Production Monitoring: Automated.

Every manufacturer has been there: Orders are out of control, and demand is sky-high. Overtime has become the norm, and everyone is wondering how to meet demand without increasing lead time and creating quality problems. All too often, when this scenario arises, the answer is presented in terms of more labor or equipment. Those are certainly the most common answers, but also the most expensive. Do you understand your equipment and processes well enough to know whether adding...

Many complex elements are needed to run a modern manufacturing operation. Equipment, raw materials, operators, and supply chain professionals work together to ensure production is on time and made to specifications. Production scheduling is also a critical part of the process, acting as a roadmap for production. But planning out production in an accurate and effective manner has historically been a challenge. There are many variables at play, not only the internal...

The need for knowledge transfer has always existed, from verbal stories handed down over generations to handwritten notes passed from an existing employee to a new one. The same need has always existed for manufacturers to ensure product consistency and equipment operation. But today, it’s even more critical. As other employment opportunities have grown, manufacturing companies have found themselves without enough skilled workers. In many cases, more “head” knowledge is lost...

Change is inevitable. But the rapid pace of changes brought on by severe disruption has altered the way companies do business. This has led to significant shifts in the global supply chain that affect manufacturers from placing raw material orders all the way to the production floor. After an initial rally in mid-2020, supplier lead times began to increase again at the beginning of January 2021. By Q3 of 2021, lead times had grown 2.5% higher than during the pandemic. The...

Manufacturing is an expensive undertaking. Manufacturers must delicately balance materials, labor, and overhead costs against sales goals to maximize profits and hit their targets. Quotes help navigate this complex equation, ensuring customers quickly have an idea of the cost of a given job. This can be a tricky process as manufacturers must have a strong record of their overhead and operating expenses across all the different parts they offer, as well as the ability to...

Organizational change can be organic and incremental. But it can also be rapid and nerve-wracking, triggered by technology advancements, disruption, or both. Over the last decade, manufacturing has often been on the losing end of change when finding and retaining employees. Faced with decades of cultural bias that negatively defined manufacturing to those entering the workforce, producers were already disadvantaged. The promises of an academic degree, high-tech employment...

Cloud computing and software as a service (SaaS) are increasingly popular in the manufacturing industry, with many companies taking advantage of their benefits to optimize processes and improve efficiency. Despite the advantages that cloud computing and SaaS bring to the table, many executives and IT decision-makers are hesitant to embrace them due to a variety of concerns including security and cost. There is also a fear that the cloud represents a new way of managing data...

Connecting the Enterprise By scaling machine connectivity across multiple plants, enterprises can gain a comprehensive view of their operations, which can help them identify areas for improvement, optimize processes, and allocate resources accordingly. Currently, CXOs have little accurate data on the efficiency of their operations, leading them to make decisions based on limited, delayed, and biased information. With market competition increasing, supply chain constraints,...

Manual production monitoring efforts can only take you so far. The paper sheets, excel docs, whiteboards, and manual data entry systems are putting a strain on frontline workers. Not to mention, they’re leading to delayed, inaccurate data that hinders decision-making and leaves management scrambling for answers. (Hint: How truly accurate is your ERP?) And basic machine monitoring solutions aren’t cutting it. Manufacturers need automated solutions to capture rich shop floor...

Supply chain disruptions, shortages, rising energy prices, and inflation have increased costs for almost every industry, manufacturing included. On top of that, skilled labor is difficult to find, and rising quickly in cost as a result. The good news is that production (output) in the US continues to rise over time, and we are seeing a resurgence since the dip during the Pandemic. (Image Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics We are heading in the right direction as an...