by I2DS | Jan 30, 2019 | Blogs
Before you begin reading this Blog, please stop and think for a moment how much do you value work place Safety and product Quality? I know these are two separate issues but they are interrelated in many ways, you will gain clarity as you continue reading. Work place Safety is considered the most basic need of any worker or employee, it is considered essential for being able to perform any kind of task/work. Imagine worrying about something falling on your head while you are preparing the production schedule or writing a report for your big-boss. Quality on the other hand is partly dependent on the level of comfort the workforce feels. It has been seen that a safe and comfortable workplace can lead to better product/service Quality. Coming back to my original question, if you really believe that it is your organizations responsibility to provide a safe work place and better product quality to your end consumer, please continue to read.
Safety at a work place is neglected not only in the third world countries even in countries like the USA and in Europe. People feel that the safety norms are just too difficult to follow and too expensive to implement. But let me ask you this, what price can you put on a human being’s life? If you don’t have an answer for this question, I believe you will agree when I say that workplace safety has to be ensured at all cost. But there are cost effective ways to achieve the desired levels of Safety at the work place but more on that later. Coming to the topic of product and process Quality, gone are the days when Quality used to be the order winner, it is now considered an order qualifier. Quality is perceived differently in different industries and for different processes. The one thing that remains uniform irrespective of line of business or type of process is the dependence of quality on the process and process metrics. It is vital to reach a zero error stage in product/process quality and maintain the level, if you are to excel in business.
Now that we have understood the sheer importance of Safety and Quality, what are we going to do about it? Well, for starters let us look at the possibility of the role that IT applications can play to help to achieve Safety and Quality excellence today. Yes, IT applications can help you monitor, control and improve on every safety and quality issue in real-time. These apps are transforming the way these issues are managed around the world and preventing major incidents from occurring and eliminating minor ones. These applications help prioritize events, monitor metrics, highlight major issues and aid real-time decision making and issue resolution. Such applications are the future of workplace safety and process/product quality. They help you perform online trainings, schedule maintenance activities, assess quality metrics and assign ownership. Such applications really meet tomorrow’s needs today. If you have any questions as to how such applications are beneficial in you industry, do write into us at info@i2ds.com and we will be glad to help you.
by I2DS | Jan 30, 2019 | Blogs
Technology and efficient management of data are the major drivers of operational excellence in the current industrial scenario. It is through harnessing and better application of modern technology that companies have been able to achieve Economies of Scale/Scope and develop more flexible, quality oriented production lines. Today the perception of technology has had a paradigm shift from process improvement to process integration and continuous improvement. Data Management has become a critical issue in the strategic planning of Organizations, Information processing and knowledge management are now the prime concerns. Effective Data-Management forms the back bone of the Technological Development efforts in any modern Organization.
Each Organization in the world generates large volumes of Data every day, every hour, every minute; practically all the time. However this data becomes useless if not stored in a proper Database and not processed in a strong Database Management System. Today IT is the biggest concern globally and opposed to normal belief these concerns are not being eliminated rather they are escalating, as the products being manufactured worldwide are becoming more and more complex and the need to have the right info as and when required is more intense than ever. There are a myriad of Database Management products and so called ‘solution’ providers, who are hell bent on selling you a standard package for your operation. A robust data management system needs to be tailor made to your operations.
So if you are a Manufacturing Organization seeking a robust data management system and don’t want to go for a standard package with limited functionality, then what should you do? The answer is you need to gauge your requirement and ask your self these questions- 1) Do we need a real time database management and data processing capabilities? 2) Do we require to Tap Data directly from tools to our MES or present System? 3) Do we require features Like SPC, APC, RFID integration, Inventory & Ops Management? 4) Do we need to monitor Safety, Quality and Equipment issues in real time? If the answer to all or majority of these questions is ‘YES’, then you need to consider I2DS as your strategic partner.
