by I2DS | Nov 8, 2021 | Blogs
As consumers we owe a lot to R&D labs, these labs provide us with novel products that add value to our lives and in case of medical miracles; they add more life to our lives. Yes, R&D labs help us by improving the products we use in our day to day lives; they also improve the quality of our lives. I sincerely applaud the organizations, governments and individuals who help run R&D labs that work for the greater good of the human race. Being an operation professional I have always wondered how these labs are run, can they become more efficient, can we improve the development time of these labs? These questions arise because of the nature of operation of R&D facilities, they operate under a lot of pressure; have limited finances, large no. of variables and an uncertain outcome.
So how can an R&D lab be more efficient? I believe the answer to this question lies in the way we approach the operation of such a lab, the clarity of the deliverables and the technology we employ we use to run the day-to-day operation of the lab. Yes, the planning at the DOE stage and the subsequent stages plays a very vital role on the success of an R&D project and the final deliverable obtained. It requires a methodical approach and involvement of all concerned departments, right from the design stage to the stage which delivers the first prototype. An R&D facility can be much more productive if it is gunning for a specific target rather than shooting in the dark. This means that a lot of thought needs to be put before even accepting the possibility of an end result of an R&D project.
Once the plan is in place and there is a general idea of the deliverable expected, the technology to be employed comes into play. By technology, I mean not just the equipment being used, but also the Information systems that lay the foundation of success for any operation. The information systems being employed in an R&D lab provide the required alignment, synchronization and integration to successfully execute the project. The most modern and highly coveted Information application for R&D labs available today is LIMS- Laboratory Information Management Systems.
Due to the dynamic nature and needs of an R&D facility no standard LIMS package can be suitable for your Lab. A Pharmaceutical lab has completely different objectives and operational needs than lets say an Aircraft development lab. This makes the design an application of LIMS a highly process specific and complex task .The core function of LIMS is sample management; this includes the request from sample from the customer, the process of sample creation and also the tracking & delivery of sample to the customer. This requires data management expertise that is compliance oriented and process specific.
A LIMS application can also have features beyond sample management, such as, equipment integration, electronic data exchange, export to excel/spreadsheets, audit management, barcode/RFID applications and the list virtually is endless. The presence of a good sample management application is pivotal for a successful LIMS system as the most important operation of any manufacturing R&D Lab is sample generation as per customer specs, effective sample creation and timely delivery of the said sample. If you agree with my views about the necessity of LIMS or have any other doubts/queries relevant to the topic, you can write to me at sumeet@i2ds.com or info@i2ds.com or just leave a comment on the Blogs page. If you would like to know how a LIMS application can affect the productivity of you lab, do write to me.
by I2DS | Oct 27, 2021 | Blogs
I have noticed through my experience and that of my peers that managing the WIP or Work In Progress, is considered a difficult task. Operations Managers often complaint of many issues, such as, being unable to track the material, the shifting of bottlenecks, higher machine downtime, higher cycle time, higher material consumption and the list can go on and on. The reason why some of these issues exist or are perceived to exist is because of the inability to properly track the material on the production line, the inability to know the machine status in real-time and the glitches that appear in a supposedly rock solid planning due to a myriad of issues. It is this feeling of being in the dark, coupled with the unpredictable nature of day-to-day operations that make it hard to manage the work in progress.
But if we analyze the abovementioned statement, is it really the nature of operation or the actual work that is the problem area, or is it something else? Well, I believe that the nature of work and type of tasks have nothing to do with managers struggling to manage the work in progress. Yes, I think it is the lack of actionable and potent information that drives most managers crazy when it comes to managing the WIP. When you think about any process and by any process I mean any process, manufacturing or service, what makes managers fly is the information they have, to act upon and take decisions. Even in the most unconventional processes what makes them work is the information derived from the process and careful analysis of the process metrics. The need to have a continuous flow of information from the process has been realized by many industries.
