by I2DS | Aug 3, 2022 | Blogs
FIS stands for Factory Information System; it is an application which is considered crucial by automation experts. There are many versions and variants in which an FIS can be applied in a factory but we will look into that part a bit later in the article. Right now let’s focus on what an FIS really is and what makes it so necessary for modern factories. To begin with let us focus on the value of information, and the need to have real time info about the factory floor. Every manager irrespective of position or function will agree with me when I say that the correct information obtained at the right time is considered priceless. The reason behind this statement is that information that is gained a little too late has already caused some amount of damage, even though it might not be palpable at that point of time.
There is an ever present need to obtain information at the right time and for that information to reach the right person. Let us imagine a scenario where an engineer notes a leakage from a very expensive piece of machinery, he changes the seal which was causing the leakage and notes it in his journal. This particular episode is not noted any where else and the maintenance manager remains completely unaware of the event. Now, the leak still persists and is noted by another engineer, he too does what the first engineer had done. This way the root cause of the problem remains undetected, till it is brought to the manager’s notice and by the time an important part of the machinery has already failed. This causes losses that are multifaceted in nature; there is loss of money, machine up-time, labor, spare parts etc.
Such events and losses become hard to miss when an FIS system is in place. The FIS system is designed to record every event on the factory floor and can be viewed by the entire factory team. This application can also be used to provide training, inspiration and motivation to the workforce. However like I had mentioned earlier the functionality of the application can be defined by the management committee in-charge of deciding the extent and features of the application. The key thing is to realize the importance of the application to begin with and then comes the features and functionality of the application.
I2DS has developed a unique FIS solution. Our FIS system is truly at the forefront of technological advancements in the manufacturing space. It enables rapid data communication from the production floor and provides the organization with a real-time status on equipment status, WIP profile, and other factory metrics. We at I2DS realize the importance of process related information and how the flow of this information can affect the bottom line of your organization. Our FIS gives management a complete picture of what is happening on their Factory Floor, this helps better and faster decision making, that in turn increases organizational flexibility and aids continuous improvement. Factory Information Systems help you better utilize your equipment, make better tactical plans, improve cycle time, locate and relieve bottlenecks and achieve your true capacity. FIS system can provide above mentioned functionalities because it makes all the important metrics available for analysis and subsequent decision making in real-time. FIS Technology if used effectively can change the way your factory operates, let I2DS be your automation partner and reach the pinnacle of efficiency and profit optimization. To get an experience of our amazing FIS solution and other Factory Automation Solutions e-mail us right away at info@i2ds.com
by I2DS | Jul 29, 2022 | Blogs
Operations Management is often the most neglected area in all Organizations, it is considered to be a firefighting tool only to be called upon in the event of any problem or mishap. I believe Operations Management should be considered a vital part of management and should be used to attain competitive advantage for the Organization. Operations Management affects all five competitive priorities, namely, Quality, Speed, Dependability, Flexibility and Cost. Rather than trying to manipulate the external environment to gain a competitive edge, organizations can gain a lot by concentrating on setting their house in order by laying stress on Operations Management Excellence.
Most modern theories of management lay stress on the importance of Operations Management and how crucial it can prove to be in the success or failure of an Organization. There are many books which describe the importance of operations management at a strategic level and how an operations strategy can achieve higher throughput, lower costs and profit maximization. The crux of these writings however is a very simple fact, which is, if you lay stress on doing things right the first time and try to improve your operations continually, you can improve your profitability and become the best-in-class organization.
For manufacturing Organizations, Operations Management is extremely important, its so because it deals with the most important activity of the organization, the production of the goods, that are sold in the market, under a brand name. Thus in manufacturing organizations excellence in operations management is highly desirable. Most successful companies have realized this need and are employing the most modern information solutions along with various management theories to achieve manufacturing excellence. Information systems are making Operation management highly sophisticated and pushing operations towards a six sigma level of efficiency.
Integration of the entire plant, process and personnel is vital for achieving manufacturing excellence. This integration can result only with the help of an information system that provides a seamless and holistic view of the vital process and personnel related parameters. This system should allow effective monitoring and efficient control for the entire process and aid real time decision making and action. There are many packages available in the market for Manufacturing Excellence, but is just any package the right package?