We at I2DS understand the prevalent issues pertaining to Data Management and Data Architecture and we are committed to work out the best solutions for our customers, our aim is to provide world class Information Solutions at reasonable prices. Our team of experts specializes in Database Management and Database Architecture. They analyze every operation and respect the fact that all operations are unique. This belief helps them design and implement a Database Management system that is tailor made just for you and performs to your expectations. So If you want your Data Management problems to disappear you should mail us right away at info@i2ds.com or Click on the Request Live Demo button on our web site.
by I2DS | Jan 30, 2019 | Blogs
Factory performance is often neglected by even the most diligent of management professionals and top bosses. There is a high attention paid to Sales, Marketing, Customer Service and Finance, these verticals are given extra attention as they are considered to be direct contributors to the bottom line. Well, I think this is the first place where Organizations go wrong, factories should be given ample attention and production/operation should be considered one of the most important verticals if not the most important. Production function directly affects costs, inventory and throughput; if all these parameters are not managed properly your factory is already loosing money, even before you can actually sell your product in the market. Factory performance should be monitored perennially and sincere efforts should be made towards optimizing the performance of the factory unit.
Technology plays an important, rather a pivotal role in profit and performance optimization for modern factory units. Yes, gone are the days when engineers would spend hours doing complex statistical analysis of the process to find assignable causes of production issues. Today, technology has given engineers the power to monitor and manipulate the process and process parameters in real-time. IT applications are making operations more profitable today and moving them towards operational excellence for tomorrow. Information solutions like the MES or Manufacturing Execution Systems, Factory Automation, Manufacturing Excellence applications and Data analytics are vital for improving profitability of a factory unit. With the help of these information applications factories are improving their performance in all three vital parameters related to production, i.e. Inventory, Operational Expense and Throughput.
So you need to ask yourself, is my factory making enough money? But before asking this question first ask this, do I know what is happening in my factory? Is it running at optimal efficiency? Is my performance improving on a regular basis? Does my process locate and eliminate the bottlenecks before any loss in production? If you are able to answer these questions first, you would get a good idea of how much money your factory is making or loosing. It is important that organizations understand the importance of technology in achieving a profitable and integrated factory operation. If you find that you are unable to answer above questions effectively, you need the help of an expert that specializes in providing optimization solutions for your factory performance. You need to plan strategically, develop a time-based plan to improve profitability and implement process specific IT applications to help automate and integrate your process.
I2DS is one of the leading experts in factory performance optimization and has been able to improve the performance and profitability of organizations world-wide. Information Solutions being developed by I2DS achieve not only high productivity but also make a difference to the bottom line by reducing costs and increasing profitability. The range of products we offer are- Factory MES, Communication Management, Manufacturing Excellence, Inventory Management, Safety Management, Quality Management, Equipment Management, Database Management and Process Automation. The above mentioned solutions are tailor-made to our client’s needs and can be applied individually or as a complete package. With solutions such as the ones I have just discussed you can better control your process and set achievable targets for boosting productivity. Our solutions are helping our customers increase their profitability and cut operating cost at the same time. I2DS systems have the capability to integrate your entire process irrespective of location, equipment type, level of automation and process complexity. So if you agree with me and need a partner who will make your operations more productive and profitable write to us at info@i2ds.com.
by I2DS | Jan 30, 2019 | Blogs
Organizations today are facing high pressure to develop products faster and put them for sale in the market. Order lead times have become very short and instant fulfillment of orders has become the name of the game. Now more than ever the market forces are stronger and influence the entire operation of Organizations and most successful ones have realized this and have been able to able alter their internal capabilities accordingly to meet market pressures. Due to smarter consumers and their short attention span the cycle time for product development and market it has become shorter than ever.
The total time taken from the conception of a product till it’s ready to sell is called Time-To-Market or simply TTM. The market leader has the luxury of a high TTM; the followers unfortunately do not have this luxury. For industries in which the products are outmoded or need updating continuously the TTM is even smaller for example the Software industry, FMCG industry etc. Shorter TTM means higher pressure on the R&D and Marketing function, but even the other verticals are also under a constant and ever increasing pressure.
