by I2DS | Aug 11, 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 | Aug 10, 2021 | Blogs
What makes an Organization a Leader, is it better management, better machines, better leadership, better resources, better technology? What exactly does a company do better than others to become a leader? Well, all the above mentioned factors play a vital role in any organization’s success, especially its leadership and employees, but that’s not all. Organizations that become leaders have one factor in common above all others; this is their unrelenting and uncompromising pursuit of Excellence, this pursuit of excellence keeps them alert, keeps the hungry for success and drives them to outperform themselves every single day. The pursuit of excellence is not just a plan that these leaders try and execute; it is a way of life. Such feverish dedication and lust for success, comes from strong values, leader’s vision and continuous cycle of strategic planning, execution and review.
To become a leader this passion to achieve excellence needs to be coupled with carefully planned actions, which ensure that you achieve and maintain your competitive edge. It is easier said than done, to become a leader, you need to look at issues like strategy, operations, management, planning and above all technology, in a proactive and positive way. Rather than trying to reengineer your entire process, I suggest that you try and understand the present flaws of your process and pursue excellence through careful application of planning and proficient execution. Technology should be a major player in your pursuit for excellence, and should be the main consideration in your strategic planning along with other proposed management practices that may be looked at such as TQM, Benchmarking, Lean or JIT.
Technology will play a vital role in achieving excellence; IT will be at the forefront of your leadership pursuit. Yes, IT applications are making manufacturing processes more efficient by providing better process control, higher throughput, lower costs, real-time decision making and thereby greater profitability. Even for industries at the pinnacle of technology in terms of equipment and process capability, IT applications can still lead to better process performance, faster cycle time and a boost in profitability.
The need of having better information processing and higher level of transparency coupled with the desire to achieve better quality and control are the key drivers of the proliferation of Information systems in manufacturing. The level of excellence that you desire and crave from your process is only possible through the application of IT solutions. You will be amazed to see how IT has influenced every aspect of production right from design to dispatch of the end products. Now that we have established the necessity of IT applications and justified that they are the future of manufacturing, let me introduce to you the premium provider of these innovative and efficient IT application, I2DS.
I2DS has realized the need of the futuristic organizations to manage and retain their knowledge and has developed Information solutions to meet these needs of future, today. We offer a seamless integration for the entire Organization, our services and solutions range from Database Management to Manufacturing Excellence. We can achieve the level of integration desired by the Organization as we have developed solutions that are aimed at automation of Information Processing and better Knowledge Management. Let’s have a brief glance at all our verticals; they are, Data Management, Factory Automation, Factory MES, Manufacturing Excellence and IT/Software services.
Our verticals have been designed specially to provide integrated platforms, which have the functionality of converting raw data to information and providing seamless information to achieve smooth learning resulting in an Organization wide Knowledge Base. We have experts in all verticals mentioned above, which gives us the ability to empathize with Organizations and realize their pain points better, our solutions are aimed at resolving present information problems and better dealing with the future ones. So if you are an Organization that aspires to be a market leader through effective and efficient Information Management, I2DS is the right partner for you. If you want to get a glimpse of our world class product line e-mail us at info@i2ds.com or hit the Request Live Demo button on this page.
by I2DS | Aug 6, 2021 | Blogs
Synergize Operations to Optimize Profitability, this is the modern mantra for a successful and truly global Organizations. The future is now and collaboration between every process within and outside the Organization’s realm of control, in its supply network, is vital for surviving in today’s highly competitive and unforgiving market scenario. The flow of Products, Services and Information downstream and upstream are crucial and need to be managed and controlled properly. Factories are the heart of any manufacturing operation and a collaborative and synergized environment is mandatory here to achieve the desired level of throughput and profitability. Seamless integration of process and communication in a factory environment can be achieved through the application of an MES application. An MES or Manufacturing Execution System is gaining popularity across the world as the best means of operating and controlling the Factory Operation. It is a system that enables information management for the entire factory operation and provides the much desired collaboration between all the sub-processes. I2DS has one of the most efficient and user friendly MES solution that is rapidly changing the way Factories function, our MES has not only made the factories of our customers more efficient but more importantly, it has made these factories more profitable. So what’s so special about I2DS’ MES solution? At I2DS our mission is to deliver value to our customers through our experience and expertise. We are not just an IT company, our MES product has been designed by professional who have managed and lead the most modern factory operations, in Fortune 500 companies. Our MES product is aimed to achieve tomorrow’s productivity today, through seamless integration and management by collaboration. I2DS’ MES has unparalleled features and allows you to not only run your day-to-day operations, but gives you the ability to control and alter the process in real-time. We believe in the theory of management by facts, our MES system is a portrayal of this philosophy as you can view all process related reports on the go and implement CAP in real-time. Making well educated decisions based on facts is possible only when you choose I2DS as your Information Partner. A truly collaborative factory for the future can be achieved only by choosing the right partner, which is able to automate your process and is able to manage the change for you. Think of I2DS as your partner because we have the domain knowledge to achieve the high goals you have set for your operations, mail us at info@i2ds.com or request a live demo at demo@i2ds.com and let us show you the future of your Factory Operation.
