Once you cut through the hype-cycle surrounding Smart Manufacturing you will find that, if implemented properly, going Smart grants manufacturers the ability to identify the true sources of their woes at the click of a mouse.
What the hype misses, but more and more manufacturers are discovering, is the critical role MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) platforms like Quantum play in solution-focused Smart Manufacturing. Collecting data isn’t enough. Solving problems and optimizing production requires the production control and visibility available only with dedicated manufacturing software.
With an MES supported by Smart production data, manufacturers will:
Many companies struggle to decide where to store and use the Smart Manufacturing data. While their ERP can generate reports, it’s too far upstream in the manufacturing workflow to add value to production. A production-focused MES provides the workflow connections necessary to capitalize on the data, quickly identifying problems and implementing solutions. For example, if a machine goes down an MES will jump into action, rerouting work to maintain the shipping schedule.
Data alone won’t accelerate production or increase profit. You need to connect the data to the production insight provided by an MES to make a rapid, positive impact on production. In the previous example, if the machine goes down your MES will allow you to see the operation and actions taken that resulted in the problem. Supervisors can adjust processes to eliminate the problem in the future. When a line goes down, you can see the impact on production and evaluate the cost and benefit of solution options. Raw data is just information. An MES turns data into profit.
The goal of Smart Manufacturing isn’t better reports. You need to increase production and efficiency, and eliminate errors and waste. Smart Manufacturing solutions rely on getting critical information to the people who need the data to positively impact production; this is the primary role of any MES. With an MES, you can create feedback loops in the production value chain to shorten the time between the identification of a problem and the resolution. When a problem happens, an alert in the software is immediately sent so action can be taken quickly. There’s no need to search for information or wait for answers.
The foundation of Smart Manufacturing is turning production visibility and manufacturing insight into increased profit and efficiency.
Simply collecting data and running reports isn’t enough. Smart manufacturers turn insight into action that solves problems, generates revenue, eliminates errors, and accelerates throughput. An MES and dedicated manufacturing software includes the tools manufacturers need to take action on Smart Manufacturing data.