by I2DS | Oct 14, 2021 | 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 | Oct 5, 2021 | Blogs
In his famous novel the Goal, Eliyahu Goldratt explains the importance of understanding the three most important aspects of a manufacturing plant or a business for that matter. These most crucial facets of business are- Inventory, Operational Expense and Throughput. Yes, Inventory Operational Expense and Throughput, and the real Goal is to reduce the first two and increase the third. Simply said, cut costs; produce efficiently and sell faster. This theory has a universal appeal and encompasses all sorts of businesses. Irrespective of the method or theory you apply to improve your process, i.e. TQM, Lean, Six Sigma etc. the main prerogative remains to cut costs, make better products and earn more money.
In a manufacturing scenario, the impact of the three factors mentioned above become very evident and can mean the difference between the survival and death of a business. Today the world is a very competitive place, consumers have become more demanding, competitors are fast in replicating a successful process and there are limited avenues for differentiating the end product. With such limited breathing space how does a company possibly survive? Well, it can not only survive but also achieve the best-in-class status in its industry. This can happen if the organization realizes the need to have better process management and move towards operational excellence. Even the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige Award emphasizes the importance of technology and automation.
Automation and integration specially in IT sector is very hard to replicate for a competitor as it is process specific and a well planned IT application can provide the organization the much needed and sought after competitive edge. An MES application for manufacturing organizations can help them reduce operational expense and inventory and at the same time increase throughput. MES or Manufacturing Execution Systems are basically information systems that help you execute your production process on an integrated application and help you make real-time cost saving and money making decisions. But, because these applications are process specific and help you achieve process excellence for your process individually they are highly desirable. An MES solution can help you differentiate in a way that is extremely hard for your competitors to copy or recreate.
An MES application which is well designed, carefully applied and well implemented, can achieve greater process control, which helps you achieve operational excellence or at least pursue the excellence in a more comprehensive way. Information solutions have become a major priority for organizations specially in manufacturing world wide and it is because of two major reasons which are that they are capable of making the process efficient and that if an application is tailor made to the process it can help the organization become the best-in-class operation and eventually make more money from their factory or factories. If you agree with me on the views on MES or you have a question about its applicability for your process, do not hesitate to e-mail me at info@i2ds.com or you can also leave your comments on this web-page.
by I2DS | Sep 29, 2021 | Blogs
The question stated above seems to be a very valid question, I mean what could be wrong with a factory that is making heaps of money and filling orders in the given lead time? This thought process is common in the minds of conservative managers and can be correct if the industry produces products or services that are labor or skill intensive and cannot be substituted by any kind of automation, one such trade is the Handicraft Industry. However the above perspective is a wrong way of looking at production and automation in general. What we need to look at is how is our industry shaping up, what are the best practices, is there mush room for innovation and automation in our sector? When we begin to ask such questions to ourselves and to our teams, we can gauge the gaps in our armor and thus establish the need for automation in operation of our production units.
MES is an application that has the capability of automating even the most industrialized production facility. MES application integrates your operation and provides you an end-to-end view of your production plant. So we need to analyze our process keeping in mind two very important considerations, present industry benchmarks and future trend towards automation. Even is the future inclination of the industry does not support automation in information processing, we should always remember that every industry has a pioneer and this might be your chance to be a pioneer in your industry.
Let’s try and understand why is an MES application so desirable, does it affect the bottom line, what sort of competitive advantage can you achieve by an MES application? MES applications are closely related to factory operations management, today we will look at these questions from an Operations Management perspective, Operations management is a pillar on which organizations build their competitive advantage. Operations management encompasses the entire organization, expertise in operations management can ensure that the process used by a particular organization remains the best in the industry. Operations Management in manufacturing industry revolves around the idea of managing the process by facts and doing things right the first time. Operations managers have moved from a fire fighting role to a planning role. QBD-Quality By Design, QFD-Quality Function Deployment, SPC-Statistical Process Control and Taguchi’s Quality Function are some of the theories and practices that advocate the involvement of Operations professionals in product planning, product design and process control.