I believe every manufacturing process is unique; this is because of the fact that each organization has an inherent set of resources and unique environmental conditions. Thus a Manufacturing Excellence application should be process specific and not general. Every Operations manager gives importance to certain parameters, for the sake of this discussion lets say Quality, Safety, Equipment and Factory Communication. If the package available cannot capture the details of the parameters above mentioned, it is rendered useless for this particular Organization.
I2DS has devised a Manufacturing Excellence solution that can fit to your process and give you the power of monitoring and controlling the process parameters you consider vital. So if you believe that Safety, Quality, Factory Communication and Equipment issues are important cost centers and need to be monitored and controlled effectively, I2DS’ Manufacturing Excellence allows you to do exactly that. You have the capability to assign priorities and owners to each issue, see the real time actions and judge the performance of the entire process or the performance of individual parameters. With I2DS as your Excellence partner, you will never miss a vital issue and will be able to reduce the operating costs drastically, thereby achieving better profitability. With I2DS you can gain process excellence and this would help you become the Best-In-Class Operation. So open your doors to Manufacturing Excellence and I2DS, write into us at info@i2ds.com, and give us the opportunity to help you achieve excellence in all your competitive priorities.
by I2DS | Jul 28, 2022 | Blogs
Is your factory operation the best-in-class in your industry? Is it operating at optimum efficiency/effectiveness? Are the operational efforts well-coordinated, well communicated and well documented? Do you have the ability to monitor each and every activity in real-time and make profitable decisions? Today these are the questions that are critical for an Organization that believes in achieving the highest possible Quality at the lowest possible cost. Manufacturing organizations today are constantly under pressure to develop newer, better products much faster than ever before. This means that the factory operation needs to be achieving optimum efficiency just to be able to cater to the needs of the dynamic conditions and highly demanding markets.
Organizations that can boast of having the best-in-class operations in the industry have been able to do so by strategic planning and employing/developing path breaking technologies. For manufacturing Organizations, it is extremely vital to have a synchronized and integrated operation, which works together as a single unit. Understanding the importance of Technology and the role it plays in the success of the best organizations can help us understand how technology can contribute towards making our operation the best-in-class operation. One of the most important facets of technology is IT or Information Technology. IT is being used to integrate operations, provide better customer service, facilitate decision making and increase throughput of the entire Organization.
The need of the hour is to have information 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 | Jul 27, 2022 | Blogs
All Operations professional know and would agree that no matter how fool proof a process might be there is always a possibility of an excursion. The later an excursion is detected the more loss it causes. Detecting an excursion becomes even more important in discreet manufacturing as every product is different and tailor made. Even in an HMV production line an excursion can cause a massive loss if it remains undetected, thereby causing both financial and non financial loss. The financial loss caused by an excursion can be calculated, but the non financial loss, such as loss of customer goodwill, loss to the brand value, product replacement and product recall can permanently damage the image of an Organization.
Each Lot that is produced is of great value to the factory and any excursion during production process is a definite loss. It is imperative to be proactive in checking all production requirements are appropriately filled even before the material leaves the Ware-house. Being reactive will only lead to analysis of the loss that has already occurred rather than preventing it. Today most Factories are employing standard ERP systems that give material traceability to and from the warehouse, but what if the excursion occurs during production or when the material has already gone through the first stage of processing? Most systems lack the capability of tracking material through the production line; this may lead to a major loss in material and production time. The chances of an excursion occurring during the production process is higher as the material under processing changes hands a number of times and even in a completely automated process non conformities may occur at any stage of processing.
So what is required is a better information system that allows us to monitor the material during and after the production process. When we have a system that is capable of recording and reporting all the metrics relevant to a production lot, the chances of detecting and preventing an excursion are increased. Employing an integrated system that can track material throughout the production process is very important. I2DS is a pioneer in design and application of such innovative and cutting edge information systems. We have developed a unique Inventory Management Solution, which allows you to track your material even after it leaves the Ware-house. Our system gives you the ability to track the exact location of material, anywhere and everywhere in the production line, right up to the finished goods stage.
Our system is capable of collaborating with your existing ERP system to give you better control and complete traceability for your material. Our system is in-line with JIT theory and helps you monitor the inventory at each and every step of production and insures you not only detect but prevent any excursion that might happen. Our system allows you to detect excursions faster and thereby helps you to prevent losses which might have otherwise occurred. So if you are interested in cutting your losses and improve traceability of your material, contact us right now and get a free demo of our path breaking solutions, e-mail us at info@i2ds.com
by I2DS | Jul 26, 2022 | Blogs
Yes, why are LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) applications so popular? Is it just a new fad where everything is blatantly put on an information system irrespective of the organization’s needs? Is LIMS a necessity for every lab? Let’s try and reflect on each question one by one and try to come up with a logical view on LIMS, its effectiveness and the need to equip a lab with it. According to recent public data the annual spending on Research and Development crosses 1000 Billion US Dollars. This fact emphasizes the importance of R&D and the dependence of global economy on R&D efforts. LIMS like other information systems have gained in popularity due to several reasons; let us consider them briefly before going deeper in the topic.
