Introduction
Manufacturing has always taken place using paper documents, standalone spreadsheets, and backward-looking analyses. Decisions would be based not on current events but past ones. Such a manufacturing practice is rapidly losing ground amid an ever-more volatile global supply chain, stringent customer demands, and widening performance gap between top manufacturing companies and their counterparts.
Manufacturing managers are addressing the problem with the introduction of manufacturing software enabling them to make use of data generated in the shop floor as part of the decision-making process. Manufacturing systems and automation/AI capabilities are fast becoming industry standards instead of a key difference maker at large enterprises. The underpinning technologies that make all of this possible include a whole new category of manufacturing solutions – the manufacturing intelligence platform.
What Is a Manufacturing Intelligence Platform?
The manufacturing intelligence platform is a unified digital infrastructure that integrates the machines, people, processes, and information within the manufacturing operation space to derive insights through analytics and AI. Unlike typical solutions in manufacturing, it does not operate on a standalone basis but serves as the link among all the different tools used within the facility.
How It Differs from Traditional Manufacturing Software Systems
Unlike traditional manufacturing software, which is created to excel at only one thing, such as ERPs being good for finance and planning while MES is good for execution, the manufacturing intelligence platform uses a holistic approach that enables it to bring information together. Data is collected from the different systems including ERPs, MESs, SCADA systems, IoT sensors, and even manual entry. In essence, it is not meant to replace any of the manufacturing management software in use, but to enable them to operate intelligently together.
Key Capabilities and Features
The most powerful systems in the field have all the three attributes of visibility, analysis, and integration. The integration feature makes it possible to bring together such performance indicators as OEE, throughput, downtime, and quality at one place, eliminating the need for further data gathering from separate reports.
The prediction maintenance tool of the manufacturing software enables using the algorithms of machine learning and the data from machines to forecast their breakage prior to its actual occurrence. Tools of production optimization can be used to control production planning in view of equipment malfunctions, shortages of raw materials, or changing demand from consumers.
Today’s manufacturing analytics software is different from common software owing to its capacity to analyze problems in performance and predict their outcomes using machine learning algorithms.
Integration is equally important. Platforms must be able to integrate with existing ERP, MES, and production tracking software, creating one single platform. Most solutions are now delivered as cloud-based manufacturing software, making deployment, updates, scalability, and multi-site management significantly easier than traditional on-premise systems.
Business Benefits
A typical business case for manufacturing intelligence usually revolves around similar goals, although they may vary from industry to industry, depending on the level of sophistication of an organization’s processes.
- Decrease in unscheduled downtime as machine problems can be detected earlier.
- Higher efficiency due to improved understanding of bottlenecks and employee productivity.
- Good decisions made quickly thanks to real-time data availability, not post-shift analysis.
- Better quality control as problems can be pinpointed to particular machines, operators, or batches of materials.
- Superior inventory management through eliminating stockouts and over-stocking.
- Lower operational costs since manufacturing production management systems automate many manual processes.
- Improved agility when dealing with problems in supply chain or demand.
- Multi-plant visibility for organizations working with several plants under one operations manager.
How Manufacturing Intelligence Platforms Support Smart Factories
Smart manufacturing platforms are, in many ways, the driving force behind Industry 4.0. A smart manufacturing platform helps to link machines and systems to enable communication and adaptive actions in near real-time, and this is the practical meaning behind the term that really matters for many production plant managers.
This kind of smart technology has been made easier to use because of the evolution of cloud computing services. Cloud smart factories no longer need separate data centers at each manufacturing facility, but can now operate through a common platform hosted centrally and regularly updated. These new technologies have also led to a smart factory as a service trend, where companies, especially small to medium sized ones, can implement smart operation techniques without requiring heavy initial investments.
Common Cases Across Manufacturing Industries
There are numerous manufacturing intelligence solutions; however, it is different for each sector.
The discrete manufacturing sector generally focuses on the OEE and optimization of the process. For process manufacturers, they use quality and traceability; and automotive manufacturers ensure coordination of suppliers and lines by employing just-in-time manufacturing practices. Prediction maintenance is another common practice among industrial equipment; otherwise, downtime would cost a lot. Consumer goods makers, on the other hand, use such solutions to facilitate inventory and optimize processes based on demand and SKU.
A new trend among manufacturers is also observed. Smaller manufacturers make use of small business intelligence solutions, which include manufacturing inventory solutions. This way, they get a similar advantage as large firms due to the manufacturing inventory solution. Small firms who need more advanced solutions than the spreadsheets can leverage the manufacturing inventory solution.
Manufacturing Intelligence In Future
The next generation of manufacturing intelligence is coming into view. Manufacturing activities controlled by artificial intelligence will shift from providing recommendations on dashboard systems to making and even implementing schedule and maintenance decisions with little human oversight. Autonomous manufacturing – where machines adjust themselves based on real-time data on quality and production – will come to fruition first in volume-oriented, capital-intensive industries.
Digital twins, which represent physical manufacturing lines virtually, are increasingly being employed to test proposed changes prior to implementation in order to avoid mistakes. The use of generative artificial intelligence for root cause analysis and creating documentation for maintenance purposes out of sensor data will allow operators to take corrective action promptly. In sum, it is likely that a future of hyperconnected factories with real-time data flowing freely among machines and operators will soon become reality.
To Choose the Right Manufacturing Intelligence Platform
The choice of a platform depends less on features shown on slides and more on whether the solution fits the current environment. There are several factors that always play an important role.
Scalability is one factor, as the platform must be scalable from the single line operation to multi-plant deployment. The integration capabilities of the platform is equally important because if a chosen platform cannot integrate with the company’s current ERP and MES systems, then a new silo will emerge. Some platforms have mature analytics and AI solutions, while some lack this feature completely.
The user experience plays a role in adoption in the plant that may be more important than what many executives may realize, while security is a requirement because of the sensitive nature of the production information. Cloud readiness can affect how quickly a system can be implemented and will also impact the overall cost of the implementation. Finally, it is critical to consider scalability for future growth.
Conclusion
Manufacturing intelligence platforms is a requirement for contemporary manufacturers to succeed. As complexities in manufacturing increase and the requirements for efficiency and quality become higher, manufacturers have to go beyond simply having different tools, they must adopt an integrated system that transforms raw data into actionable insights.
NexOps from TVS Next provides all of this. Based on the TVS Group’s century-old reputation for world-class manufacturing excellence, NexOps gives manufacturers real-time operational insight, intelligent decision-making capability, foresight, and full control of their operations. Whether it is minimizing downtime or optimizing production processes, NexOps will help you in achieving measurable results for your business.
When it comes to leading the next generation of industrial performance, NexOps is the solution to deliver the necessary intelligence, innovation, and unmatched expertise.
