will be involved, and then separate the different features of your product into two categories: not valuable but necessary and not valuable and unnecessary. Here’s an example. The cord of a hair dryer is not something that adds value to the hair dryer so the customers naturally do not care about it. However, it is necessary (unless you are going for a cordless hair dryer) for functionality purposes. The features that customers will care about may be the size of the hair dryer, the different buttons that perform various functions, etc. Any extra design on the hair dryer that will do nothing to give customers a good experience with the hair dryer should be eliminated. 
  • Creating flow: After the features of your product have been finalized, you want to balance out the production process to make sure the product is developed efficiently. All of the employees should have a clear idea of what to do. That is essentially what creating flow means.
  • Establishing pull: Since excess inventory is a huge problem that manufacturers often face, it is crucial to have a pull-based system. This is to ensure that you will have all of the materials you need in just the right quantities and the products can be manufactured in time. 
  • Pursuing perfection: They say perfection does not exist, but if you have the mindset of pursuing perfection, you will not be too far off from it. If every employee strives towards perfection and finds different ways to keep improving their product and process, manufacturers will have outstanding results.
  1. Implement smart manufacturing processes: Smart technology has taken over practically every industry such as real estate, healthcare, and now manufacturing. There are endless ways to incorporate smart technology to improve the manufacturing process, including self-driving vehicles for material handling, IoT sensors, and other smart factory monitoring technologies. Smart technology is an attractive option for many manufacturers as there is already a labor shortage. With smart factories, you can have smart technology take over repetitive and mundane processes while employees can work with more complex processes. This can help you cut your manufacturing costs while improving productivity and efficiency. 
  1. Examine your supply chain management software: A good manufacturer will track every step of the process, as well as all of the costs associated with production and availability of resources. A good supply chain management software is an all-in-one solution to keep track of everything. Here are some of the key features of a good supply chain management software. Organization is key to reduce extra unnecessary costs and excess inventory. 
  1. Reduce energy costs: Examining the current energy consumption costs is another good route to go when looking for ways to reduce cost of manufacturing goods. Do you need to upgrade any equipment? Have you installed LED lighting? Is there equipment running when it is not necessary? Ask yourself questions like these and take appropriate actions. 
  1. An employee scheduling solution: An overlooked tip is that of employee scheduling. Since manufacturing is done in a dynamic environment, and employees do not have regular 9-5 jobs, It is critical that the employees are on-site when needed, and they know exactly what their function is. Otherwise, it can result in MAJOR costs as processes can go wrong. An employee shift scheduling solution allows you to assign shifts so you can track exactly who will be at the site and what their job function will be. These solutions can also have a feature for self-scheduling which employees really like. 

Manufacturing processes are making a positive shift to produce more in less time, while saving costs. The best way for you to optimize production with product cost reduction is to utilize both advanced technologies and simple methods to produce smarter while meeting customer demands. 

Sunvera can help you implement the right software solution for your business while helping you reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Contact us for a FREE 2-hour consultation. 

Every manufacturer is looking to reduce product costs involved in the manufacturing process, but many do not want to sacrifice their product design to save money. The part you may be overlooking is that there may be features of your product that do nothing to offer value to customers, and are costing you a load of money. In this article, we go over exactly what you need to look out for in your product design, and what you should eliminate for product cost reduction. Luckily, there are other smart ways to reduce the amount of money that is spent on manufacturing as well which do not involve product design and we want to shine some light on these tips too.

What Can You Do To Reduce The Cost of Manufacturing?

  1. Lean manufacturing: This method is widely used in the manufacturing world, and it is one of the best ways to gain maximum manufacturing cost savings. To put it in simple words, lean manufacturing is efficient production that maximizes productivity while minimizing waste. The waste can come in many forms: time, overproduction, defective products, too much spent on features that customers do not care for etc. There are 5 different components of lean manufacturing which directly translate to product cost reduction, including:
  • Defining value: This is a customer-centric approach. Manufacturers need to define what value means to the customers and focus their efforts on manufacturing a product with the valuable features and nothing excessive that will give a poor return on investment. 
  • Mapping the value stream: Going along with the first point, you now need to decide what route to go to provide a valuable product for the customers. The best way to do this is to first map out all of the processes that will be involved, and then separate the different features of your product into two categories: not valuable but necessary and not valuable and unnecessary. Here’s an example. The cord of a hair dryer is not something that adds value to the hair dryer so the customers naturally do not care about it. However, it is necessary (unless you are going for a cordless hair dryer) for functionality purposes. The features that customers will care about may be the size of the hair dryer, the different buttons that perform various functions, etc. Any extra design on the hair dryer that will do nothing to give customers a good experience with the hair dryer should be eliminated. 
  • Creating flow: After the features of your product have been finalized, you want to balance out the production process to make sure the product is developed efficiently. All of the employees should have a clear idea of what to do. That is essentially what creating flow means.
  • Establishing pull: Since excess inventory is a huge problem that manufacturers often face, it is crucial to have a pull-based system. This is to ensure that you will have all of the materials you need in just the right quantities and the products can be manufactured in time. 
  • Pursuing perfection: They say perfection does not exist, but if you have the mindset of pursuing perfection, you will not be too far off from it. If every employee strives towards perfection and finds different ways to keep improving their product and process, manufacturers will have outstanding results.
  1. Implement smart manufacturing processes: Smart technology has taken over practically every industry such as real estate, healthcare, and now manufacturing. There are endless ways to incorporate smart technology to improve the manufacturing process, including self-driving vehicles for material handling, IoT sensors, and other smart factory monitoring technologies. Smart technology is an attractive option for many manufacturers as there is already a labor shortage. With smart factories, you can have smart technology take over repetitive and mundane processes while employees can work with more complex processes. This can help you cut your manufacturing costs while improving productivity and efficiency. 
  1. Examine your supply chain management software: A good manufacturer will track every step of the process, as well as all of the costs associated with production and availability of resources. A good supply chain management software is an all-in-one solution to keep track of everything. Here are some of the key features of a good supply chain management software. Organization is key to reduce extra unnecessary costs and excess inventory. 
  1. Reduce energy costs: Examining the current energy consumption costs is another good route to go when looking for ways to reduce cost of manufacturing goods. Do you need to upgrade any equipment? Have you installed LED lighting? Is there equipment running when it is not necessary? Ask yourself questions like these and take appropriate actions. 
  1. An employee scheduling solution: An overlooked tip is that of employee scheduling. Since manufacturing is done in a dynamic environment, and employees do not have regular 9-5 jobs, It is critical that the employees are on-site when needed, and they know exactly what their function is. Otherwise, it can result in MAJOR costs as processes can go wrong. An employee shift scheduling solution allows you to assign shifts so you can track exactly who will be at the site and what their job function will be. These solutions can also have a feature for self-scheduling which employees really like. 

Manufacturing processes are making a positive shift to produce more in less time, while saving costs. The best way for you to optimize production with product cost reduction is to utilize both advanced technologies and simple methods to produce smarter while meeting customer demands. 

Sunvera can help you implement the right software solution for your business while helping you reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Contact us for a FREE 2-hour consultation. 

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