First and foremost LIMS provides an end to end integration of the lab within and across the organizational functions. Second it helps increase efficiency and assigns ownership of activities. Third it helps improve the agility of the operation and helps disseminate information faster and gives correct info to the correct person. Last but certainly no the least, LIMS can be used to gain competitive advantage by modeling it to reflect and amplify the core competencies which are unique to a particular lab and its operating process. LIMS if applied only because it is popular and bought off the shelf, without even considering the process and needs of the R&D function of the organization, it becomes a fad. Although LIMS is a vital tool, buying it off the shelf and ignoring the actual process and needs can be a huge mistake.
LIMS is a necessity because of its ability to improve the internal capabilities of an Organization and can provide a sustainable competitive advantage if applied and managed effectively. There are certain aspects that organizations need to consider internally before selecting a LIMS vendor or a LIMS application. The organization needs to analyze what type of lab they have currently, what do they want from it in the future, how is the technology changing in their industry, what are the needs of process owners from a LIMS perspective and what are the competencies unique to their lab and how can it be preserved and amplified by the application of LIMS. So let’s say that you have a Global R&D lab, which works on developing new products for all your operations world-wide. You need to analyze what is it that makes your lab unique (not necessarily better) and how can you use LIMS to ensure your R&D efforts can improve through LIMS.
Once you have conducted a thorough internal review and established the key areas of the process that make your process unique, you will know to a certain extent how a LIMS application can be beneficial to your lab. The vendor selection and application design should be based of the requirements manifested after the internal review and the final application should be able to make your process more integrated, agile and visible. If you follow the above methodology, I believe your lab will be able to reap the maximum benefit from a LIMS application. So to sum up, LIMS is a necessity, buying LIMS off the shelf is more a waste of money, to realize true benefit of LIMS analyze your R&D process and select a vendor who can help you effectively meet/exceed your needs.
by I2DS | Jul 25, 2022 | Blogs
Process control, is a derivative of the school of thought that believes that management should be treated as more of a Science and should be based on hardcore evidence and facts, rather than managerial whims. I am an ardent believer of the same truly believe that what can be measured can definitely be managed when it comes to a process that has certain parameters and metrics. However, I do believe that when is comes to leading a team or converting a sales call a certain degree of personal charisma is required and that is a bit of an art, but when we talk about managing a process it is a pure science and should be subjected to strict and clearly defined process control measures.
All modern theories of management such as TQM, Lean, Six Sigma and others state the importance of SPC or Statistical Process Control in process management. SPC enables accurate process control and ensures quality parameters are achieved. SPC can be applied universally to any process where the required output can be measured. Some key tools used in SPC include control charts; a focus on continuous improvement; and the design of experiments. In simpler words SPC is a tool for Quality control that aims to achieve following objectives 1) Objective analysis of any variation 2) Increasing Productivity 3) Early detection of quality and performance related issues. If applied properly SPC can provide your Organization the competitive edge it requires.
If your factory requires better process control you need to consider the possibility of applying an SPC application that has the capability to collect, measure and analyze all process metrics and provide the desired information to facilitate better decision making. The ideal scenario is when your MES application has an in-built feature that incorporates an SPC. However most MES systems lack the effective implementation of SPC and that’s where I2DS comes in the picture. We have been able to incorporate one of the most revered SPC modules in our MES application, thereby providing our clients a seamless integration of their process functioning and process control.
We as an Organization truly believe that to achieve six sigma levels of production an effective SPC is mandatory. We specialize in the design and application of industry and process specific SPC applications. You can choose to apply our SPC separately or along with our MES application, we always recommend that SPC be employed with an MES for better functionality. If you need an SPC application and would like to understand how employing it can aid better process control, faster decision making, better quality and higher profitability, then you need to see our SPC application in action. To know more about SPC applications for your industry, e-mail us right away at info@i2ds.com or just hit the Request Live Demo Tab on this webpage.
