by I2DS | Dec 12, 2022 | Blogs
Is Safety the first priority in your Organization? Is worker safety and a hazard free working environment really what you strive for? It is seen that many organizations have fancy policies and documents portraying the concern they have for the safety of their workforce, but the reality is very different. Safety is the most basic and primary need for any individual and the duty of the management of any organization to fulfill this need is implied. As per Maslow’s theory about ‘Hierarchy of needs’, Safety, at the workplace is the most first and foremost need of any worker. So when we say Safety First, we should mean it and work towards achieving it, because no one would like to work in an unsafe working environment.
Today there are various industrial safety standards around the world that are helping Organizations better understand and develop safety related policies and procedures, OSHA Act 1970 USA- Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act, is one such example, where a clearly defined set of rules have to be adhered to for Safety and Health. Almost every country has similar rules for the minimum safety requirements for industrial establishments. Companies around the world need to better monitor and achieve these safety standards, but the problem that they face is that the efforts made for safety management are not fully integrated, there is a need for a system that would provide a greater insight on what is happening and what needs to be done for safety across the entire Organization.
At I2DS we truly believe in the Mantra- ‘Safety First.’, we have developed the most comprehensive Safety Management Solution for Organizations like yours. Our system has the ability to integrate the safety efforts of your entire organization on a single platform; it will ensure that safety is not just a priority on paper, but in practice. Our system gives you amazing functionalities such as, the ability to plan and organize safety events, provide trainings, assign owners to safety tasks, view safety events such as Audits as they happen, prioritize safety issues and so much more. If you really believe Safety is your prime concern, then don’t wait, get in touch with us right now and help us make your working environment safer than ever before. Our e-mail id is- info@i2ds.com, or you can also hit the Request Live Demo link and we will get back to you.
by I2DS | Dec 9, 2022 | Blogs
Throughput, Operational Expense and Inventory are three major concerns for any manufacturing Organization irrespective of their end product, process and environmental factors. An organization can attain the goal of Profit Maximization only when they are able to minimize the Operational Expense and Inventory costs and at the same time increase Throughput. Throughput can be described as the rate at which a system or a process attains its goal, in business the goal being profit maximization, through higher sales and lower inventory. A high throughput indicates that the sale of the produce is high and the inventory is low, which basically means that the profit is being realized faster per unit of product sold. A high throughput is extremely desirable especially in present industrial environment, where product preferences change in a fort night and a product that was hot yesterday becomes obsolete today.
Companies today strive to achieve a dynamic equilibrium between external market forces and internal operational capabilities. In order to enhance the throughput it is important to consider the impact of all external and internal factors on it. Besides the application of management theories, Quality management systems, Poka Yoke (fool proofing), 5S, 7S etc., it is extremely important to realize the nature of your production process and the role that technology plays in it. All management theories that have come up in recent times have emphasized two major pointers, one- Management by facts and two- Use of Technology for better information management. To increase your throughput you need to assess the technological requirements and capabilities of your process and understand the supposed increase in throughput that can result from a technology up gradation.
On of the major reasons for the ever-changing bottlenecks in a manufacturing plant is the lack of proper communication and lack of clarity. Bottlenecks are the main deterrents to achieving a high throughput, so as logic would suggest it is imperative to eliminate bottlenecks to attain a higher throughput. The question is how do we eliminate the root causes of these menacing bottlenecks? Well, the answer is quite simple it’s- MES. Yes, MES applications are those information technology applications that provide an integrated platform, which allows the execution of the entire production and QC process on a single system. The MES automates the entire facility and prevents the formation of bottlenecks. An MES application allows for real-time decision making and allows the operations manager to stay ahead of bottlenecks.
MES applications are being employed by the best-in-class organizations to increase their throughput and ultimately their profitability. However the level of throughput you are able to attain for your plant depends on the partner you choose for the design and application of MES at your facility. At this point I would recommend that you consider I2DS as your MES design and application partner continue reading and you will know why.
