Manufacturing Systems
Updating your manufacturing systems? We hope that you will find the this portal useful and informative. Please check out our online manufacturing management systems directories and feel free to let us know how we can improve the site. Good manufacturing solutions can mean the difference between , failure, survival and success in today's manufacturing enterprise. We hope that our online vendors will make your software selection a success. Manufacturing solutions integrated with ERP class business systems have been implemented in many manufacturing facilities today. The successful implementations seem to be those that allow plants to innovate and as business opportunities arise.
Highly configurable systems are outpacing canned systems and providing a path for innovation. Advancements in browser based technology are enabling agile deployment strategies.
Manufacturing software helps manufacturers improve production performance by providing visable control and reporting across the enterprise.
Finding the Right Vendor
Finding a good vendor can be a daunting task when considering augmenting or modernizing your manufacturing system. There are many considerations including service after the sale, and the ability to innovate and the ability to easily upgradeIntegrating Manufacturing Systems
Good manufacturing system modules are designed to be integrated with a variety of software applications you may already have in place, such as accounting and financial packages, purchasing, MRP systems, capacity planning, (CRM)customer relationship management, inventory (Raw materials, WIP, Finished goods) and job cost or process cost accounting.Benefits of a Good Manufacturing System
Better customer satisfaction Improved manufacturing efficiency Faster time to market/order fulfillment Reduced inventory carrying costs Reduced production down-time Improved business intelligenceKPI Scheduling Software
Software that integrates Key Performance Indicators with advanced Scheduling functionality, referred to as KPI Scheduling Software, offers many benefits. By allowing officers, managers, and general employees to access top end KPI technology, such systems give organizations a priceless tool. KPI Scheduling software ensures that a company is meeting the goals that are required to keep it competitive.
Identifying and analyzing the direction of your company then defining goals to meet that mission is only half the battle. Once these crucial steps are complete, a business has to find a way to accurately measure progress towards key objectives. Key Performance Indicators or KPI Software make this data visible.
KPI Scheduling software organizes a company’s scheduling goals and verifies the completion of each step. By setting targeted dates, assigning groups to projects and offering rewards as well as accountability for completed objectives an organization can guarantee progress towards important goals.
Key Performance Indicators Scheduling Systems may be difficult to find since KPI software is still relatively new to the market. In theory such software makes sense, but only a few software creators have put KPI to the test. One company is Tuppas Software, www.Tuppas.com. Visit their KPI page at: http://www.tuppas.com/KPI-Software/KPI-Software.htm. Tuppas specializes in flexible software in order to provide the best solution for a variety of businesses. Unlike most software companies, they guarantee their clients satisfaction with their products.
For more information on scheduling you should check out Production-Scheduling-Systems.com. The site offers a collection of reviews on scheduling and advanced planning and it's worth a look if you're considing a new system or an upgrade to an existing system.
Lean Manufacturing Consulting
To compete with cheap foreign imports, manufacturers of high quality goods must be as efficient as possible. What does it mean to be lean and how is it accomplished? The definition of Lean Manufacturing is inputting fewer raw materials, labor in hours, overall investment and space to manufacure the same quality and quantity of products. Because of the obvious benefits of becoming lean, manufacturers constantly attempt to accomplish this.
Due to this trend, consulting services to implement a workable, lean model are in high demand. Although it may be costly, investing in a consultant to become lean should provide a good return on your investment. Find a consulting firm that has years of experience working with manufacturers, but also understands software systems. Purchasing the correct software to streamline your operations is crucial. For example, software centered around Six Sigma, (procedures meant to reduce defects and understand the root cause of defects) lets a manufacturer trace the causes of noncomformant parts. Supervisors can view the data with a variety of visual tools and reports so that they understand what is impacting product quality the most.
Becoming truly lean requires knowledge of the company’s operations to know where opportunities for improvement exist. A flexible system empowers you to take advantage of these opportunities without forcing you to conform your business to the software. Less advanced software expects you to change your business use their software. This mistake can cause your business to suffer by eliminating the parts of your operation that have made it a success.
Flexible Manufacturing Software
Business management software is necessary to run a company efficiently. Simple software often sustains an organization when it is small, but as it grows, different, more progressive functionality for the system is usually required. Finding a system that includes capabilities that you desire and the ability to expand when you need to can be difficult.
