Smart Manufacturing

“Smart manufacturing”, “Digital transformation”, “Industry 4.0”- these terms are sweeping the manufacturing industry. And not without justifiable reasons. A company can embark on a digital journey by simply digitizing its documents and making its factory truly paperless with smart manufacturing software.

Electronic work instructions and drawings have a huge impact on worker productivity and quality. Manufacturing operations producing many variants always lose precious time in making the right versions of documents available to the workers. Also, paper-based manufacturing documents like job cards and shop travellers are always prone to human errors. Notwithstanding the delays involved in data entry.

The next level of smart manufacturing software comes from real time reporting. The traditional method of reporting production and rejections during shift end are highly error prone and often inaccurate. In today’s volatile scenario of demand and supply position changing by the hour, dynamic scheduling to cope up with these changes can only be achieved through real time reporting through HMIs using digital I/Os or data loggers, capturing stoppages with reasons, and capturing real machine or labour hours as against post facto standard hour reporting provide new insights and improvement opportunities

At the highest level of smart manufacturing the HMIs can be replaced with appropriate automation using PLCs/DCS/SCADA/IIOT and synchronize capturing of process and product data. Applying analytics and artificial intelligence to this information has mind boggling opportunities for improvement

IcSoft has solutions in all these areas. It can be virtually your one stop shop for Smart Manufacturing. Download our brochure for more information.

Production Management

Rising input costs, fluctuating demand, outsourced supply chains, shortage of skilled labour – are all common challenges typical to manufacturing companies. Coupled with the increasing customer demand for customized products, competitive pricing and consistent quality, manufacturers are under constant pressure to ensure effective production management.

Technologies, such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and MES (Manufacturing Execution System) are production management software that integrate all the resources required to produce goods with full visibility and offer control over operations. Manufacturers can effectively manage and optimize these resources to meet customer-driven deadlines promptly, configure products to order, manage inventory more effectively and run the shop floor more efficiently.

The ERP is a production planning software that helps in streamlining the planning process and synchronising supply with demand. It offers design and engineering collaboration and assists to manage inventory efficiently. On the other hand, through optimal resource allocation and finite capacity scheduling, the MES ensures effective “execution” of the plan generated by the ERP, while also facilitating product and part traceability, electronic management of production documents, and real-time decision support through integration with various automation systems.

Quality Assurance

Quality impacts business. Adherence to minimum quality standards is mandatory to qualify for a business. Superior quality, on the other hand, helps a manufacturer to build a brand and compete on quality. As a Lean Initiative, good quality management software solutions eliminate defects and reduce waste due to poor quality. They also detect the defects early in the value chain and minimize the cost of poor quality leading to an improved bottom line.

A quality management solution tightly coupled with materials management and production management is equipped with process monitoring and Statistical process control (SPC) features to prevent defects. It also supports defining and tracking quality control plans through Statistical Quality Control (SQC). Measuring and reporting material attributes, defining sampling plans and facilitating non-conformance analysis (NC), corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) and root cause analysis (RCA) bring in a culture of continuous improvement. Specific quality steps like PPAP/APQP/FMEA ensure strict compliance with laid down quality standards. Electronic work instructions and automated visual inspections bring down the possibilities of human errors. The possibilities with a robust quality management solution are enormous.

To know more about how IcSoft can help you in taking your quality management to the next level download our brochure.