by I2DS | Aug 4, 2021 | Blogs
What separates an ordinary company from an extraordinary one? Why are some Organizations able to adapt faster to changes and achieve higher market shares? What makes Organizations like Intel, Samsung, Boeing and Toyota, the Best-In-Class companies? The answers to these questions are similar to some extent. Every Organization that has been able to understand their customers and successfully convert their needs, into products and services has been able to become Best-In-Class. An extraordinary Organization does not aim at doing different things, but doing things differently, by understanding their capabilities and market requirements better than their competition.
Companies that have been able to embrace the new technologies and implement them successfully in their operations are experiencing unprecedented growth and market share. Information Technology has helped firms perform processes differently, thereby reducing related costs and increasing process efficiency. It is only through advanced applications of IT solution that the Best-In-Class companies have achieved their coveted status. Besides management practices, workforce knowledge, resource base and market conditions, IT is the most important contributor to the success of an Organization.
Manufacturing Organizations in particular have been able to outperform their competition by the implementation of Manufacturing Execution Systems or MES solutions. So what is an MES solution? Well, an MES application, as the name suggests helps better and more reliable execution of a manufacturing process, it gives higher degree of control over the process and allows real-time decision making. Such applications have proven to be extremely successful in controlling costs and increasing throughput. There are many players in the MES space, that provide MES solutions, but who is the right partner for you?
I2DS has developed one of the most respected MES applications in the world today. Our solution is capable of adapting and changing itself to suit your operation’s needs. We are successful in MES because we are not just an IT company; our team of experts has more than 100 years of experience in fortune 500 companies in Operations Management. We understand the importance of factors that are unique and inherent in every process; our solutions reflect the individuality of our customer’s process. We have been able to achieve operational excellence through the application of our MES products in different operations from diverse industries. So if you are looking for a partner who would understand your process first and then devise the best solution accordingly, I2DS is the best choice for you. To get a demo of our product made to fit your production process, e-mail us at info@i2ds.com or just hit the request live demo tab on this webpage and our team will get back to you.
by I2DS | Jul 29, 2021 | Blogs
Technological advancements have 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. Yes, MES applications are the future of modern manufacturing, if you are curious why, read on.
Operations management has always been 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 Operations; an MES application 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 and 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. MES applications can help reach the future levels of productivity and performance today and now.
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 | Jul 28, 2021 | Blogs
For Organizations that manufacture any kind of product, the Factory is the heart of that Organization. Factories are places where a product or a product sub-assembly is manufactured or assembled. It is in these factories that raw materials become value added products that provide the desired utility to the end user. Information that flows to and from the factories is crucial and plays a massive role in the operational efficiency and effectiveness. Traditionally solutions have been developed to help functions like Finance, Purchase, HR and Marketing. Factories and Operations, have had limited solutions aimed specifically to improve the information processing and information flow, for them.
The information that is generated from a factory is extremely crucial and determines the actual efficiency of the production. To neglect the vital info generated by the production process is no less than a crime. The factory and communication to and from it should be carefully monitored, analyzed and understood. If you are in the business of making toys, let’s say and your factory is failing to meet customer expectations or is unable to ship goods on time, you are going to end up suffering both tangible and intangible losses. Some losses like the loss of respect from customers and suppliers can have permanent effect. What I am trying to say here is very simple, if you are a manufacturing company you need comprehensive information solutions for your factory, because no matter how good your other functions perform, your profitability is determined by your factories performance.
For all manufacturing firms it is vital to understand the role of their factories and realize that operations and operations management are directly related to their profitability. Today there are information solutions that can integrate the factory and provide real-time access to the top management to help assess every important event in the factory. Such solutions aid better management and help implement best management practices. FIS or Factory Information System is a boon for organizations that have manufacturing organizations that have production facilities at separate geographic locations or have multiple production lines at the same location. With an FIS they can monitor and analyze all the important happenings in the factory and take decisions before the seriousness of an issue escalates and it becomes a serious problem. What is important however is to understand the need for an FIS and the importance of managing Factory operations!
I2DS has realized this evident need and has developed a unique solution called FIS or Factory Information System. 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.
