To stay competitive, manufacturers in Spokane, WA must manage complex supply chains and prevent downtime while streamlining production. Top IT solutions for these problems include Internet of Things (IoT) and AI technologies, which in themselves are complex to deploy and integrate with existing systems.
This has prompted many manufacturers to engage managed IT service providers to drive efficiencies, innovation, and growth with tailored solutions on a per-project or per-service basis, delivered by a team of IT experts.
Spokane’s Manufacturing Landscape and IT Needs
With its tax and zoning incentives, not to mention affordable real estate and transportation, Spokane, Washington, is a manufacturing hub. The city boasts 43% more manufacturing jobs than the national average, and manufacturers contribute nearly $4 billion to the local economy.
The city is poised for the future, with $48 million earmarked for its aerospace industry through federal funding from the CHIPS and Science Act.
The Spokane region is also home to more than 8,000 airframe production workers, making it the nation’s fifth-largest aerospace cluster and the second-largest in Washington state. In addition to its skilled workforce, the city is also primed for growth in life sciences and other manufacturing sectors, thanks to a cost of doing business that is 18% below the national average. Affordable real estate and utilities present an attractive environment for start-ups and early-stage companies looking to minimize operational costs.
Energy and clean technology are also thriving, with companies representing:
- Metering and communication
- Energy and utility management
- Power system protection and monitoring
- Sustainable aviation fuel
- Smart building construction
Up and coming manufacturing sectors include clean energy, with Spokane small and midsize businesses (SMBs) focused on:
- Byproduct recycling
- Recycling
- Engineered wood manufacturing
Challenges Faced by Spokane Manufacturers
Managing complex manufacturing supply chains takes substantial time, cost, and coordination. Manufacturers must source many parts, components, and raw materials from around the globe, with everything arriving at just the right time and in the right amounts and assemble them into finished products. AI and IoT solutions offer manufacturers a way to innovate their way out of this obstacle, but these technologies can bring their own challenges.
While IoT and AI are essential components of digital transformation, adding them to manufacturing processes can be difficult, with the most prominent barriers being enterprise application integration, scalability, and security. Sensors and cameras connected to AI solutions enhance the performance of vision inspection systems and automate processes, making them valuable tools for SMBs who can handle the technical overhead. For manufacturers, streamlining operations is essential for simplifying processes, reducing waste, and improving resource allocation, so they can minimize downtime, increase output, and free up resources for higher-value activities.
Downtime due to IT issues has also historically been a headache. In the manufacturing industry, the cost of downtime is approximately $260,000 per hour. Today’s industrial facilities are sophisticated, but they can be knocked offline by a single failure anywhere along the assembly line.
Finally, managing data takes a lot of effort, especially when it comes to integrating information from legacy or disparate systems. When manufacturers have visibility into clean, integrated, well-structured data, they can improve their ability to forecast product demand, manage inventory, and add efficiencies to shop-floor processes.
As a solution to these issues, managed IT services can help manufacturers maintain and optimize their IT infrastructure, ensuring smooth operations and minimizing downtime. By outsourcing IT management, manufacturers can focus on their core business while a team of experts handles the technology. This approach not only reduces costs, but it also enhances productivity, making it a vital strategy for staying competitive.
How Managed IT Services Drive Productivity in Spokane Manufacturing
Managed service providers (MSPs) are set up to optimize productivity in manufacturing, especially around complex initiatives like IoT and Industrial IoT (IoTT) implementations. Whether through mergers and acquisitions (M&A) or legacy systems, manufacturers are often working with tools that lack integration and key features and are complex to update. MSPs can modernize and consolidate these systems, and handle many other aspects of IT.
Many manufacturers are turning to MSPs to support their digital and strategic transformation efforts, in part because:
- MSPs can provide services ranging from project management and technology implementation to business process automation, cybersecurity, IT support, and more.
- Managed IT service providers have deep knowledge of regulatory compliance and cybersecurity, so manufacturers get their IT projects done right.
