How does real-time manufacturing intelligence help?
Recently we released a new case study describing how PLZ Aeroscience implemented GainSeeker Suite, resulting in:
- Reduced material costs
- Reduced head count
- Fewer product holds
- Higher production numbers
- Reduced inventory and raw material costs
- Higher product consistency
- Reduced customer complaints
- Increased revenue
Their experience is consistent with what I’ve seen from other clients. Real-time data provides a huge lever for positive change.
PLZ was growing, both organically and through acquisition. Each acquisition brought more silos of data – many of them on paper or in home grown systems. Without standardized systems for managing critical quality and production data, they were hampered in making time-critical decisions. As Douglas Niemeyer, Corporate Quality Engineer put it, “With the increasing number of products that we were trying to manage with the current level of personnel, it was very challenging to make sure everything was just being held in control.”
By implementing GainSeeker Suite, the company was able to shine a spotlight on opportunities that had been hidden from them. Where engineers once had to walk out to the factory floor and page through a stack of hand-written columns of numbers on a clipboard, they could now pull up those same numbers from anywhere in the company on a computer.
But the real benefit wasn’t convenience. The more important advantage was that both operators and engineers now saw the data graphically, instead of as a column of numbers. This graphic representation made trends and relationships much more obvious.
As the team began bringing process under control, they found they could increase production rates (by as much as 20%) and still maintain or even improve quality. This meant they could handle more business, and revenues increased. As Niemeyer put is, “We’ve shown the system to our higher end customers and suppliers, and they’ve been blown away. We’re leading the way and engaging with more high-end customers.”
One of the more subtle lessons of this story is how better, more timely information impacted flexibility and production scheduling.
PLZ had acquired several companies in recent years. While each company was successful as a stand-alone entity, PLZ wanted to create economies of scale. Their experience shows that real-time manufacturing intelligence is a critical enabler for turning a collection of independently operating plants into a single, flexible, responsive supply chain. This increased coordination and flexibility drives both top line and bottom line growth.
You can read the entire PLZ case study here.
What about you? How are you using real-time data to drive value in your company?
Leave a comment below, or request a free consultation with our staff to discuss your situation, and learn how GainSeeker Suite can turn manufacturing data into real-time actionable intelligence, enabling your team to drive more value for your company.