I2DS has the most respected, Factory automation and MES implementation team in the industry. Our experts specialize in MES, Factory Automation, PLC, APC, SPC, Data Tapping, Database Management and RFID Implementation. Our approach to automation is highly professional and customer centric. We believe that every process is unique and the level of automation required varies for each organization. Our experts provide automation solution that is not only leading edge but also highly efficient, there by assisting your team to make your process the Best-In-Class process in your industry. I2DS’ customers have experienced a higher throughput, better flexibility and greater profitability ever since they chose I2DS as their automation partner. Our goal is to provide process specific automation and manage the resultant change; this makes us a preferred partner in the industry today. So if you are in need of Leading Edge automation for your production plant, look no further, I2DS is here to assist you in this endeavor. For getting a better idea of how automation can improve your process and achieve a greater profitability, e-mail us right away at info@i2ds.com or just drop your inquiry in the comment box and we will get back to you.
by I2DS | Dec 8, 2022 | Blogs
TQM, Lean, Lean-Six-Sigma and Six Sigma are various theories of Operations Management or management on the whole that are helping organizations become more efficient and profitable around the world. I believe that these theories or management philosophies have a lot in common and should be pursued in spirit and in action. We should try and understand the end goal of these theories rather than trying to implement them blindly without proper consideration. These theories should be treated more like guidelines rather than a set of rules or do’s and don’ts. What all these theories tend to stress on is the reduction of operational costs, increase of throughput, attention to Quality, better relationships and involvement of customers, employees and suppliers and above all the pursuit of sustainable profitability.Understanding what these theories mean to achieve and finding the right platform to do so, is crucial for a FAB which is both flexible and profitable.
These theories lay emphasis on understanding the external environment and internal capabilities and achieving a dynamic equilibrium between the two. The approach to achieving this end goal is different in different theories, but the goal is the same. One major pointer that is emphasized in all modern management theories is that management should be fact based, that management decisions must be based on hard evidence and not managerial whims and fancies. The fact based approach brings me to the topic of my blog, which is implementation of management practices through IT applications.
IT applications can prove to be an effective way to apply and practice management theories. The beauty of such IT applications is that they can be tailor made for your process, which makes it easier for the staff to implement and can help improve the operations in the future. Depending upon the industry, IT applications can be programmed to monitor all vital process metrics, analyze the process performance, impart training, aid communication, facilitate supply chain integration, control production, improve safety, achieve quality excellence and the list can practically go on for ever. We need to understand that IT applications are not and elixir to our problems but are tools that can help us better resolve existing problems that we face on a day-to-day basis.
The idea is to implement IT applications in such a way that they facilitate real-time, fact based and potent decision making at all three levels of decision making i.e. at the Strategic level, Tactical level and at the Operational level. The design of the IT application should be such that it can suffice the decision making needs at all three levels and yet be comprehensive in its reach throughout the Organization. IT can help any organization and at any desired level of management, the need and scope of IT applications remain debatable and are best analyzed when considered for a particular process. My agenda here is to highlight that IT is a great tool because of its speed, agility and accuracy and should be given a consideration by all Organizations who are in pursuit of Operational Excellence and Profitability. I do not believe in following any management theory blindly without understanding its possible outcomes and neither do I promote blind faith in IT as an ultimate cure for all management problems.
I believe it is important to understand what your business needs to achieve the goal it has set for itself, besides the obvious goal of profit maximization. I strongly advocate fact based management and believe the IT applications can help achieve better results in a faster more organized manner. However, it is very important that before jumping to a so called IT solution we analyze our needs both external and internal, we understand the problem areas or pain points and then decide how and to what extent an IT platform can help appease our needs. I would like to conclude by reemphasizing a few pointers that I believe should be a part of any endeavor made towards improving management and improving profitability, they are, never choose a management practice blindly, use management practices as guidelines, try and improve profitability and quality and above all consider IT as a vital tool available to achieve your goals. If you have any questions or comments about this blog feel free to write to us at info@i2ds.com or just leave a comment in the comment box and I will get back to you.
by I2DS | Dec 6, 2022 | Blogs
Are you unable to meet the growing demand for your products? Do you think you are operating much below your plant capacity? You want to improve the efficiency of your operations but don’t know how? All these questions will be answered as we proceed forward in this blog. Organizations lay great stress on increasing the demand for their products and often fail to consider the implications exaggerated demand might have on their production line. It is often seen that promotions and intense marketing causes the Bullwhip Effect and forward buying. In such cases the efficiency of the plant becomes indeterminate, due to the skewed nature of demand. However if the demand remains buoyant on a regular basis without a noticeable negative trend, the importance of improving the efficiency of current operations becomes critical before considering an increase in the plant capacity.