Successful Organizations have realized the importance of Operations Management and Technology. These are the two factors that can make an ordinary operation a very efficient and successful one. An MES application combines both these facets of Operation; it is a combination of Information Technology and Operations Management. Manufacturing Organizations can benefit immensely by the application of MES application, as it provides both automation but also Integration of their entire production process under one comprehensive system. But choosing just any MES application can be very risky and lead to massive losses and develop a negative attitude in the workforce.
To be able to design the perfect MES application, expertise in both Technology and Ops Management are prerequisites. As I mentioned earlier, every manufacturing process has some unique attributes, an MES provider should be able to assess these unique feature and use them in the MES application so as to further benefit the customer’s Organization. I2DS is one such company that can boast of expertise in both Information Technology and Operations Management. The team of experts at I2DS has worked for few of the top organizations world wide and is renowned for its skills in Factory Automation, Information Technology, Data Management and Operation Management. This means that the team does not take any manufacturing process for granted, each process is carefully analyzed to determine the scope and functionality of an MES application.
I2DS brings more to the table than any other MES application provider in the industry. Every MES solution provided is tailor made to suit the present and future technology of the client, with the main aim of making Operation Management more efficient and decision making more concrete. If you also value Technology and Operations Management and believe that your MES application should facilitate these factors, I2DS is the best partner for you. To know more about our solution or to get your process analyzed by our panel of experts, e-mail us at info@i2ds.com or hit the Request Live Demo tab on this webpage and we will get back to you
by I2DS | Sep 16, 2021 | Blogs
Technology has drastically transformed the way manufacturing industry functions today; it has become the major differentiating factor and is helping the top companies maintain their competitive supremacy in the market. Technology has become a potent weapon for the Best-In-Class organizations and has helped them achieve monopolistic positions in their respective markets. Since the advent of mass customization and delayed differentiation, technology has been used very differently by different companies of the same industry. This means every process has become unique in a bid to achieve differentiation and technology is the main driver behind this subtle differentiation. Thus whenever an organization is contemplating an increment in technology, it is important to consider the entire process as an individual entity, especially when considering an application like MES.
Operations management is also a pillar on which organizations build their competitive advantage. Operations management encompasses the entire organization, expertise in operations management can ensure that the process used by a particular organization remains the best in the industry. Operations Management in manufacturing industry revolves around the idea of managing the process by facts and doing things right the first time. Operations managers have moved from a fire fighting role to a planning role. QBD-Quality By Design, QFD-Quality Function Deployment, SPC-Statistical Process Control and Taguchi’s Quality Function are some of the theories and practices that advocate the involvement of Operations professionals in product planning, product design and process control.
Successful Organizations have realized the importance of Operations Management and Technology. These are the two factors that can make an ordinary operation a very efficient and successful one. An MES application combines both these facets of Operation; it is a combination of Information Technology and Operations Management. Manufacturing Organizations can benefit immensely by the application of MES application, as it provides both automation but also Integration of their entire production process under one comprehensive system. But choosing just any MES application can be very risky and lead to massive losses and develop a negative attitude in the workforce.
To be able to design the perfect MES application, expertise in both Technology and Ops Management are prerequisites. As I mentioned earlier, every manufacturing process has some unique attributes, an MES provider should be able to assess these unique feature and use them in the MES application so as to further benefit the customer’s Organization. I2DS is one such company that can boast of expertise in both Information Technology and Operations Management. The team of experts at I2DS has worked for few of the top organizations world wide and is renowned for its skills in Factory Automation, Information Technology, Data Management and Operation Management. This means that the team does not take any manufacturing process for granted, each process is carefully analyzed to determine the scope and functionality of an MES application.
