How Manufacturers Can Boost Flexibility for Rapid Change with Digital Signage

If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that the not being able to adapt to change can jeopardize any company or organization—and at the very least puts them at a serious competitive disadvantage to those who can.

The need for agility and flexibility to cope with the demands of change is part of human existence and at the core of organizational activity. But it has sky-rocketed since the pandemic changed the world in 2020, disrupting the very nature of work and causing supply chain havoc, with far-reaching consequences for manufacturers in all sectors, from automobiles to pharmaceuticals and healthcare.

Digital Signage in Manufacturing

Manufacturing enterprises know this better than most: to survive and grow they’ve had to show tremendous agility in the face of great change and uncertainty.

As we are all too aware, in addition to upending the world of work, the pandemic also caused huge disruption to the supply of raw material, which, as the World Economic Forum has pointed out, have since been exacerbated by international geopolitical conflict and events.

This has put an even higher premium on manufacturers to be flexible. It’s not only the cornerstone of resilience and competitiveness, it also enables manufacturers to seize opportunities, mitigate risks, and deliver value to customers in a highly dynamic market.

As Paulo Butti of Rockwell Automation says: “Flexibility is about speed to adapt and creating a seamless flow from need to delivery, decision to implementation and challenge to solution. True flexibility empowers manufacturers to stay in tune with their market, replacing rigid and static operating models with levels of control and responsiveness never previously possible.”

Increasingly, manufacturers see digital signage as a critically important tool in their quest for maximum flexibility to outperform their competitors. Indeed, the massive impact of digital signage in other sectors is such that the signage market is growing at an exponential rate, currently valued at $22b and projected to hit over $30.5b by 2028, according to the Digital Signage Global Market Report 2024.

Even though it’s a rapidly growing sector, it’s not unknown for people to ask questions like: How can digital signage help your business? What is the advantage of digital signage? Or how does digital signage increase productivity? Here’s this assessment by Cognitive Market Research of just some of what digital signage does for organizations: “Digital signage plays a crucial role in improving safety and compliance in manufacturing. It is used to display real-time safety alerts, emergency procedures, and compliance information, which helps in reducing workplace accidents and ensuring regulatory adherence.”

Here at Poppulo we’re better placed than anyone in digital signage to answer those questions, having been a pioneer and leader in the sector, working with many of the most successful enterprise organizations in the world, across very diverse industries in the manufacturing sector.

To give you a taste of our work with one of the world’s top global aerospace companies, check out this case study on how Poppulo’s digital signage has improved efficiency and given the factory floor a voice at Northrop Grumman.

The Importance of Digital Signage in Manufacturing

Why have digital or industrial screens and displays come to the fore as such a powerful force in manufacturing? When you combine the requirements of precision, accuracy, safety, efficiency, productivity, inventory, cost-control, process, and quality control, they share one common denominator: communication.

In a factory floor setting, employees must have clarity at every stage of the production process so clear communication is a must-have. Yet, unlike their office-based counterparts, they frequently do not have ready access to computers, work email, or even mobile phones because of safety concerns.

In this context, highly visible digital signage, with clear data that can be updated instantly, is—literally—a stand-out communication channel. Digital factory displays ensure that all employees have access to the latest information, whether it’s about safety protocols, production targets, or updates on equipment status, which helps productivity and safety.

Before we take a deeper dive into how modern industrial screens can enable greater flexibility for change, a quick glance at the benefits gives a snapshot into why it’s such an important and valuable communication tool. Digital signage on a factory floor is very effective for:

• Increasing efficiency and productivity
• Improving communication
• Improving quality
• Enhancing safety
• Reducing costs
• Increasing awareness
• Reducing downtime and span-time
• Facilitating rapid response to manufacturing changes
• Providing data-based insights for better decision-making
• Improving employee engagement

The Benefits of Digital Signage for Quality and Efficiency on the Factory Floor

The Connection Between Digital Signage and Agile Manufacturing

Agile manufacturing is a methodology that’s all about flexibility, speed, and efficiency, and it requires seamless communication, quick decision-making, and the flexibility to adapt to changing conditions, whether they’re due to changed market dynamics or supply chain problems. Absolute communication clarity is key, and in a production setting, digital signage is the ideal tool to support agile manufacturing with real-time information.

For instance, when a production line needs to switch from one product to another, digital signage can be used to display the new instructions, inform teams of the change, and monitor the transition process. This reduces the time it takes to make the switch and minimizes the risk of errors.

Additionally, in an agile manufacturing setup, where teams must often work cross-functionally, digital workplace screens help to keep everyone aligned and informed, which is critical for maintaining agility.

Why Flexibility and Agility are Essential in Manufacturing

Modern manufacturers must at least sometimes envy older days when production processes would remain unchanged for long periods of time, sometimes years. Many enjoyed certainty of raw materials, means of production, supply of labor, and steady markets. When change came, it came over time, not in a cloudburst of disruption that turned their world upside down.

