How Mobile Apps for Manufacturing Improve Productivity and Revenue

Why Manufacturing Companies Are Investing in Mobile Apps

The manufacturing industry is entering its new era — Industry 4.0, basically the digital transformation in manufacturing settings. This shift is complemented by increasing customer demands for faster production and high-quality products, fierce global competition, and the need for real-time data and connectivity.

The reason why manufacturing companies need mobile apps is simple — without them, businesses risk losing their edge.

Here’s how exactly mobile apps transform manufacturing operations:

• Communication barriers. Delays and misunderstandings can cost you time and money. Mobile apps let teams communicate instantly via instant messaging, task assignments, and real-time updates — ensuring everyone’s on the same page.

• Data silos. When critical data is locked in different departments, your decision-making slows down. Mobile apps tackle this by integrating with ERP and CRM systems, giving everyone access to the same up-to-date insights.

• Inefficient processes. Relying on manual processes, paperwork, and outdated systems typically leads to bottlenecks. One of the advantages of mobile apps in manufacturing is that they help automate workflows, simplify data entry, and improve process visibility.

• Lack of real-time visibility. Your manufacturing team needs live insights into production, inventory, and equipment status. Mobile dashboards and reports offer up-to-the-minute data, helping make quick decisions.

• Safety concerns. Workplace safety is a must in smart factories. The benefits of mobile apps in manufacturing processes include safety checklists, incident reporting, and real-time alerts.

Let’s now quickly recap the challenges and ways mobile apps can solve them:

Use Cases of Mobile App Development in Manufacturing

The manufacturing mobile apps use cases will depend on your business goals. Here are the most common, real-world applications:

1. Real-Time Data Access and Reporting

If you need to manage production floor operations effectively, mobile apps would be one of the most convenient ways to do so. With just a few taps, you can access production metrics instantly — and remotely.

These apps integrate with ERP systems to provide real-time dashboards, giving you a clear view of KPIs at all times.

“Manufacturers that rely on real-time mobile data can improve productivity by up to 30%. When teams have instant access to critical information, they can make better decisions, reduce downtime, and keep operations running smoothly. We’ve seen this firsthand in our work with manufacturing companies—mobile apps help simplify processes, improve communication, and create a more efficient workflow.” — Serhiy Sydorchuk, СTO of Bits Orchestra.

Take our client Vivad, for example. We built a mobile dashboard that integrated with their ERP, providing real-time insights on production KPIs. This led to a 20% reduction in manual data entry errors and significantly improved production efficiency.

2. Inventory Management and Optimization

In case constant overstocks or stockouts are your main headache, mobile apps can optimize inventory by providing:

• Real-time tracking of stock levels;

• Predictive analytics for demand forecasting;

• Automated alerts for reordering.

And the most impressive fact is that a mobile inventory tracking system can help you reduce overstock by 30%.

3. Employee Training and Support

Staff turnover may turn into a real problem for manufacturing companies if not addressed properly. According to a 2024 industry report, quality workforce retention ranks as a top-fourth concern — 55.76%.

As a solution, mobile apps help onboard and retain skilled employees effectively. This can be done through on-demand training resources like instructional videos and manuals, interactive training modules, and role-based learning paths.

4. Quality Control and Assurance

Your quality assurance teams need to conduct constant inspections to comply with manufacturing standards and deliver products of the highest quality possible.

With mobile apps, you get tools for inputting inspection data directly into the system, accessing historical data for trend analysis, and generating compliance reports that trigger corrective actions from anywhere on the shop floor.

5. Maintenance and Repair Operations

Unplanned equipment failures can cost you a pretty penny and slow all operations down. Mobile apps help you avoid these unfavorable consequences by featuring:

• Instant malfunction notifications;

• Access to repair manuals and historical maintenance logs;

• Real-time tracking of maintenance activities;

• Direct part ordering from the app.

6. Health and Safety Compliance

As a manufacturer, you must comply with strict health and safety regulations to protect your employees. Plus, with rising healthcare and insurance costs — a top challenge for 63.2% of manufacturers surveyed by the NAM — avoiding safety incidents has never been more critical.

You can use mobile apps to handle safety audits, provide employees with safety guidelines, and send real-time alerts about potential hazards.

Regardless of your business goals, mobile apps are the multitool you’re looking for. Using them, you can optimize inventory, train employees, access data instantly, keep workplaces safe — and even more.

Key Features of High-Impact Manufacturing Mobile Apps

To implement a mobile app that truly improves your operational workflows, you must ensure it delivers powerful functionalities. The must-have manufacturing mobile app features are:

• Real-time data access and analytics. Think dashboards that show you production efficiency and offer convenient equipment and inventory tracking — all in real time.

• Task management and collaboration tools. These features allow for effortless work order management through task assignments, progress tracking, and communication between team members.

• Inventory management solutions. The best mobile apps for manufacturing should include real-time stock updates and automated alerts for low stock levels to improve supply chain management.

• Equipment maintenance and repair tracking. These features allow you to keep track of maintenance schedules, log repairs, and receive alerts for upcoming maintenance.

• Safety checklists and incident reporting. With these functionalities, you can promote a safe work environment and stay compliant by reporting any incidents.

• Integration with existing systems (ERP, CRM, MES). A good manufacturing mobile app must connect with all your existing systems for a centralized view of information.

• Offline functionality. When dealing with shop floor management, connectivity isn’t always reliable. Offline functionality lets your team continue working even without internet access.

Once you’ve nailed the essentials, you can make your smartphone app even more sophisticated with advanced features like:

• Predictive maintenance. This uses performance analytics to predict equipment failures before they actually happen.

• Augmented reality support. This can be used to provide employees with visual instructions using AR.

• AI-powered insights and automation. Leveraging artificial intelligence, you can take industrial automation to the next level and analyze data faster.

• Internet of Things implementation. This functionality lets you connect your equipment into a single ecosystem for better monitoring and control.

Let’s now look at how some of the features we described above can benefit the manufacturing sector — and your business:

Ready to take control of your operations with a custom mobile app?

Count on Bits Orchestra to create an app that helps you increase the productivity of your manufacturing workflows.