Complacency and lack of process knowledge are the two major reasons for decreased efficiency among others. Being complacent implies that the management believes that there is no further scope for process improvement and thereby no chance of enhancing efficiency. But this belief is self destructive in nature, as the great gurus of TQM have rightly proclaimed “No process is ever perfect”, which means that there is always a scope for improvement. Organizations should strive for integration of internal and external processes and avoid complacency. Lack of process knowledge is even more lethal, as what can’t be measured can’t be improved. The best way to improve process efficiency is by the use of technology to integrate the process and make the process related metrics available to all levels of management as required. The degree of integration of various facets of the production line will determine the degree of improvement in efficiency.
The need of the hour is to have IT solutions that enable you to better adjust with the market forces and still be able to achieve optimum efficiency, so that profits of the firm are not affected. I2DS has been able to provide powerful Information solutions to its customers and helped them achieve the efficiency that they desire. We believe that only on integrating the Factory Operations can an organization get a handle on what’s going on in their factory and how to better control and synchronize the efforts. Our solutions give you a better picture of every activity that happens on the floor and generate real-time reports that enable effective decision making. Our path breaking MES product gives you a common platform for all your operations, this enables integration and real time decision making. Every lot that is run can be configured from the beginning to EOL; right from selecting lot-path to lot-recipe, each lot can be tracked irrespective of current location. EDC and SPC features allow better control and quality; they also enable real-time analysis and help better and faster implementation of corrective action plans. It helps generate reports that are available for analysis as and when required.
All in all our MES solution gives you the functionality of optimizing and integrating your operations right from planning to execution, in real-time. But the benefits that I2DS can provide to your factory ops don’t stop here, we have made it our mission to go beyond the realm of basic MES and our Manufacturing Excellence Solution does exactly that. I2DS’ Manufacturing Excellence allows you to monitor all the major issues on your factory floor which include, Quality, Safety, Equipment Issues & Communication Management. This solution helps you gauge issues besides regular factory operations which are just as critical as the operations itself. Each and every issue that is related to Quality, Safety & Equipment becomes very important as neglecting them can lead to high and unwanted cost implications. Our Manufacturing Excellence solution allows you to report, track and analyze all these vital issues and make real-time decisions. Equipped with these powerful tools you can achieve a highly robust, integrated and optimally efficient operation. I2DS’ endeavor is to help customers achieve operational excellence has lead us to develop even more amazing solutions right from Database Management to a complete IT outsourcing partner. So if you want to feel the happiness that results from a factory that is working at its true potential write into us at info@i2ds.com.
by I2DS | Dec 1, 2022 | Blogs
Big Data analytics has become one of the most, if not the most, popular topics of conversation around the world. Industry leaders and top bosses of almost every industry have proclaimed that Big-Data and its analysis are going to be the game changers in most industries. But, just fancy talk will not lead to any fruition unless we understand what challenges lie in harnessing the true power of Big-Data Analytics. The first challenge is to understand what you want to achieve from Big-Data analytics, yes, you need to know exactly what info do you need and where does it impact your strategy. Then the second challenge is to determine the source of the required information, which can be generated both within and beyond the realms of the organization. The third challenge according to me is the need to have knowledgeable staff or partners capable of providing the analytics solutions, which would help you, get the most out of the data you are analyzing.
