by I2DS | Jul 26, 2021 | Blogs
Factories have transformed drastically in the last 100 years or so, the main reason behind this is the advancement in Process Technology and the revolution called Information Technology. Yes, long gone are the days when every production step was executed manually and the entire process was subject to a myriad of non-conformities and issues. Today the standards for production have become stringent and some details are impossible to achieve without having a total or partial automation. Factories of tomorrow are the ones that realize this need for automation and work towards becoming more advanced using better process and information technology. The organizations that have reached high level of proficiency give the credit to better technology.
But wait, what is better technology and does automation mean the elimination of human work force entirely? Well, automation can be considered as a continuum against human intervention, the lower the amount of human intervention in the actual production process the more automated the process. However, automation does not mean elimination of the human workforce entirely, let me explain. Even though a plant may be fully automated in terms of machinery, in the entire production process humans play the role of interfaces between operations, even if the entire production process is executed continuously, the need for humans still remains to monitor and manipulate the process as desired/required.
The level of automation in general is rising in all industries; the major reason for this is the proliferation of IT solutions that are integrating processes, even those that are geographically at separate locations. Even in industries that have saturated themselves in terms of process technology, IT is helping them reduce costs and improve process efficiency and net profitability. Market leaders have embraced IT and consider it the most important facet of automation. It is through applications like PLC, SCADA, HMI, SPC and MES that the modern factories become automated in the true sense of the word.
Information Technology is the Present and Future of Factory Automation and the future is here and now. Yes, you have the power to make your factory a fully automated, technology driven and highly profitable entity, all you need to do is understand the role of Information Technology in your process and apply it. To achieve the best results in factory automation you need to work with experts, who know what is factory automation and what scope does IT have in your production process. To know more about Factory Automation or understand the need for it, please get in touch with us right away at info@i2ds.com.
by I2DS | Jul 23, 2021 | Blogs
Every Top Boss of every Organization of the world strives to make his/her organization the best in its class. If you read the Vision or Mission statement of any organization in the world this desire to be the best and even better, will become very evident. Irrespective of the line of business every company strives to be labeled the best in business, today we will talk about achieving this dream and making it a reality for manufacturing organizations, for whom their factories/plants are the main source of revenue.
To become the Best-In-Class operation, you need to realize that there is much more to the endeavor than benchmarking the present best in the industry or otherwise. Benchmarking is very helpful but the main reasons for the success of the best organizations around the world can be attributed many factors, such as, strong leadership, clear vision, pro technology outlook, innovation, process control, quality ownership, zero error philosophy and above all 100% customer satisfaction. When the above mentioned features are embraced by the entire organization and these beliefs and practices enter the value system of each and every employee in the organization, becoming best-in-class is just a matter of time.
To develop such value system, integration of the entire process and involvement of employees along with ownership of process in critical. Information Solution like MES are providing process integration and automation for Organizations globally, which is helping them develop a more efficient, coherent and profitable operation. 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 facilitates 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 the most revered 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 | Jul 21, 2021 | Blogs
MES applications are transforming the way production units operate, they are making factories more integrated, efficient and quality oriented. MES applications are basically software solutions that have the capability to provide seamless integration for a manufacturing facility, right from warehouse to the EOL or end of production line. An MES app helps you manage production in real-time and prevent formation of bottle-necks, monitor and control your process and above all improve the overall efficiency of production. The major advantage of having an MES app is the clarity you have about your process and how fast and accurate decision making becomes. The major contribution that such an app provides is towards the Quality of the end-product. An MES app can help you monitor every aspect of product quality and ensure that the end-product is compliant and perfect.
The heart of an MES app is an SPC tool, it is through this SPC tool that real-time data analysis and decision making is possible. An SPC application allows to enter and analyze all process and product related metrics. Such a tool can lead to not only 100% compliance but also help improve quality by removing assignable causes of errors. Companies that aim for a Six Sigma level process or the ones aiming to achieve Lean management in the true sense can hugely benefit from an SPC system embedded in their MES application. This saves not only cost but precious time that is otherwise wasted doing complex calculation, which is subject to human error or calculation error if performed manually. An SPC application also provides visual tools that help understand the Data better and achieve better process control. I believe an MES application is incomplete without an SPC application.
So the real question here is, how important is SPC in your Organization? Is your SPC application capable of delivering high class and potent decision making info? Do you need a better SPC application, embedded in your MES app? These questions are extremely critical if you are a manufacturing Organization that has highly complex processes and high quality standards for your final products. SPC application today requires being highly efficient and delivering much more than just basic trend charts. If your SPC application is delivering just Trend Charts you are not fully utilizing the power an SPC application can truly provide. A truly potent and capable SPC should be capable of applications like CpK Charts, Real-Time Process Data, Trends feedback, Tool Shutdown, SMS Text Capabilities, E-mail alerts and other process specific charts and reports.