So how do you survive in such difficult times? How do you ensure you can sustain under the adverse market conditions and still improve your bottom line? At I2DS, we have got the answers to all your questions, we have a strong belief that only an Organization that has flexible operations can survive in today’s cut throat market. Our solutions are aimed at providing your organization with rapid development times, quick cycle times and fully integrated operations. We achieve this through our state-of-the-art MES, Manufacturing Excellence, Data Management and Factory Automation solutions. These solutions adapt to your operations and then integrate it to make it a cohesive and flexible unit; each solution is equipped with powerful tools that provide unparalleled functionality. These powerful tools drastically reduce your TTM, but to see these tools in action and know more about them you have to get in touch with us at info@i2ds.com.
by I2DS | Jan 30, 2019 | Blogs
What makes an Operation Excellent? What are the means to achieve excellence, why is it so important? Is an excellent process highly profitable as well? These questions are relevant to all manufacturers irrespective of industry, type of production and the resultant end product. Taking it from the top, any operation that is excellent will have certain attributes that set it apart from the rest. An operation can become excellent only when it has a dedicated team of workers and has a process that is under control. What sets certain operations apart is the way in which they deal with issues, the foresight that they possess and the way they recover from issues that effect their operation. Excellent operations become excellent because they achieve a dynamic equilibrium with external environment factors by changing and controlling the internal capabilities accordingly. Technology has a major role to play in the pursuit of manufacturing excellence, because a gifted and well trained workforce can only do so much without technological aid. Technology is the vehicle that drives the operational excellence endeavor, workforce is the fuel and management is the driver. Without technology the process will be walking and not motoring towards excellence. This answers the second question; the third however needs thought and analysis from a couple of perspectives. I believe that in business the profitability and ethics should go hand in hand. So when we talk about making more money, it should not mean a blatant disregard for society, environment and workforce. An excellent operation is the one that is excellent in process efficiency, which achieves higher throughput as well as is fully compliant with social, ethical and quality standards. Sometimes the management feels that the cost of being compliant is just a waste of money and cuts profitability, but an operation cannot be excellent if it is not safe and does not put quality before cost. So, how do you achieve an operation that is excellent, an operation that saves money, generates higher throughput and still remains compliant with required standards? Well, you do what mankind has been doing since centuries, i.e. you employ better technology. Yes, if you are to achieve all the features that constitute an excellent process, you have to employ technology, that can integrate your process and help you remain compliant at a lower cost and achieve higher profitability. Manufacturing excellence solutions are helping Organizations reach the pinnacle of manufacturing in their industry. These solutions are integrated IT applications that allow you to monitor all parameters that are of providence in achieving excellence. Let’s say that the top parameters that you might consider as pivotal for achieving manufacturing excellence are Safety, Quality, Personnel Performance and Preventive Maintenance. A manufacturing excellence solution will help you monitor, control and improve on these parameters in real-time. This means that the chances of you missing an event leading to a non-conformance, or a small issue becoming a major cost center are almost completely eliminated. However, it is important that you choose the partner for such applications with great care and analysis. You should know what parameters you consider vital for attaining and maintaining excellence. Once you know you can employ an IT expert organization to design and implement the application for your manufacturing operation. If you would like to know more about Manufacturing Excellence Solutions and how they can help your operation become the Best in your industry, feel free to get in touch with me at sumeet@i2ds.com, or info@i2ds.com , I am waiting to hear from you.
by I2DS | Jan 30, 2019 | Blogs
What separates an Industry leader from the followers? Why are the leaders able to adapt faster to changes and achieve higher market shares? What makes Organizations like Intel, Sony, Bose and Toyota, the Best-In-Class or leaders in their respective industries? 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 the leader in their industry. An extraordinary Organization does not aim at doing different things, but rather at doing things differently, by understanding their capabilities and market requirements better than their competition. The market leaders are better at achieving a state of dynamic equilibrium between the external forces and internal abilities. This facet of their success can be attributed to impeccable strategic planning and flawless execution of the plans through subsequent tactical and operational planning.
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 present industry leaders 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? To be a leader you need a partner who is a leader in its own industry space and has a good handle on what your needs are. To be a leader you need to embrace automation and deal with industry experts such as I2DS.
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.
