SMEs in the spotlight
Software firm Access group sees Industry 4 as something that can work for SMEs as well as big companies. Here, it offers tips and feedback from customers who are already on the journey.
By using accurate, real-time shop floor data, production leaders know exactly what jobs are on the system, how long they will take to complete and what resources are needed, while anticipating any potential problems. Production schedulers know how the plan is progressing, and can apply corrective action in a timely way, facilitated by the paperless delivery of information.
Access Group offers a suite of software including FactoryMaster MRP, SupplyChain ERP, DeltaWMS and Orchestrate production scheduling software to help companies plot a course.
Andy Brown, SCS divisional leader from Access Group said: “We’re now rapidly moving away from the idea that Industry 4.0 is confined to global companies – in fact, scalable software solutions are bringing enormous benefits to SMEs, helping them to compete in national and international markets.”
Quality of data
Elastomer manufacturer Martin’s Rubber increased operational efficiency after deploying solutions from Access Group, and Mestec. It used Access ERP, Access Orchestrate Scheduling software and Mestec Manufacturing Execution Systems.
Adam Hooper, operations director, Martin’s Rubber Company says quality of data is key.
“The company installed an ERP system in order to replace numerous existing but disparate systems. It found, however, that extra work was required to improve the quality of the data being fed into the system. You quickly realise that if you put garbage in, you’ll get garbage out. So, we spent the first year doing lots of admin to get the right processes in place and ensure we had the right tech to collect good quality data, focusing especially on real time data collection from the shop floor making it as simple as possible for users to deliver accurate information into the system.”
Understand process
Jeremy Wisner, a business systems analyst with a manufacturer of aerospace parts in the East Midlands cautions that firm should not be blinded to tech.
“You hear people describe a vision of the future where everything is automated and integrated with robotics and it sounds very exciting. The reality is though that there are some mundane fundamentals that have to be in place first, such as making sure materials arrive at the factory in the right order.
Jeremy explains that when faced with the pressure to perfect a product and fulfil orders, it can be hard to step back and look at the bigger picture. He adds that when people have engineering at their heart, some of the more tedious aspects of improving vital supporting back-office systems can struggle to gain attention.
“It’s not as easy to get people excited about some of these processes – it’s just not as sexy as robots. But if your investments don’t flush through to the supply chain, it’s just window dressing.”
Getting internal support is easier said than done, especially if investments in digital systems are competing with the need to spend money on machinery.
“OEM outsourcing leaves SMEs picking up the tab for investment in capital equipment. Adding a further layer of complexity to this investment by adopting relatively uncharted 4.0 technology, can make the analysis too risky,” says Jeremy.
Step-by-step
The theory that you should take things step by step is supported by Mike Cosby, finance director, Burts Potato Chips. He started moving Burts towards the process of digitisation five years ago, well before most people had heard of Industry 4.0.
“We were just trying to fix problems we had,” says Mike. “We had data siloed in different departments and if you asked five people what the sales figures were last month you could get five different answers. We wanted to get a better view of what’s happening in our business.”
“The best advice I can give to companies starting on this journey is to go vanilla. Start with a basic system that you can modify and add to. Don’t try and get too clever too quickly because it will delay implementation and could see you break deadlines and budgets. You don’t need a monster system on day one but give it six months to a year and you’ll know exactly what you need.”
