While this blog has spoken several times about the importance of the opportunities American manufacturing represents, there's more information to justify the opinion that the tide is turning back in the favor of an increase in domestic production. Since the transition can be a slow and difficult one, a universally appreciated ERP software system might make even an international restructuring significantly simpler. 

The Boston Consulting Group has reported that current patterns observed in certain important business factors like labor quality and production are driving a possible long-term change in the way businesses are conducting manufacturing.

A release made in regards to this study described how an apparent majority of major manufacturers are interested in moving stateside, especially within the next seven years, as a previous study estimated. But more than 20 percent are interested in doing this sooner.

The release quoted BCG affiliate Michael Zinser as expressing optimism over this change. "The wide range of reasons executives cite for shifting production shows that companies are becoming more sophisticated in their understanding of all the factors that must be considered when deciding where to manufacture," he said.

And it's not just the larger examples of business that are displaying a growing sense of interest in the U.S. A recent NBC story looked at the smaller manufacturing efforts happening within this country, particularly in regards to the fashion industry.

This would seem to suggest a growing, general sense that it might be better to start turning your attention to the homefront. If Indiana chooses to be your ideal place to "set up shop," as it were, a local provider of business management software solutions could help you get started.

Of the different types of manufacturing that Indiana has a hand in, auto production is a well-known sector with a lot of attention on it, perhaps unsurprisingly. A recent International Business Times piece, however, has noted that in general, the automotive industry is doing better in manufacturing than the worldwide average.

Coordinating sophisticated systems of production can be made easier with project management software, and the greater context of a certain trend can also be measured up against the more immediate reality for that business. According to the article, the auto manufacturers generally placed more than five percent higher than the general level of output. The information is drawn from the nearly 30 countries surveyed in Markit's recent Purchasing Managers Index.

This could perhaps play into the strategies of companies currently situated in or looking to better develop their facilities in this region. Another article on Manufacturing.net from earlier this month identified the auto manufacturing as one of its main contributors to the $74 billion of combined output the state sees every year. It also quotes from the recent National Association of Manufacturer's study that determined Indiana's output to make up more than a quarter of the state's total product, second only to Oregon nationwide (and only 2 percent behind). 

For software business solutions that are both local and best suited to the pace at which your business is growing, Accent can provide companies key insights into the ways that expansion can proceed, and the tools to sustain that kind of energy as it does so.  

Are you looking to start manufacturing operations in Indiana? It might help to understand something about the way that the industry operates before you expand into this direction. For example, it may be more helpful for business heads to remember that there is room for some statistics to be underreported or misrepresented.

A Washington Post article discusses the role that "factory-less goods producers" may play in the greater scheme of manufacturing. The piece cites a recent study arguing that as many as 1.9 million manufacturing jobs could have been opened up in 2007 alone if the government re-framed its definition of the industry to include non-traditional newer approaches. Could this be a boon to all manufacturers?

A report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics earlier this summer looked at the different qualities that may or may not distinguish these different kinds of business models from each other. According to this paper, changing our perception to include these companies within the umbrella of "manufacturing" could have a net effect on American business revenue.

"Over the past two decades, vast improvements in technology, communications, and transportation have allowed firms to share intellectual property and closely control all steps of the transformation process without directly performing any of the transformation steps," the authors of the report state.

Whatever the setup of a particular business, manufacturing software solutions may be necessary to successfully track the progression of a type of company and the greater industry that they exist as a part of. Understanding the changing face of a certain business might also allow for new opportunities to open up. 

Another reason to consider Indiana for expanding and developing a manufacturing business comes in the way that labor forces are treated in the area. Safety should be a high priority for all manufacturing facilities, and one study from the Indiana Department of Labor (IDL) has some good news for businesses looking for states with favorable conditions.

In its Census of Fatal Occupational Industries, the IDL shows that the state has seen its lowest amount of recorded workplace deaths since 1992, as part of an overall dip in this trend that's been seen since 2008. The cases of these deaths were broken down into different categories for each industry, and the fatalities in almost every one was down from their numbers recorded in the previous year, with transportation accounting for half.

Manufacturing fatalities were down by more than 28 percent, making it, as the Times of Northwest Indiana points out, the area that has seen the highest drop. Equipped with the right business software solutions for location management, manufacturing business professionals can use this information to make better decisions to improve these statistics even more. For example, they can put a focus on business transportation and use resource planning to make sure the changes are accomplished in full.

Employing manufacturing software systems can help enforce not just the prevention of accidents on the floor of the plant, but also general standards of safety and efficiency. Take advantage of the things that make this state stand out in its field by seeking the things that other locations might not be able to guarantee.        

Businesses that are making the preparations necessary for them to build manufacturing plants are well-served by performing the necessary research regarding supplies, cost and location. Obtaining software for manufacturing can go hand-in-hand with knowledge about what makes your development plan the best, and Indiana is full of advantages for your strategy to consider. So says recent information from 24/7 Wall Street, which recently classified Indiana as having the highest level of local manufacturing. 

Using the most current information at its disposal, the site ranked the top states in the country based on how important manufacturing is to them, as well as other contributing economic factors. Although it had a higher unemployment rate than some of the other subjects, Indiana placed highest in the two other contributing categories, and reported a total "manufacturing output" in excess of $84 billion last year.

In addition to that, manufacturing was said to take up more than 28 percent of the state's total economy, especially in regards to the automotive industry. The authors of this report mentioned that it has vaulted since 2010.

"Some of this growth came from companies like Honda expanding their factories and adding thousands of jobs, which made headlines in 2011," they wrote. "Developments like these are critical for the economy of the state, which depends on manufacturing more than anywhere else in the nation."

To successfully take advantage of conditions favorable to your industry, your company can both arm itself with the right inventory management system to fit your needs and find a local economy that will be favorable.