Manufacturing environments vary greatly even within the same industry. Even plants which manufacture the same product(s) have different processes, equipment, labor structures, etc. Because of this variance, out-of-the-box systems usually do not meet expectations, especially when it comes to shop-floor systems. Systems such as Downtime Reporting, Defect Tracking, SPC (Statistical Process Control), PM (Preventative Maintenance), Production Scheduling, APS (Advanced Planning Software), Job Tracking, and Production Reporting that are tailored for a specific company’s situation provide the best return on investment.
Most manufacturing companies have ample room for process improvement. In addition to tracking shop-floor data (which is then displayed with charts, graphs and other methods), high-end software often includes AI (Artificial Intelligence) to enhance the system. AI is not effective as a generically written procedure. Such programming reviews a variety of variables, each intregal to the outcome of it’s agenda. Deploying Genetic Algorithms, a tailored software is capable of optimizing product runs through closed-loop process control, and advanced planning optimization. Only a few companies exist that have experience writing AI for manufacturing companies. One that we’ve found is: http://www.Tuppas.com.
SRM Software Capabilities
SRM stands for Supplier Relationship Management. SRM software exists mainly to streamline the communications between purchaser and supplier, giving less room for errors to occur. Deploying EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) aids in many SRM systems. Business to business transactions require flexibility due to the variance of business pratices. Software should be modifiable to accommodate multiple companys’ prefered operational methods.
Electronic Kan-Ban systems offer another method of SRM, ensuring fewer errors due to mismanaged paperwork and the timely arrival of supplies. Advances in technology allow Kan-Ban to be performed electronically, allowing for. And SRM systems have other benefits as well. Tailored software allow managers to view trending of raw materials, track supplier cost and delivery speed to choose the most efficient suppliers, and offers charts/graphs that give an overview of the data. Advanced systems run on hand-held devices so the information is accessible anywhere.
User friendly systems are essential to the success of a software implementation. But generic, out-of-the-box software is often cumbersome due to attempts to build a one-size-fits-all interface. Software companies do this so they can sell the same software to thousands of businesses. One problem with pre-packaged software is that it stifles innovation by encouraging conformance with generic industry standards. Only tailored software maximizes SRM capabilities while providing a simplistic user interface.
Raw Materials and FIFO Inventory Systems
The first inventory systems were capable of little more than keeping count of supplies. Businesses that carry a small amount of inventory may only need a simple system, some can even use Excel spreadsheets to track inventory. For companies with more advanced inventory needs, innovative inventory systems offer raw materials batch tracking, FIFO rotation, JIT (Just-In-Time) forecasting, Material Requirements Planning (MRP) and more. If your business could benefit from some or all of these capabilities, you should consider purchasing a high-end inventory system. Such solutions have the potential to save an organization thousands of dollars.
Advanced Inventory Software offers the option to create purchase requisitions when supplies are low with EDI (Electronic Data Interface), eliminating excessive paperwork. Or if you require purchase approvals, a system can be set up to e-mail, page, or otherwise alert key individuals that it is time to purchase materials with datapush. JIT Inventory systems analyze past market trends to forecast necessary supplies/raw materials. Cost savings are achieved by reducing warehouse space and depreciation costs.
Only high-end inventory systems offer accurate advanced inventory functionality. Tailored systems offer reasonable prices with only the capabilities that you require. Flexible software provides an intuitive system designed around your goals. The ability to choose the functions you desire and eliminate unnecessary structure empowers you to reap the benefits of a high-end solution without the confusion of an overly complicated system. Do not underestimate the importance of a user-friendly solution, it ensures successful implementation without excessive training.
Closed-Loop Process Control
Are you looking for a better way to control your process? Consolidating your process control efforts with a highly effective system can reduce costs and improve your quality. A innovative approach to Process Control software is immerging. It’s called Closed Loop. Developed for process-based manufacturing, Closed Loop systems gather streams of data from key production points. Next, the data is evaluated and the set points from the most effective runs as stored as references for subsequent starting points. This not only offers efficiency benefits, it results in a more consistent production flow.
Only top-end, software companies offer Closed-Loop systems. This is due to the fact that such software requires tailoring of the system. Only system with artificial intelligence can process the data effectively to provide relevant suggestions. Often several factors must be considered for the system to benefit your operation. Generic software is rarely able to provide multi-level analysis.
When Closed-Loop software is built around your goals, it can be a very valuable tool. A configured system offers all the capabilities you desire with a user-friendly interface. Completely custom systems should be avoided because once the technology becomes obsolete (which happens in about 5 year), you have to build or buy a new system. A tailored system with a Model-Driven Architecture overcomes the problems associate with custom software while offering flexibility.
