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Achieve Increased Productivity Through Transparency
Technology Category
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
Applicable Functions
- Discrete Manufacturing
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Manufacturing System Automation
- Predictive Maintenance
Services
- System Integration
- Software Design & Engineering Services
The Challenge
The manufacturing industry is facing an abundance of complexity, which becomes more apparent with frequent product innovation and shorter product life cycles. Digitization and the ability to access information from anywhere and at any time are changing the rules in almost all sectors. Manufacturers must accelerate production cycles and distributors must shorten delivery times. In response to changing dynamics involving savvy consumer expectations, time to market, and intense global competition coupled with the Internet of Things and mobile technologies, the entire supply chain ecosystem is undergoing a vast transformation. With the many meanings of digital transformation at innovative companies, to remain competitive means to uncover potential for increased productivity and to unleash the hidden factory. Hard facts from machine data must be accessed, understood, and evaluated for effective intervention.
About The Customer
The customer in this case study is a market-leading machinery firm. The production manager of the firm was convinced that production could become even more efficient to save costs and resources despite the complexity of the manufacturing process. Once a year, a prominent ITConsulting firm offered advice on how to optimize the value chain and subsequently, the productivity by more than 20%. Such high gains in productivity were achieved through the reduction of waiting and downtimes, leading to increased machine availability. Results however were affected by frequent new product introductions and shorter product life cycles.
The Solution
The solution to the challenge was the implementation of the FORCAM FORCE solution, specifically the “REPORTING & VISUALIZATION” module. This tool offers critical information on the production process in real-time alongside key performance indicators (KPI) delivered to all devices in use by the shop floor and management personnel today. The firm deployed a Quality Management System (QMS) alongside a powerful SAP ERP system. The production manager and IT-department were in agreement that just a monolithic IT-system was NOT sufficient to integrate all generated data from planning - design - assembly - to production across the company. The overall design of the system should ensure that interoperability with other systems is adhered to at all times and that it corresponds with the conventional automation pyramid in use.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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