Why Usability is the Most Overlooked Factor in Manufacturing Software

Manufacturing software has a usability problem. We all know it, but product after product delivers a painful user experience and therefore a difficult implementation process. You know the feeling. You're trying to enter data when a single mis-click sends you back to the home screen. Or you're navigating through six levels of menus in an ERP system to enter a single work order, carefully copying and pasting reference numbers, only to make one small error and discover there's no way to go back. You have to start over. Again.

So why is our software still designed this way? The answer is simple: we've prioritized technical requirements over human experience. We've convinced ourselves that "industrial-grade" means "difficult to use." It doesn't. 

Manufacturing software doesn't need to be frustrating. The same principles that make consumer apps intuitive can make shop floor applications better too. This isn't about making things pretty, it's about making them work effectively for the people who use them. It's about touch friendly interfaces, mobile versions of applications and fast loading pages. The things that are the basics in consumer applications.

When operators fight with software all day, they develop workarounds. They keep paper logs. They skip steps. They find ways to game the system. This isn't because they're lazy or resistant to technology. It's because the technology is actively working against them. When you're developing tools you have to involve the end-user from day 1 in the process, from design, to testing to ongoing development their input is the most important yet so often forgotten. This can involve workshops, interviews, and regular feedback sessions throughout the development lifecycle.

Good usability isn't a nice-to-have feature. It's the difference between successful digital transformation and expensive shelf-ware. Between accurate production data and garbage in, garbage out. Between engaged employees and frustrated ones looking for the exit. So, what can be done to address this problem?

These aren't difficult technical challenges. They're design choices. And they matter. 

The next generation of manufacturing software needs to be powerful AND usable. You shouldn't have to choose. And if your current software forces that choice, it might be time to look elsewhere.

Want to talk about how to make your software more intuitive for your teams, leading to increased efficiency and improved data accuracy? Get in touch for a free consultation.