As an SME, how to start your visual factory?
In today’s world, data is important. It will be very challenging to monitor production without accurate data. Without data, we’d be guessing and hoping we made the correct decision. By gathering, analysing and visualizing data, identifying issues and trends becomes possible and manufacturing excellence can be achieved.
It’s time to move on from using Excel data to create a dashboard even though this is commonly used. Manufacturing is fast-paced, and as a result, it needs a fast-paced solution to keep up with the ever-changing industry. A Shop Floor Tracking (in short SFT) could be your best choice to start your visual factory.
There are two main types of data that to be gathered – quality and a day-to-day comparison. Once gathered, data visualization can be used to answer important questions regarding the health of a shop floor. Generally, shop floor data can be classified into two categories:
Quality
Day-to-day Comparison:
SFT helps to manage manufacturing operations and monitor performance
SFT can be simply defined as “production scheduling management “. it provide enterprises ability to track a job’s progress through the shop floor , such as: order taking, material feeding, manufacturing, outsourcing, warehousing. Tightly relate all production process with ERP, help manage production’s life cycle.
SFT is suitable for manufacturers in industries such as furniture, plasticware, aerospace, automotive, food & beverage and metal fabrication. It provides enterprises the ability to track a job’s progress through the shop floor, such as: order taking, material feeding, manufacturing, outsourcing, warehousing. Tightly relate all production processes with ERP or accounting system, help manage production’s life cycle.
How SFT Benefits Your Production
Process Improvement
One of the main benefits of shop floor tracking is that it can help to identify which production process require improvement. These areas can be improved by providing additional training for your shop floor employees or setting new processes in place to reduce waste and lower costs.
In a way, profitability is increased and overheads can be decreased. It is easy to allocate resources for other important tasks as the shop floor software can handle the production process efficiently. The automated process leads to more efficient resource planning and contributes to increased productivity.
Managing Process changes
According to real situation in factory, factory manager capable of adding new manufacture process, adding new outsourced process, changing job’s sequence, skipping/deleting a process.
Subcontractor management
Link to SFT via internet, without installing any program. Factory supervisor can look up outsourcing process , can report quantity and the time in/out work center by barcode or other selection methods, can print resourcing documents and transfer order documents.
Useful features to aid production planning and control
Realtime Information
With the benefit of technology, we have to wait no more for data or information. SFT enables real time analysis, this allows you to have complete visibility of your production floor and your order status. Using barcode or machine data collection tools will help provide production status information to the organization in real time. Computer terminals or tablets can be set in place to allow workers to update the progress as they are being completed. This information is then reflected to all departments so that everyone has access to the same information as soon as it is available.
Transparency
Manager only need to access internet to search for external customer orders or internal Planning Orders, Manufacture orders of each customer order, quantity of each manufacture order at any time and from any where. Therefore control the location, quantity, poor quality products and status of each manufacture order at the factory. The manager can always check for the progress of each manufacture order.
SFT offers a variety of Electronic monitor, such as: checking the production status of manufacture orders, if there are lack of material, Production monitor, work dispatching monitor, planned production monitor, overdue production monitor, idle production monitor, machine status inquiry, combine with light signal provide instant information, Information can also be expanded to detail, help all level user to grasp information and quickly handle abnormal situations.
As shop floor tracking offers data, process insight relevant to your production, it enables your employees to all work toward the same goal. This is why accurate data and transparency is a must, because everyone must be on the same page to work toward the overall goal. In addition, shop floor tracking gives production managers transparency into what is happening on the shop floor and highlights the areas where attention needed or can be improved. Production managers also have the ability to know are the production orders on schedule? And ensure that all orders can get to customers on time.
Fully Integrated with ERP system
SFT By grasping real-time information, closely associated with ERP operations, help to “interlock” all the operations of ERP.
Cost Reduction
There are many ways in which shop floor tracking systems can lower costs. Older systems relied on manual entered data which required heavy manpower on collecting and managing data in spreadsheets and relaying the information to the right individuals. With shop floor tracking systems, the data can be collected directly on the shop floor worker as orders are being processed. SFT is also able to locate areas where productivity is lacking which saves time for production managers to know where to focus their efforts. Identifying areas of low efficiency can help set improved processes which can further help reduce costs by eliminating waste, reducing lead time, inventory overhead costs, and avoiding shipment delays.
Support
Teams can solve problems together instead of separately. Shop floor tracking enables various departments to interact and communicate with each other, ultimately allowing them to pursue and fix issues collaboratively. Often, the people in charge of making decisions are the last to know when there are issues or problems occurring on the shop floor. When everyone has access to the same set of data, you don’t lose time trying to get input from different departments. This solves issues much faster and saves the entire operation revenue and time.
SFT information architecture and hard/software specifications suggestions
Client
Using web browser to operate all SFT’s functions. Support IE 8+ or compatible web browsers. It also offer a variety of language execution environment.
Server
Can be installed in the same ERP’s server. Using Java programming language, base on J2EE web technology and achieve international technology standards. Inter-faced is web browser, lead to reduce Maintenance costs of Management Information system (MIS).
Web server use Jboss Application Server, help reduce set-up cost.
Database
Connect to a data source followed by JDBC, including SQL Server
Modules of SFT
Basic data module
Provide all basic data for users to maintain SFT, including: workday calendar, manufacturing resources and process, most data are directly converted from ERP database. Data maintenance module also provide functions, such as: mode setting, data collection setting, monitor setting, language setting, and work station setting, help users to flexibly apply the most suitable field operation management.
Work in Progress (WIP) Tracking Module
Provide functions, from manufacture order, material requisition, outsourcing tracking, works order splitting or merging, poor quality product checking and sorting, to complete customer order. The user can set up work tracking according to the level of detail in work and the data collection according to manager’s specific requirements.
Online dispatching and execution modules
Teams can solve problems together instead of separately. Shop floor tracking enables various departments to interact and communicate with each other, ultimately allowing them to pursue and fix issues collaboratively. Often, the people in charge of making decisions are the last to know when there are issues or problems occurring on the shop floor. When everyone has access to the same set of data, you don’t lose time trying to get input from different departments. This solves issues much faster and saves the entire operation revenue and time.
Hear from the people who have experienced
the results you’ve been waiting for
EPLA & Force Tech: Leading the Way in Footwear Industry
EPLA has transformed from a traditional manufacturing model to a green factory, and has joined hands with Force Tech to achieve the goal of ESG sustainable development.
Balancing Family and Business Operations with Ease by Implementing Digital Systems | Ginfong Precision
Ginfong implemented digital systems, ERP and SFT systems to embark on digital transformation, and its gross profit margin increased from 23% to 34%.
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Xinfuer adopted “Digiwin AIoT Cloud” to improve production efficiency and market competitiveness by building machine data networks and IT/OT data.
Penang Metal Mould Manufacturer First Step in Digitalisation
Since digitalised, they manage accounts and production simultaneously with SFT. They see improvement in machine utilization rate, order delivery rate and customer satisfaction.
Precision Mechanical Machining l MAN WAH HOLDINGS
Precision Mechanical Machining | MANWAH HOLDINGS
Digital and intelligent integration solution for smart factory. With the implementation of delicacy management, enterprises can reduce inventory costs and invalid working time, and increase per capita output. This saves costs and improves work efficiency remarkably.
Rapid Growth Technology
RGT (Rapid Growth Technology) is a one-stop precision injection molding company in Malaysia. RGT strives in digital transformation, works hard from its inventory management to the manufacturing process. Using the tools provided by Digiwin Software, they reached the goal of reducing the seven-day closing period successfully.