However the actual work-in-progress has been neglected by most companies, be it the process owner or the IT firm developing so called solutions for them. I believe that WIP is an extremely important facet of any process in fact it is the blood that runs through the veins called machines and supports the function of the body which is the process. WIP should be carefully tracked, monitored and analyzed; this will help detect problems before they become serious and lead to an overall improvement in process efficiency and ultimately throughput. But, who can you rely on for developing an information solution that can not only help you analyze your WIP but a solution that can help you realize true gains out of your process? Well, for that you need a technology partner that understands operations management and the unpredictable nature of WIP.
For this very reason choosing a simple software company does not fulfill the need, you should consider someone who knows how a factory works, what the importance of process metrics is and how WIP should be managed. You need an automation expert that is well acquainted with how the flow in the factory happens and why bottlenecks get created. Having said that the most important part is to realize the need to have real-time actionable information from the WIP and then choose the right partner for your process. If you have any suggestions regarding this Blog or questions about how to manage you WIP just write into us at info@i2ds.com or just leave you comment on this web-page.
by I2DS | Oct 25, 2021 | Blogs
Today all major organizations in the world are laying stress on becoming eco-friendly and developing technologies that allow sustainable development. There are two advantages of developing a paperless operation, one that is quite obvious, is the protection of environment and valuable resources; the other is integration of operations and ease of access to documents. Laying stress on paperless operations also helps create a better image of the organization in the eyes of its clients and end customers. It increases brand value and shows that the organization is truly committed to environmental conservation and operational integration. Even for Organizations that produce for other companies, a robust document management system has numerous benefits.
There are a myriad of document management applications that can be applied in an organization, but which one is the most beneficial and where should it be applied, these remain the key questions. In organizations that belong to the manufacturing industry and specially those that deal with high volumes and R & D, the Document Management System should ideally be integrated with their MES application. The simple reason for this suggestion is the fact that an MES application is used to run the production and a document management system integrated with the MES will make sure that none of the important documentation is lost and also ensure that all important documents are readily available as and when required.
But is any MES application capable of integrating a robust and user friendly DMS system? Who is the right partner if you need an MES with a DMS? These are some of the questions that will arise in your mind just about now. Well an MES application in it self is a very strategic decision to make and the choice of the right partner is crucial. I2DS has been able to develop an MES application that integrates a Document Management System or DMS in it. This application has been able to provide our customers the desired functionality and increase their over all efficiency. Our DMS application allows you to manage all important documents within the MES and allow you to better use such documents. With our application tailor made to you organization’s requirements you can forget about the hassles of managing cumbersome documents. To get a glimpse of our MES application and our DMS system, write into us at info@i2ds.com and get a touch and feel of our path breaking solutions.
by I2DS | Oct 21, 2021 | Blogs
Any process is as good as its weakest link. A process has many components which include various equipment, tools and most importantly workers. Human Resources are considered a vital resource in every Organization. Training the workforce and retaining a trained and knowledgeable workforce is as important as having state of the art technology and automated equipment. So is your workforce your bottleneck? How do you monitor their performance and what steps have you taken to optimize this performance? These questions need careful consideration because any process is only as good as its weakest link. Today jobs especially in the manufacturing industry have become highly specialized and market leading firms boast of having a workforce that is trained, motivated and highly efficient. With the developments in the IT sector it is now possible to optimize your work flow through continuous training and real time monitoring. I2DS has come up with a major breakthrough in this regard, it is now possible to train, monitor, control and guide your work force at any location and in real time. I2DS has developed a work force optimization solution that can help in tasks that range from training to performance appraisal. This path breaking solution is called Manufacturing Excellence Solution, and as the name suggests it helps you do exactly that, i.e. achieve manufacturing excellence. This solution gives you the power to analyze your work force performance; it has the ability to monitor work flow, work load on each worker, worker performance and work distribution. This solution also helps you perform online training to aid continuous improvement of your workforce on the path to optimization. Since this solution covers all areas of your operations it also acts as a strong real time appraisal tool for your work force. Manufacturing Excellence helps you assign responsibility to your workers and also allows close monitoring and desired control. It covers areas such as Quality, Safety, Communication and Equipment; this makes it a complete solution that gives you a 360 degree view of your workforce performance. So if you are looking for a manufacturing solution that will also achieve work force optimization, e-mail us right away at info@i2ds.com.