Lean Manufacturing Software
Becoming and remaining lean in the manufacturing industry is essential. Only the most efficient manufacturers are able to be successful. In addition to internal restructuring there are other tools available to help a company become lean. Many software systems offer the capability to become paperless, but if a system requires excessive data entry, it will not improve productivity.
A system that is designed for your specific industry may be hard to find and usually provides a rigid structure which means you must conform your procedures to the software’s format. Flexible software allows you to take advantage of continuous improvement projects while becoming lean. Systems that allow for augmentation provide a clear advantage over generic software.
Even though industry standards can be similar, internal procedures vary greatly between plants, even plants that manufacture the exact same product(s). Due to the variety of operations, out-of-the-box software often fails upon implementation. One of the problems is usability. Tailored software offers user-friendly interfaces that utilize your terminology and will not include unnecessary functionality.
Benefits of Continuous Improvements Software
Continuously improving processes and procedures to become more effective is the focus of most successful organizations. Did you know that there is software that can help you with continuous improvement? Such software can be set up in a variety of ways to best meet your goals. One way of using the software involves the following steps:
- Submit Ideas
Employees and/or Focus Groups submit ideas into the software. - Assign projects to teams
Management decides which ideas to pursue, assigns cost savings/value to the projects then gives them to a particular team. - Track Projects
Status and progress is tracked on each project. - Rank based on performance
Employees receive status ranking directly based upon their performance. This is often a factor of the number of projects an employee is working on and the value of the projects. - Recognition
Award your employees with incentives to keep them excited about continuous improvement - Team motivation
Rewards and recognition will motivate your employees to work together to improve your business!
Software designed to improve and organize your continuous improvement efforts provides many benefits. Reduce unnecessary costs when all of your employees actively seek better time-management solutions. Employee innovations often increase your profit margin since they understand your process. Keep your employees motivated with a fair, traceable incentives program.
Benefits of Barcode Scanning Systems
Companies implement barcode scanning operations for many purposes. Some are looking for a way to improve accountability through more accurately recording job-related activities. Others wish to eliminate unnecessary man hours and paperwork by tracking inventory items by scanning them. Several types of systems can be made more accurate through the use of barcode scanning. Examples of systems that can be improved through the use of a scanning operation:
- Quality Control/Certification
- Defect/Reject Tracking
- Component/Raw Materials Tracking
- Lot Traceability
- On hand inventory tracking
- Job Tracking
- Preventative Maintenance
- Production reporting/counting
- Shipping
- Purchasing/Reordering
RFID is the future of scanning. Although implementing RFID is currently viewed as cost prohibitive, it is becoming more affordable as the technology improves. If you are in immediate need of a scanning operation, but can not afford RFID, a good solution is to choose a tailorable software that will work with barcod scanners, but can be converted to integrate with RFID devices in the future.
Very few software providers are able to offer the capability to work with new hardware without rebuilding the system. One company that we have found is Tuppas Software – www.Tuppas.com. Their high quality software is configurable, so it’s functionality is based on your goals.
Benefits of Job Tracking Systems
Do you know when each job in your shop will be finished? Can you tell a client who calls where their job is in your process? With a real-time Job Tracking system you can! With minimal data input, a powerful system can provide you with a valuable view into your shop floor. Whether you connect to your PLCs, implement new hardware such as scanners, or choose a manual input, tracking your material as it travels through your process can provide many benefits. These benefits include:
- Real-time view into your shop-floor activities
- Improved customer loyalty through accurate delivery times
- Ability to update your clients as to the status of their orders
- Understand which work areas/machines cause bottlenecks
- Reports, charts and graphs that display pertinent information in a visually appealing fashion allows executives/management to quickly evaluate shop-floor conditions.
A tailored system that has been designed around your goals that is set up to only collect production data relevant to your operation allows for the quick implementation and a high return on your investment. Configurable software gives you only the necessary functionality, while ensuring a user-friendly interface with robust reporting capabilities. Generic software offers only limited functionality based on general goals. For maximum usability with minimal implementation/training time, consider a configured system. The ROI is usually higher when you are willing to invest in a high-end tailored system.
 Manufacturing ERP |
ShopFloorReporting.com |
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Thin Client ERP |
Wireless ERP |
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Plant Schedule |
IBM |
| ERP | Industrial Control |
| Industrial | Lean Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing | MES |