In my experience, organizations which claim data analytics is useless seem to neglect the third challenge and fail to understand the gravity of the entire analytics endeavor. Data Analytics, besides being a buzz word, is actually a quite complex task which requires extremely proficient Mathematical and Modeling ability. To have a pile of data and not knowing what to do with it is the reason why data analytics fails for organizations. To be able to draw most value out of the analytics exercise, it should be conducted in a systematic, synchronized and phased manner. First and foremost attention should be paid to a thorough internal and external examination, to determine status quo and the apparent deficiencies of the strategy vis-à-vis the competition. Once all the possible pain-points are determined, the second phase kicks into motion, to determine, where the right place to look for data is and how this data would directly contribute to the strategic position. The third phase would be to design analytics solutions to provide real-time and decision rich information, to start carving out the new strategy.
When these three phases are repeated over time, data analytics starts to add value to the business. If you have been under the impression that data-analytics would be a one-time installation of a magical application and will continue to deliver value ever after, consider this article your wake-up call. The data-analytics architecture has to be agile and such that it can accommodate new metrics and variables as and when the business strategy demands them. The analytics activity has to be a 24X7 activity and touch all value adding activities and operations, both internal and external to the organization.
To finish-up, the most challenging and yet most reassuring thing about analytics is that it is a complex activity. It is challenging because it requires a certain level of expertise, but it is also reassuring because, if you find the right partner or talent to develop the application, you would truly be on the path of becoming the proverbial- Winner.
by I2DS | Nov 16, 2022 | Blogs
It has been a common belief amongst top officials around that excellence in any operation can be achieved only by a paradigm shift in business outlook and through reengineering of the processes. I believe that although the above perspective is one way of looking at improvement, it is very disruptive and should be used only when the business needs disruptive innovation or is in dire need of a complete and comprehensive turnaround. A successful business would consider pursuing excellence in diverse ways depending on the extent of uncertainty of the external environment and the ability of the internal capabilities to meet or exceed the expectations from the external players.
Our focus today will be more on the manufacturing part of business and the pursuit of excellence in manufacturing through product and process improvement. Manufacturing in present times has become very different from the way it was perceived and operated in the previous century. It is still a strong sector and continues to be the driving force behind innovation and R&D efforts. However, manufacturing has transformed from a provider of mass employment to being the seeker of technically skilled and specialized executives and workers. The volumes of workforce have reduced and the influence of Technology and IT is on the rise, even in developed countries. This means that both the definition and the means to achieve excellence in manufacturing have changed. Now, excellence goes beyond achieving supreme quality and customer satisfaction, it is more about the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the entire manufacturing endeavor of the organization.
I make the above arguments based on recent researches which show that the percentage of services offered by manufacturing companies has increased to 40% in the USA alone and an organization pursuing excellence in manufacturing has to consider all aspects of the business and not just manufacturing. This means that an organization which wants to become excellent has to view/control its entire process in an integrated manner and use information technology and Big Data Analytics to improve all aspects of its business. Companies, whose core competence lies in manufacturing innovative products faster and cheaper than their competition, achieve excellence through IT applications such as Manufacturing Excellence which are capable of providing information based on process metrics that are valued by the market. Such IT applications provide end-to-end visibility to process owners and reduce the need of drastic measures to achieve excellence. Manufacturing Excellence applications perform tasks that range from Quality Management to Training and Appraisal.
I strongly believe that IT has truly empowered organization and due to its flexible nature it provides organizations with the opportunity to achieve excellence. Manufacturing Excellence applications work well when they are modeled to the process and cover all important metrics. Such applications lead to excellence and make the process more agile, this agility is a requisite for survival in modern markets. An organization that is able to implement process specific excellence applications will be able to use its internal capabilities better and be able to match the ever-changing expectations of the market. I do not mean to undermine the importance of disruptive innovations, but want to stress the fact that it should be pursued when required and not as the only mean to achieve excellence. Process based excellence is sustainable and since it is achieved using IT applications it is also flexible and proactive. Organizations of the world who wish to be excellent in their business, should seriously consider Manufacturing Excellence as a way to achieve it.Excellence is a myth only for organizations which do not realize the true potential of their capabilities and remain indifferent to IT applications.
