The integrative improvement blog discusses and provides commentary on the latest topics in the business performance improvement sector.
Going digital will streamline operations and speed up production, helping you get a leg up on the competition. But in the rush to get ahead, you may inadvertently leave your front-line employees behind. Microlearning could help them develop the skills necessary to find and retrieve knowledge, as needed, in a fast-changing workplace environment.
Recently named one of Gartner’s Top 10 strategic technology trends, digital twin technology is poised to change the face of the manufacturing sector. It’ll have a significant impact on the way products are designed and maintained by making manufacturing processes more efficient and reducing throughput times.
There’s no single road map for a successful digital transformation. The path is different for every company and industry. However, there must be a concerted attempt to get employee buy-in from the start. It’s therefore imperative to have leaders with the right mindset and motivation to guide the digital transformation process.
In the world of business, learning is a conscious attempt to continuously improve work practices. But the drive to work smarter, not harder, is not a new one. In 1990, Peter Senge introduced the concept of the learning organisation. Now, almost 30 years later, a new learning organisation theory is gaining traction.
In a world of constant change and disruption, how can you know when ‘improvement’ is enough or, more importantly, when it’s time to leapfrog your competitors with a radical overhaul of an activity? The world’s most successful organisations approach breakthrough improvements by developing a high-level strategy for their smart manufacturing vision.
Best-in-class organisations are recognising the importance of leveraging advanced planning and scheduling (APS) solutions by using them to augment their ERP and/or MES operational systems. Indeed, APS represents a revolution compared to traditional planning systems, most notably manufacturing resource planning (MRP).
In many manufacturing organisations, the EAM system (or CMMS) still exists separately from other business systems, and it’s not uncommon for different departments, such as production and maintenance, to maintain their own databases with job information. While it’s possible for manufacturers to function using disparate systems, this fragmented approach may impede downstream improvement efforts.
Over the years, organisations with legacy ERP systems have been trying to keep up with expanding global markets by continually updating and customising their on-premise systems. But, according to Gartner, these legacy systems – some as old as 20 years – are proving increasingly expensive to maintain and difficult to manage.
To meet or beat the often-changing demands of your customers consistently, you must be flexible, reliable and valuable. This is where centre-lining can help. Applied properly, centre-lining not only reduces variability in quality, it also increases machine efficiency and stabilises production.
Industry 4.0 won’t change manufacturing overnight: instead, it is likely to evolve as new technologies emerge over time. But to really future-proof your operations, you will need to look beyond traditional manufacturing execution systems (MES).
