Blog: How enterprise social networking can help in manufacturing

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How enterprise social networking can help in manufacturing

How social enterprise networking helps in the manufacturing industry
How enterprise social networking can help in manufacturing

The manufacturing industry is taking a turn for the better, following the Prime Minister’s plea to ‘Make in India’. With government support, many manufacturing organizations are looking to adopt new state-of-the-art technologies that would help them be more productive, cut costs, and maximize profits.

The beginning

Organizations understand that employee connectivity and productivity are an integral part of growth in any business. In the past, this was done using traditional methods of communication. Companies now realize the need for an enhanced communications platform to connect with employees and that’s where Enterprise social networking comes in.

In most organizations, a pulse survey marks the beginning of ESN. The situation is marked by employees expressing the need to be more connected and aware of current events. They do not require a one-way communication via a newsletter or updates on the intranet portal.

Companies get the ESN advantage

The adoption of ESN by India’s leading manufacturing companies are shining examples of how organizations are taking advantage of it:

Employee engagement: Companies use ESN as a key vehicle of information exchange  and employee engagement. Usually, we see a mix of employee engagement groups, with 80 per cent being work related groups and 20 per cent interest related such as photography, trekking etc.

Faster process rollout & enhanced learning: ESN has made transfer of information faster. When employees used only email, they were unable to send large attachments or had to repeat the same information with different sets of people. ESN solved these problems.

Learning and Development: With the help of ESN, the L&D team of a leading auto manufacturer has created Center of Excellence (COE) groups for paint, sustainability and tyres to encourage employees to collaborate. Many organizations also use this forum to educate people on health and safety, sustainability and quality policies.

Content management: Depending on the size of the organization, the amount of content exchanged between employees also varies. ESN proves to be a great asset in managing data.

Tapping into the collective Intelligence of the workforce: The right ESN serves as a great platform to get a pulse of the workforce. The platform can also serve your innovation needs and accelerate problem-solving by tapping into the diverse and talented workforce.

The recipe of successful adoption has boiled down to the following factors:

Understanding the workforce: The skillset of the workforce and their age groups will determine how ESN works. Technology-savvy users and those familiar with other social networking websites will use it with ease. However, if the employees do not use social media, they might require some training.

Progressive leadership: If progressive leaders of the company promote this change and take out a few minutes from their schedules to be in touch with their employees, it goes a long way in driving engagement.

Receptiveness: If employees welcome the change, adoption and implementation are easier. A receptive attitude goes a long way in integrating the platform with the organisation.

Open communication: It is important to take inputs from employees to help the company grow. Listen to the voice of the workforce, understand their pain points, and take effective measures to address them along the way.

With the examples shared above, one can see how ESN in the manufacturing sector is being used to bridge the gap between workers and leaders, helping them achieve goals together.

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Topics: Technology, #Current, #TechHR2015

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