- MSPs scale their clients’ infrastructures quickly and efficiently, which keeps manufacturers agile in the face of changing business and IT factors.
With managed IT services, manufacturers can entrust both their solution migrations and ongoing technology operations to a trusted partner. Projects could range from implementing and integrating new systems to getting end-to-end support for daily needs. Everyday support might include:
- Proactive network management.
- Robust cybersecurity protection.
- Secure cloud migrations.
- Technical troubleshooting.
- Strategic IT consulting.
For Spokane manufacturers, support from MSPs often falls into one of these categories:
- Workflow automation that uses robotic process automation (RPA) and AI to streamline repetitive tasks, optimize workflows, and improve efficiency without needing constant human supervision. MSPs can also help automate workflows for quality control, production scheduling, inventory management, and more.
- IT process automation streamlines complex processes, such as workflows, infrastructure monitoring, firmware updates, and network management. These automation services are in high demand due to the efficiencies they deliver, with the global market expected to grow to $25.9 billion by 2027.
- IoT and IIoT solutions to streamline and automate processes. IIoT includes the use of smart sensors and other devices, such as radio frequency identification tags, to enhance manufacturing and industrial processes. These processes can include shop-floor and predictive-maintenance workflows that enhance efficiency and reduce errors. These solutions sometimes include smart machines that can track and log data or cloud computer systems that offer critical metrics and monitor production status in real time.
- Proactive IT support is another popular category of managed services. MSPs offer real-time monitoring and issue resolution for Spokane manufacturers, to help them minimize downtime. Support could include 24/7 monitoring, advanced threat detection, and quick response solutions to protect manufacturers’ systems. Managed IT service providers can also dedicate their Security Operations Center (SOC) to detecting and responding to cyber threats in real time, along with providing helpdesk services.
Key Features to Look For in Managed IT Services for Manufacturing
When Spokane manufacturers seek out a Managed Service Provider (MSP), they’re looking for a strategic technology partner that understands industrial operations. Here’s what to look for:
- Deep experience in manufacturing IT. From integrating operational technology (OT) with traditional IT to ensuring uptime on the production floor, manufacturers have unique IT needs. An MSP that has worked directly with manufacturers will bring insights and tailored solutions that address challenges like machine-to-cloud integration, equipment monitoring, and automation.
- Look for a provider that doesn’t just offer generic support but also has a proven record of optimizing manufacturing workflows through customized IT strategies. In Spokane, this is particularly vital given the region’s strong base of precision manufacturing and advanced materials production.
- Proven track record in aerospace and energy sectors. MSPs with a background in these sectors understand the high stakes of downtime, the importance of system redundancies, and the need for stringent quality controls in IT infrastructure. Their familiarity with mission-critical environments ensures that your operations remain streamlined, compliant, and efficient.
- Proficiency in IoT/IIoT technologies. IIoT is transforming the factory floor. Smart sensors, machine learning, and predictive maintenance systems require robust IT support to function seamlessly. The right MSP will have a command of both the IT and OT sides of your operation, enabling better data collection, analysis, and real-time decision-making.
- Robust security and regulatory compliance. Protecting proprietary data in a competitive industry like manufacturing is non-negotiable. An MSP should offer advanced cybersecurity frameworks tailored for manufacturing environments. From NIST to CMMC and ISO standards, Spokane-based manufacturers need an MSP that’s proactive about audits, documentation, and maintaining airtight digital defenses.
- 24/7 availability. A strong MSP offers 24/7 monitoring and support with a guaranteed service-level agreement (SLA) and rapid response times.
- Scalable services that grow with your business. A forward-thinking MSP provides flexible, scalable solutions that support your long-term growth goals without constant overhauls. Look for providers who offer modular services, cloud integration, and IT roadmapping to ensure SMBs’ systems adapt as their business grows.
What BlackPoint IT Services Can Do to Help
At BlackPoint IT Services, we help small and midsize manufacturers in Spokane like you with expertise and resources to stay productive and compliant. Let our IT security experts guide you toward a future-proof IT.
