by I2DS | Jan 30, 2019 | 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 | Jan 30, 2019 | 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 | Jan 30, 2019 | Blogs
Information Technology is one of the most important areas of strategic planning and decision making for modern day organizations. IT decisions become even more critical because the top management of most organizations have limited knowledge of IT applications and relevant costs. All organizations feel the need to implement better IT infrastructure, but how to go about it, remains a crucial question. In most organizations IT services are outsourced, this makes sense considering the need to concentrate on core competencies. But while outsourcing IT services and applications it is important to understand the implications involved and take a decision after weighing the pros and cons of the situation.
It is indeed necessary to implement better IT infrastructure and have the operation of the organization automated. However, one should remember that once a mistake is made in choosing the right application or the right technology partner, it would be very difficult to deal with repercussions if the project does not work as desired. Even when purchasing a simple inventory or accounting software, it is important to understand the functionality that is desired and the functionality being offered by the selected product. As IT products become more advanced, the process of choosing the right application becomes more and more complex.
For companies that manufacture products, irrespective of their process, an MES application is highly desired to achieve a high level of automation and integration. There are many players in the MES market and all of them claim to have the best product. But what you need to look out for is whether that MES application suits your operations or not. Buying an Off The Shelf MES application has many implications, such as, there would be a need to change your process to suit the application, due to the changes made in the process the level of resistance received from the work force will be a lot higher and there are many other problems that may arise depending on the application selected and the degree of change to be made in the production process. I am strictly against the philosophy of ‘One size fits all’, especially in the case of MES applications.
I think it is easier to design an application that can automate and integrate the present process, as is, without making substantial changes in the process. Tailor made MES applications have proven to perform better and face lesser resistance from the work force. While making the decision of acquiring an MES application for your Factory, please remember that you should work with a company that understands operations in your industry and is willing to design a product to improve and integrate your current operations rather than change it completely. I2DS is one such company, we believe that every production process is unique and has different internal and external environments. We believe that a thorough study of a production process and an in depth research of the entire operation is required before designing and implementing an MES application.
I2DS has the most revered team of professionals both from IT and Ops Management background and our team of experts design our MES applications to better suit your process. If you need an MES application, get in touch with us and we will guide you towards a better more efficient solution, which will truly fulfill your needs of automaton and integration. We will visit your plant, analyze your process and then guide you towards an MES solution that will deliver the desired functionality. So what are you waiting for, e-mail us at info@i2ds.com or just hit the Request Live Demo, Tab and we will surely get back to you.
by I2DS | Jan 30, 2019 | Blogs
Quality has become the most sought after competitive priority to excel at, for organizations around the world. Consumers are willing to pay top dollar for products that claim to be of superior quality and can prove to be the quality leader in their category. There are nine facets of quality, 1) Aesthetics, 2) Conformance, 3) Durability, 4) Features, 5) Response, 6) Reliability, 7) Service, 8) Performance and 9) Reputation. Most of these facets depend on the process of production and to the extent the process can be controlled and modified. When a process can be controlled, its Quality can be improved as all possible causes of variances can be detected and successfully removed.
Customer satisfaction largely depends on the Quality of product, thus we can safely say that Quality management is vital for any organization that wishes to be competitive and achieve a higher market share. Quality control can be performed effectively when the vital process metrics can be measured and controlled effectively. To be able to make better use of the process metrics an SPC system or Statistical Process Control System is extremely useful. An SPC system becomes mandatory for products that have a complex process and face a high level of technological turbulence.
An SPC system if used should be process specific and be able to provide information that is highly refined and helps efficient and real time decision making. Nowadays there are systems that can perform complex calculations in fractions of seconds and provide valuable process specific information. However just any SPC application will not be able to benefit your Organization. An SPC system performs best when it is used with an MES application; this helps better Quality control and more transparency. So which application is required for your Organization and who are the guys you should use to implement it?
I2DS is the best choice, if you want the Best-In-Class SPC application at a reasonable price. At I2DS we realize the value a good SPC tool in your Organization’s system can add value to your entire operations and how it can improve your Quality control substantially. Our highly potent and capable SPC is capable of generating real time information like Cp & CpK Charts, Real-Time Process Data, Trends feedback, Tool Shutdown, Trend Charts, SMS Text Capabilities, E-mail alerts and other process specific charts and reports. Our SPC application is modeled as per your process and includes the metrics that you and your end customer consider vital. So if you have the desire to use Statistical tools to generate higher Quality, look no further, I2DS is right here to take care of Quality control endeavor. E-mail us at info@i2ds.com we welcome your comments and suggestions as well, please leave a comment if you find the content useful or just want to know more about our products.
by I2DS | Jan 30, 2019 | Blogs
By Vivek Bhachawat
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 | Jan 30, 2019 | Blogs
By Vivek Bhachawat
All Operations professional know and would agree that no matter how fool proof a process might be there is always a possibility of an excursion. The later an excursion is detected the more loss it causes. Detecting an excursion becomes even more important in discreet manufacturing as every product is different and tailor made. Even in an HVM production line an excursion can cause a massive loss if it remains undetected, thereby causing both financial and non financial loss. The financial loss caused by an excursion can be calculated, but the non financial loss, such as loss of customer goodwill, loss to the brand value, product replacement and product recall can permanently damage the image of an Organization.
Each Lot that is produced is of great value to the factory and any excursion during production process is a definite loss. It is imperative to be proactive in checking all production requirements are appropriately filled even before the material leaves the Ware-house. Being reactive will only lead to analysis of the loss that has already occurred rather than preventing it. Today most Factories are employing standard ERP systems that give material traceability to and from the warehouse, but what if the excursion occurs during production or when the material has already gone through the first stage of processing? Most systems lack the capability of tracking material through the production line; this may lead to a major loss in material and production time. The chances of an excursion occurring during the production process is higher as the material under processing changes hands a number of times and even in a completely automated process non conformities may occur at any stage of processing.
So what is required is a better information system that allows us to monitor the material during and after the production process. When we have a system that is capable of recording and reporting all the metrics relevant to a production lot, the chances of detecting and preventing an excursion are increased. Employing an integrated system that can track material throughout the production process is very important. I2DS is a pioneer in design and application of such innovative and cutting edge information systems. We have developed a unique Inventory Management Solution, which allows you to track your material even after it leaves the Ware-house. Our system gives you the ability to track the exact location of material, anywhere and everywhere in the production line, right up to the finished goods stage.
Our system is capable of collaborating with your existing ERP system to give you better control and complete traceability for your material. Our system is in-line with JIT theory and helps you monitor the inventory at each and every step of production and insures you not only detect but prevent any excursion that might happen. Our system allows you to detect excursions faster and thereby helps you to prevent losses which might have otherwise occurred. So if you are interested in cutting your losses and improve traceability of your material, contact us right now and get a free demo of our path breaking solutions, e-mail us at info@i2ds.com