by I2DS | Oct 20, 2021 | Blogs
Inventory Management is it really a concern for your Organization? I bet it is and always will be. Inventory is one of the three major factors that influence and shape the operation of any Manufacturing Organization. There are many ideas regarding inventory from very simple ones to highly complex ones, for me inventory is- ‘Any material that enters a production plant and is either transformed or helps transform other material to finished goods, which are then sold to earn revenue.’ Now think about your own unit for a second keeping the above mentioned definition in perspective, you will get a clear idea of what Inventory is for you. Inventory Management has now become a separate field of Management Studies, many Theories have been propounded on the subject and organizations world wide are following practices like Just In Time Management. But all operations professionals know that no matter how good a theory might be its practical implementation can be extremely complicated and cumbersome in the absence of concrete planning and synergized execution. There are many systems that manage inventory in a ware-house, but such systems fail to agree with my definition of inventory and inventory management, as inventory is not just material received from a vendor, it is also work-in-progress and finished goods. Thus conventional ERP solutions have limited functionality when it comes to efficient and accurate inventory management. I2DS realized this universal pain point and come up with a unique and highly effective solution, I2DS’ Inventory Management Solution give your Organization the accuracy you desire. How is that? You ask- Well our Inventory Management Solution allows you to track the inventory right from your Ware-House to the EOL or End of your Production Line. The beauty of our solution is that it can adapt with your system and give you seamless functionality. If you are able to track material right from entry into the plant to finished goods, you can manage inventory effectively with 100% accuracy. If you have the exact idea of which material is being consumed where and in what quantity you can effectively practice JIT manufacturing, cut costs and achieve a truly competitive production line. So if you are facing problems with your present system and want a better more comprehensive solution, you just have to let us know and we will take care of the rest, write into us at info@i2ds.com.
by I2DS | Oct 18, 2021 | Blogs
The common notion in the minds of people is that software applications like the MES are more suited for large, automated plants, which are typically 100 million dollars, type of plants. This is a terribly incorrect notion, MES applications have evolved from expensive on-site applications to suave and low cost service like solutions. Gone are the days where MES projects used to last for a year or two from the establishment of need to the roll-out, acquiring MES applications has become easier and more cost effective than before.
Modern MES solutions are more like a product suite, which comprise various modules, these modules are quite flexible and can be deployed for diverse processes and functional areas. It is important for manufacturing organizations irrespective of their current position, to realize that the future will be much more uncertain, rife with global competitors vying for their piece of the pie. It is extremely crucial to embrace automating and integrating technologies like the MES to become more responsive and more agile. A typical MES module covers functional areas right from purchase/inventory to end-of-line production and beyond, it also integrates seamlessly with the current legacy applications and other enterprise wide applications such as the MRP or ERP. The idea for SME companies is to understand the implications of not having the MES, not in the status quo but 5 years down the line, a future perspective will help them realize the importance and need of the MES, today. For most manufacturers, cycle times will need to reduce drastically in the future, with a definite increase in the product basket being offered, this will be coupled with the need to customize most of the basic products on offer. To have this kind of agility, even smaller companies will need enabling technologies, which help individual functional areas collaborate more effectively. The need to have precise actionable information will increase drastically and the cost of bad quality will have far more adverse effects than today. In this age of social networking, any quality issue or product re-call can potentially kill a small player, even if all its customer base isn’t affected, the ones who are exposed to bad products can spread the word faster and more aggressively than ever before, the idea of containing the issue by swift re-calls and reimbursements is no longer a lucrative one even currently, the situation will only worsen in the future.
The key here is to appreciate the value an application like the MES adds both in terms of tangible benefits and intangible ones resulting from the aversion of quality issues and faulty production lots. The future of every manufacturing company will depend on how they embrace integrating technologies like the MES and how they use the information generated to become more agile and more innovative.
