In today's manufacturing climate, workforce numbers are declining due to attrition and advances in technology, which preclude the need for increased labor. Gone are the labor models of hyper-specialization, which are now being replaced with personnel whose flexibility in operational understanding and support ensure business objectives become realized.
However, there remains a growing need to provide employees with improved communication tools to increase the visibility of the operation. Fortunately, we are in an age where these two situations run parallel in timing, and intersect with business necessity and availability of technology.