There is no question that technology is evolving, and continuing to have an impact at businesses across numerous industries. The manufacturing sector is no different, and more organizations are adopting cloud computing options and ERP software to keep themselves ahead of the competition. Not only will these innovations give employees the necessary tools to stay productive, they can also encourage greater communication between firms.

According to a contribution piece on Manufacturing.net, it is also necessary for manufacturing businesses to take it one step further by adopting enterprise social tools. The article cited information from a Microsoft survey, which found that 40 percent of respondents believed social tools improved teamwork.

Furthermore, 79 percent of the respondents in the manufacturing industry said that they would like to use new technologies that make them more productive at work.

For example, Textron, which is a family of manufacturing companies, has launched multiple social tools over the last few years to encourage employee collaboration and engagement.

"We've built a chain of collaboration where people no longer think it's weird for a helicopter guy from Bell to share an idea with a power tools guy from Greenlee," explained Adele Suddes, vice president of Communications at Textron.

Having the right software business solutions in place can help manufacturing companies of all sizes work toward better communication with their employees and clients. It is crucial that organizations remain flexible and can adapt to various market changes.

Social enterprises might not be the answer for all companies, but comprehensive manufacturing business software is an important first step that will keep further transitions into technology smooth.