Nowadays, however, rapid and unprecedented changes in a globalized world driven by instant communication, the need for flexibility is paramount. It’s crucial for responding to market volatility, embracing new technologies, complying with regulations, mitigating those supply chain disruptions mentioned earlier, and meeting customer expectations.

Just take the latter: customer expectations. Consumers today demand more personalized and rapidly delivered products—seen and ordered online and delivered within days if not hours—and suppliers/manufacturers must constantly keep up with trends and adapt their offerings accordingly.

Flexible manufacturing processes allow for customization and quicker turnaround times, helping producers to meet these customer needs effectively and maintain customer loyalty. This is especially true of the fashion industry, and in particular Inditex, the biggest fashion group in the world, who’s Zara brand changes its product range every two weeks, compared to other brands who might change theirs every few months. Flexible manufacturing has been critical to the company’s success.

Key Benefits of Digital Screens in Manufacturing

Traditionally, manufacturing relied heavily on physical signage, which was often static and time-consuming to update, creating bottlenecks and slowing down response times. Digital signage, on the other hand, offers real-time information, dynamic content, and centralized control. Game-changer is a phrase that can be thrown about too easily these days, but it’s not an exaggeration to say that it’s an entirely accurate description of digital signage’s impact in manufacturing, particularly in enabling flexibility to adapt to the need for constant change. How does digital signage do this? Here are just a few examples:

1. Instant, Real-Time Data Display for Rapid Decision-Making

Timely and accurate data is critical for effective decision-making in manufacturing. Digital screens enable the display of real-time data from various sources, such as production equipment, inventory systems, and quality control systems. This allows managers and operators to monitor performance, identify issues, and make decisions based on the most current information available. For example, if there’s a problem during the production process, digital signage can immediately display this information, prompting maintenance teams to address the issue before it leads to more significant problems.

2. Centralized Control for Streamlined Operations and Enhanced Security

One of the standout features of an enterprise digital signage software such as Poppulo is its ability to be centrally controlled. In a manufacturing setting, this means that all information displayed across the facility is consistent and up to date. This uniformity helps prevent discrepancies that can arise from manual updates or word-of-mouth communication.

For example, instead of relying on supervisors to communicate changes verbally, a digital signage system can ensure that every worker sees the same updated procedures or safety protocols simultaneously.

A centralized digital signage system also significantly strengthens security by consolidating data into a single, manageable location.

In addition to enabling more robust access controls, regular security audits, and centralized threat detection, it reduces vulnerabilities compared to scattered data points, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access or data breach.

For large organizations with complex communications and high-security needs, an enterprise-grade centralized digital signage software platform is a must-have.

We knew the factory floor could move much faster with more real-time, integrated comms, but to make that a reality, we had to figure out a way to free all the information trapped in different systems and ensure people could access it whenever they needed to. Poppulo’s platform helped us realize that goal. —Oscar Castillo Factory Modernization & Digital Transformation Project Manager, Northrop Grumman

3. Facilitating Rapid Response to Manufacturing Changes

When changes occur, digital signage can be updated instantly to communicate new procedures, guidelines, or priorities to employees so that they are quickly informed of new procedures, production shifts, or equipment issues, minimizing downtime and errors while maintaining operational continuity.

4. Compliance and Regulatory Alerts

In industries with strict regulations, digital signage can be used to display compliance information, safety standards, and regulatory updates. This helps to maintain adherence to industry requirements and avoid penalties.

By leveraging the power of digital signage, manufacturers can significantly enhance their flexibility and responsiveness. It's a tool that empowers employees, streamlines operations, and drives overall business success.

5. Communicate Unexpected Change Across Teams

Manufacturing operations often involve multiple teams working simultaneously on different aspects of production and effective communication is essential to ensure they are synchronized and working towards the same goals.

Digital signage facilitates this by providing a platform for instant communication across teams, and this is particularly useful to communicate urgent or unexpected changes to usual practices or processes.

With Poppulo’s digital signage, for example, instant messages can be relayed simultaneously to different teams, in different locations, with the change information tailored for their specific needs.

In Conclusion: Embracing Manufacturing Change with Digital Signage

Digital signage is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance a manufacturer’s ability to adapt to rapid changes and maintain high levels of efficiency, safety, and compliance.

By providing real-time data, improving communication, and facilitating quick responses to changes, digital signage helps manufacturers achieve the agility needed to compete in today’s dynamic market.

As manufacturing continues to evolve, the role of digital signage will only become more critical in helping companies stay ahead of the curve and meet the demands of the future.

Many of the world’s leading manufacturers are looking to that future with Poppulo’s digital signage platform as their favored partner. If you would like to find out more about how we can do for you what our digital signage is doing for them, you can contact us here.

We’d love to tell you more!