I2DS brings more to the table than any other MES application provider in the industry. Every MES solution provided is tailor made to suit the present and future technology of the client, with the main aim of making Operation Management more efficient and decision making more concrete. If you also value Technology and Operations Management and believe that your MES application should facilitate these factors, I2DS is the best partner for you. To know more about our solution or to get your process analyzed by our panel of experts, e-mail us at info@i2ds.com or hit the Request Live Demo tab on this webpage and we will get back to you
by I2DS | Sep 7, 2021 | Blogs
Do you think your Factory has realized its optimum capacity and is capable of working at this optimum capacity on a regular basis? Have you got a handle on how small, day-to-day and seemingly simple issues can hamper your cumulative productivity? Is there a way you can increase your capacity or better harness the present capacity? Is there some hidden capacity in your Factory that you are unaware of? These are vital questions for any production or factory manager. We will reflect on these questions one-by-one and try to get a better grip on these issues. If TQM is to be believed no process is perfect and there is always room for improvement, which means that no matter how efficient your process there is always a chance to improve its efficiency and thereby capacity. The extent to which you can perform with optimum efficiency in your operations depends on your capacity and how well you can control and change it as required. To be able to truly evaluate your capacity you need to have a handle on your operations process and the ability to monitor each and every event and control the process variables in real time. I believe in the saying ‘Every penny saved, is a penny earned’, and according to me this concept fits perfectly for judging capacity. To illustrate the above let us consider a small scenario, lets assume that there is an equipment in your factory that is going for maintenance and repairs very often, often for trivial matters. This makes that particular machine a bottle neck. Since there are no serious problems with the machine you do not drill down into the issue and thus end up loosing capacity. After a while you notice that the same problems keep happening with the equipment and then find that the actual problem was with the spare parts being supplied by the vendor. This illustration shows how easy it is to loose focus and thereby capacity in a day to day production scenario. I2DS has realized this and introduced the most revolutionary solutions in the manufacturing space that ensure the utilization of this hidden or lost capacity. Our MES and Manufacturing Excellence Solutions give you the capability to monitor every single event on your Factory Floor, with pin point accuracy and issue drill down functionality, that too in real time. MES provides integration for your process and ensures that the entire production line remains in sync. Manufacturing Excellence gives you the ability to monitor, analyze and control each issue related to the Safety, Quality and Equipment. Our system brings the entire operation of your factory to your computer screen and gives you the best possible view of your process. With a system as modern and efficient as ours, you will be able to harness the hidden capacity of your plant which was previously unknown or lost due to inadequate monitoring or inefficient reporting systems. So if you really want to reach the optimum capacity of your plant get in touch with us at info@i2ds.com or just hit the Request Live Demo Button on this webpage.
by I2DS | Sep 6, 2021 | Blogs
Manufacturing Organizations of the modern industrial era have realized the importance of Automation and Integration of their operation is vital for survival and growth. The quality standards have evolved and become highly specific, Quality is no more an order winner but has become an order qualifier. Automation and Integration play a vital role in achieving the high Quality Standards set by the market leaders or required by the Laws of the State. Manufacturing Execution Systems are helping Organizations the required automation and integration, to achieve the desired quality. An MES system is supposed to provide a seamless and smooth integration of your Factory Operations and should be able to provide highly rich information about the operation both in quality and quantity. So the question now is-does your MES system achieve this highly desired ‘Granularity’, or is it just another fancy system that does not add to your organization’s bottom line at all? The decision to have an MES application is a strategic decision, as the entire Operational efficiency of your plant depends on the MES package and a wrong decision in selection of an MES partner can cost you dearly. I2DS’ MES package is one of the most advanced applications in the market today; this solution is aimed at achieving the desired level of integration and enable automation without making operations complex. We at I2DS realize the importance of correct and potent information in a high tech manufacturing environment and we aim at achieving continuous process optimization for our partners by providing them the right information at the right time, to the right person and most importantly in the right form. In every manufacturing organization, irrespective of the volume of production, every lot and each SKU is equally important in terms of desired quality levels. We have incorporated in our MES solution features that give you the granularity you require to achieve the high quality you desire. So how does our system do it? Just to give you a little snap shot, I will ask you a few questions about your MES, also bear in mind all the questions will be related to product capability and yes our MES solution has all of them. So here goes- 1) Does your MES track the parent-child relationship? 2) Is your MES equipped with Split-Merge functionality? 3) Does your MES allow easy and effective EDC? 4) Does your MES have real time SPC tools? 5) Does you MES have the ability to track complete transactional history of each lot at any given step of operation? Well if the answer to most of the questions is ‘NO’, then you need to get in touch with us right now and get the desired granularity your MES lacks. Our contact- info@i2ds.com. Or the Request Live Demo Button on this Web Page.
