Published in mbtmag.com
When it comes to going lean in manufacturing, the iPad is much more than a space saver, it’s an agile money-saver and money-maker, too.
Although it plays a vital role in manufacturing, executives
continue to struggle with the intersection of analytics and
information to support lean manufacturing initiatives. But this
code has suddenly been cracked, thanks in part to the iPad.
Why the iPad?
What's the iPad's secret for a significant production increase and
more uniform conformance to a manufacturer's lean manufacturing
initiative? It's simple. iPad's iOS provides a new way to touch
applications and manipulate data. Gone are the days with people
stuck navigating through menus while juggling a laptop or
netbook. More than any other executive, today's manufacturing
professional needs agility and mobility. And when squeezing insight
and meaning out of every piece of data adds up to reduced costs,
improved throughput and ultimately greater profitability, the new
iOS approach can make the world of difference.
Take a manufacturing company with global facilities as an example
- how do operations management and senior executives quickly drill
down to the latest production run statistics for a given line or
machine at a glance? Enter the iPad. While there are plenty of
cases where an iPad has been used on the manufacturing floor to
keep track of tactical functions, it can be even more powerful in
the hands of management, looking at every strategic advantage that
could boost the bottom line. That's where manufacturing
intelligence comes into play.
Yet one of the biggest challenges with some business intelligence
applications is that the very data and detail that makes them so
powerful can make them cumbersome. For example, data from various
locations may not be centralized, making performance comparisons
between manufacturing sites a time consuming task. But the same
design that makes consuming media on an iPad such a joy also makes
it possible to rapidly drill in to the latest data sets, and can
even make slicing and dicing data fun.
How the iPad Helps With Lean Manufacturing
Lean manufacturing can radically improve profitability, customer
satisfaction, throughput time, and employee morale. The benefits
are generally lower costs, higher quality, and shorter lead times.
To make an initiative as "lean" as possible, executives help by
significantly cutting down on massive amounts of red tape.
Enter the iPad. By using an iPad as a new way of interacting with
operations data, manufacturing companies have transformed the way
they do business. In the 20-plus years I have been working with
manufacturers, I've never seen executives so interested in - and in
fact, eager to manipulate - detailed data. We now have CEOs and
division presidents making decisions and providing leadership based
on what's happening on the factory floor right now and today.
In most situations, interpreting details takes time that senior
executives just can't afford, so they use summary data, which
doesn't give the whole story. That ultimately means many "cooks in
the kitchen" are needed to manage a lean manufacturing initiative.
Yet the iPad's ability to make unfiltered, real-time information
readily consumable also eliminates the need for interpretation or
summarization, letting executives get an accurate, undiluted view
of every aspect of operations. This enables even the most senior
leaders to be involved in lean manufacturing initiatives from the
get go - without help from others to translate data.
Here's a scenario I've seen first-hand, in which an iPad app
helped generate some healthy competition among executives. Let's
say Plant A in Paducah, Kentucky has re-architected its product
line and realized a significant increase in capacity. With
real-time data accessed easily and intuitively with an iPad
manufacturing intelligence app, Plant B's lead executive in
Springfield, Illinois immediately saw the efficiencies Plant A
accomplished. Instead of reinventing the wheel, the Plant B exec
easily replicated and instituted these efficiencies.
In a particular instance like this, we've seen the manufacturer
increase capacity across North America operations by 25 percent in
less than four months. The reason? The operations management team
and senior executives - all the way up to the C-suite - have
meaningful data in their hands with the iPad app that gives them
visual insight to tackle tough problems and propagate best
practices as they happen.
Ultimately the iPad means fewer resources and much less time
needed to diagnose a problem and improve efficiencies across an
enterprise. It's also the only way for manufacturing professionals
to connect and understand manufacturing performance real-time,
regardless of their proximity to the production line or shop floor.
So when it comes to going lean in manufacturing, the iPad is much
more than a space saver, it's an agile money-saver and money-maker,
too.
About the Author
Andy Amalfitano is VP & General Manager of the Manufacturing
Execution and Intelligence Division at Solarsoft Business Systems,
a supplier of modern business management systems, ERP software, and
IT services to manufacturers, distributors, and wholesale
businesses worldwide. With more than 20 years in the application
software business, including 12 years at both Dun & Bradstreet
Software and The Baan Company, Andy is passionate about helping
manufacturers achieve their productivity and performance goals. You
can contact him at andy.amalfitano@solarsoft.com.
Published by:
Manufacturing Business Technology Magazine
Reprinted by:
FoodManufacturing.com
PharmaPro.com
LeanOffice.us
MacDirectory.com