At I2DS we realize the value a good SPC tool in your Organization’s system can add value to your entire operations. Our SPC solution is integrated in our MES system and it allows the above mentioned functionalities in real time. This makes your control function extremely powerful as you can monitor SPC data in real time and make decisions simultaneously, that too without having to use any other system/tool for analysis. Our SPC might appear magical to a common man but it’s a powerful tool for a manager who deals with issues like quality and cost of production. I2DS’ SPC has the capability to integrate and compare the process data from multiple factories of the Organization, providing you a comprehensive analysis tool. Our SPC is the perfect Quality and Equipment ‘Doctor’, because it helps you diagnose and cure every issue pertaining to them. The reports that our SPC generates helps you get a 360 degree view of the entire operation and this helps you make more accurate and profitable decisions. So for a live demo e-mail us at info@i2ds.com or request a Live Demo on this web page.
by I2DS | Jul 20, 2021 | Blogs
What helps the Organizations that are market leaders get to the position they are at? After wondering about this question myself, I realized that there is one major common factor, Evolution. Yes, the organizations that have made it big have all kept evolving, just like human beings, but only much faster. Organizations that have been proactive in their efforts to understand the needs of their customers and change their products and services accordingly, have been able to capture a larger portion of the market share than those who decided to stick to their old ways of doing things. Companies that spend a higher amount on R&D, also experience a higher volume in sales. It is through systematic and well funded R&D efforts that companies of the modern world have been able to devise much more sophisticated products and services and generate better business than their competitors.
But just having an R&D Lab is not a panacea for all future needs. It is extremely important how you manage the operation of your R&D facility and whether you have effective control on the process. R&D facilities have become more efficient by using technology and IT for managing operations. LIMS or Laboratory Management Information Systems are helping many Labs achieve their diverse objectives. 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 and to ensure speedy and effective product development; 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.
I2DS has successfully implemented the best-in-class, process specific, LIMS system for its customers. We have the expertise required to understand the diverse needs of different operations and design our solutions accordingly. Our sample management provides the desired functionality to our customers through effective data management, sample requisition tracking, material flow tracking, equipment issue resolution, Quality control, Inventory management, scheduling tools, sample analysis and a comprehensive database related to approval, rejection and compliance matters related to a particular sample. With our LIMS you can rest assured that your R&D facility will be working at optimum efficiency and achieve the desired results for your customers. So if you want to be a leader of innovation and achieve the coveted spot of market leader, I2DS can help you in this pursuit of excellence. All you have to do is e-mail us at info@i2ds.com and we will take care of the rest.
by I2DS | Jul 19, 2021 | Blogs
Top Management plays an important role in any business decision, especially when leveraging information and benefits derived from it is concerned. Every manufacturing organization, which relies on selling goods to either consumers or B2B needs to realize the importance of process data and how it impacts the bottom line. The CEO’s, COO’s and CIO’s of the world need to take into consideration the huge value which lies dormant in their internal process, whilst they set targets of gaining business advantage by targeting external data and analytics.
Every manufacturing process, especially those with higher degree of automation, are potential gold mines of data, data which can lead to business advantages faster than the external data. The main reason why benefits are easily realized from internal data, is the ease of its availability, however, this also the main reason why it’s ignored as well. There is a huge propensity in the senior management leaders to ignore internal avenues of value creation and look beyond organizational realms to attain competitive advantage. The top bosses of manufacturing organizations need to realize that a large scope of improvement lies with-in day-to-day operations which might appear trivial or even mundane to them. What is required from them is to dig deeper and see what is required from the operations in terms of their strategic plans and goals. For example, If they want to reduce costs, where is the best place to begin reductions inside, how can inputs become more efficient and employees more capable? These questions and statements reinforce the notion that internal improvement and agility are key drivers of business improvement.
Process data is undoubtedly vital, but what does the CIO/CEO/COO of a company do to harness and convert otherwise useless information to information which drives improvement and competitive supremacy? Well, to begin with an important thing to do is to assess the current business scenario, where are the competitors in terms of process technology and IT. After understanding the competitive scene, its important to analyze the industry trends, whether its facing regular and incremental changes or are there any disruptive changes going around which might impact the industry at the base itself. Once these scenarios and trends are understood it is important to link these external changes/trends to the internal manufacturing process, and establish what is needed in terms or technology and information.
Leaders should pay attention to how MES and other IT applications can unlock the goldmine of data discussed earlier. Information form the MES may help them realize exactly where the main pressure points are, in their processes. So if they choose to employ an MES, in maybe three months time they may realize that their TPM efforts are more intensive than required and this is increasing unnecessary downtime. They may realize that they need to train workers cross-functionally to ascertain operations is immune to turnover. What I want to emphasize here, is that applications like the MES are capable of much more than they are given credit for. Improving performance and achieving higher quality standards is just a small speck of what integrated applications such as the MES can achieve, they have the potential to drive business decisions not even related to manufacturing as an activity, such as the one illustrated above regarding the cross-functional training.
Today most members of the C-suite in any manufacturing organization would be aware of an MES application, some of them might even have used it in their previous assignments, but what they need to realize is that these applications have now become more evolved and coupled with other enterprise wide applications like the MRP or the CRM, MES applications can not only drive conventional change and improvement, they can even be the source of inspiration for potential disruptive changes, which might change the way in which processes were run in your industry. Business leaders today need to look at the bigger picture, where the MES is the central character, along which other applications rally to extract the true potential from analytics endeavors. So if you are the CIO or CEO of a manufacturing enterprise, think of MES as the IT weapon which can give you the strategic advantage of knowing every single ounce of valuable information from your manufacturing process and imagine how knowing more about a manufacturing process more than your competitors can help you succeed in the marketplace.
by I2DS | Jul 14, 2021 | 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
