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
There are two universal variables each organization deals with and it is these variables that determine the shape, size and future of the operations in every Organization. These variables are Market Forces and Internal Capabilities. Both these factors are constantly changing and interdependent, this means that every organization in the world keeps changing as per changes in these factors. In present day and age most operations in the world have become customer centric and Quality of products has become the most important deliverable. The above statement implies that now the market forces are stronger than ever and most successful organizations have realized this and have been able to successfully alter their internal capabilities accordingly. It is the pursuit of this dynamic equilibrium between market forces and internal capabilities that has cause a sea change to cycle time and TTM.
Due to smarter consumers and their short attention span, the cycle time required for product development and marketing 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 higher 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? To reduce the TTM, it is vital to have MES applications that allow quick decision making and reduce cycle time. MES applications that are dedicated to your process will help you achieve the TTM you are looking for. MES applications allow seamless integration of all verticals in your production process and can help reduce the cycle time drastically. This happens because such systems help process information in real-time at all levels of management, thereby achieving a better and more cohesive development of products and services. But any off the shelf solution will not be the correct choice if you have a complex process and need to improve your TTM in a large way. You need a process specific solution that can adapt to your unique needs.
An MES application needs careful design and consideration of your process in every aspect. This application can help you achieve a flexible and highly adaptive operation, but the choice of the MES provider is a vital constraint to your success. Such applications can not be purchased off the shelf as general applications will never provide you the desired functionality. MES application design needs a combination of Operational expertise and Software design proficiency, these skills allow for an MES application that is process specific and can lead to great reduction in cycle time. If you have any questions about the pressures your Organization is facing to reduce cycle time and how to cope and better manage your process, please write into us at info@i2ds.com.
by I2DS | Jan 30, 2019 | Blogs
How much money do you think you loose due to excursions that occur on a daily basis on your production floor on a daily basis? Excursions that occur due to lack of planning, preventive maintenance and lack of process insight can become a major cost center. Also due to the highly random nature of excursions it becomes very hard to detect them and prevent them from happening. During a process simple or complicated, there are thousands of things that can go wrong, the more complex the procedure the more excursions that can occur. So, is there any way to detect a possible excursion and prevent it from becoming a major cost center?
Yes, there is a way. Process integration is the best way to achieve excursion prevention. The major area where an excursion is most likely to occur is generally at the interface of two subsequent operations of the process. This is because of the fact that the material under process changes hands during subsequent operations in terms of machines and personnel. With an integrated process the chances of an excursion happening become really slim, this is because there is a clear communication path and free flow of information in the entire process.
Theories like Total Productive Maintenance or TPM greatly emphasize the need for excursion prevention rather than the standard practice of excursion detection and subsequent corrective action. Most manufacturing processes in the world have become highly complex, to make it difficult for competition to imitate them, also almost every production process is unique in some way even though the equipment used might be similar to others. Information Technology and process automation and integration applications are helping organizations around the world exercise better control and achieve higher excursion prevention.
But just any ‘off the shelf’ application will not help you improve your unique process and changing the entire process to better suit the soft ware application does not make sense. A tailor made solution is required that has been designed to suit your process and then achieve the required functionality of excursion prevention. I2DS has been able to devise such solution which are helping its customers increase the effectiveness of their prevention efforts and thereby increasing their profitability as well.
Most systems lack the capability of tracking material through the production line; this may lead to a major loss in material and production time. There is an evident need for a solution that can help track material throughout the production line and I2DS has just the solution for this problem. 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 solutions are 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.
by I2DS | Jan 30, 2019 | Blogs
Discreet Manufacturing is considered different from process manufacturing because the end product being produced is different every time, unlike process manufacturing. Practices like customization and delayed differentiation have allowed discreet manufacturers achieve the economies of scale and scope. Process manufacturing concentrates on refining the process and achieving the same end result every time with lesser cost and higher quality. In discreet manufacturing however, the process of production needs to be flexible and adapt itself to the desired end result. In discreet manufacturing the ability of the process to change as the product specifications change is a prerogative, also the high standards for quality and the pressure to lower the cost is ever existent.
MES applications for process manufacturing generally concentrate on the integration of the operation and achieving higher quality by achieving better process control and facilitating real-time decision making. The requirement of flexibility is not as important in MES applications for process manufacturing. In discreet manufacturing however, flexibility is the top priority. Coming back to the topic of today’s blog, Is an MES application successful in discreet manufacturing? The answer is No and Yes. The reason I have given such an answer is not to confuse my readers but to state the following observation. In my experience an MES application can fail any where irrespective of the production process, this happens because the management fails to determine their needs and choose the wrong application. In such a case an MES application might fail in a discreet process as well. For an MES application to be successful the management needs to carefully assess their needs and choose an MES application accordingly.
I believe that every process is unique and should be considered individually, especially for discreet manufacturing companies. The application of an MES solution can be successful in a discreet manufacturing environment, only if the process in analyzed completely and the parameters that need to be monitored and the process metrics that need to be analyzed are determined, before choosing the structure of the MES application. An MES solution can lead to higher productivity, lower cost, better quality and enhanced flexibility, only if the MES application partner specializes in the design and implementation of such applications.
Here I would like to introduce I2DS to you. I2DS is an organization that specializes in MES applications and has a team of expert analysts that works on the process specific design of the MES application. After designing the MES application, tailor made to your needs, our team of experts implement the application for you and provide a complete change management program for the employees. This makes I2DS the most preferred MES application provider in the industry today. We treat every manufacturing process individually and this makes our solutions the best choice for you. If you think that an MES application can not work in your process, just give us a buzz and we will show you how an MES application can make your operation more productive and much more profitable. For a live demo of our applications and solutions just hit the Request Live Demo Tab on this page or you can also e-mail us at info@i2ds.com.
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
What is profitability? Is it just making more and more money? Is it the blind pursuit of profit where no attention should be paid to the means of achieving it? The views on profitability might differ drastically depending on many socio-economic factors, what is important is that we realize why profitability is perceived differently around the world and what should be the true meaning of profitability in today’s economic environment. Profitability is perceived and pursued differently in different regions of the world and this difference arises due to the country’s economic maturity and the society’s general beliefs and its perception business ethics. Ideally any organization in business wants to achieve profit maximization, which is a valid thought; increasing value for the stakeholders is the number 1 priority of all firms. But it is the means of achieving higher profitability that becomes important in present context.
Sustainable Profitability, Social Responsibility and Ethical Conduct are a few aspects of modern theory of profitability and profit maximization cannot occur at the expense of these aspects. To achieve such profitability the organization needs thorough understanding of its own capabilities and its external environment. Let’s concentrate on the term Sustainable Profitability, and how can it be achieved in manufacturing operations considering the drastic changes in customer preferences, high speed of technological development and growing global competition. Sustainable Profitability comprises the achievement of maximum possible profitability under the given set of conditions and the effort required to sustain it in the given market conditions. Yes, sustaining long term profits is much more important than earning massive profits in the short term. In Manufacturing Industry, achieving higher sustained profitability is a function of productivity, which is both optimized and flexible. When we say optimized productivity we mean that the process produces the best possible output with the given resources, technology and employee skills, at minimal cost. When we say flexible productivity we mean productivity that is capable of reacting and adjusting to environmental changes, which are mostly uncertain. For a process to achieve sustainable profits, it should be both optimal and flexible at the same time.
This desired productivity, is again a function of automation and technical competence of the process and how well it is managed and controlled. To achieve process automation and reach the desired level of efficiency and flexibility, it is extremely important that IT applications like MES are considered. Successful MES applications have the power to combine the two most important facets of better productivity which are 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.
