However, if a patchwork of legacy software systems hinders access to timely and accurate information, it may create wasteful processes that cancel out any competitive advantages mixed-mode manufacturers hope to gain. That's why the most efficient and cost-effective software for mixed-mode manufacturing is a single, integrated platform that supports multiple production strategies simultaneously, and permits switching from one to another quickly and smoothly without disrupting operations.

As the supply chain becomes more demand-driven, manufacturers are under pressure to bring products to market quickly, at the right price, and to the customer's exact specifications. By mixing manufacturing modes, companies can bring different products to market in different ways. For example, they may have one product line that is made to stock, another that is engineered to order, and yet another that is configured to order. Because today's products change so quickly, many manufacturers find themselves taking on new manufacturing modes as they grow their product lines. Others are mixing lean manufacturing techniques, such as kanbans and cells, with older manufacturing modes.