Why should SME manufacturers digitalize?
By digitalizing, SME manufacturers can receive various immediate and long term benefits, such as:
Immediate:
1. Instantly analyze production from a new perspective
With data collection and visualization tools, see the production floor in time from a new perspective. Use custom charts and reports to better understand your machinery, personnel, and process efficiencies.
2. Eliminate errors due to paper processes and manual entry
With digital documents, eliminate errors from incorrect manual entry and maintain version control. Specify access to documents and sign-off requirements.
3. Save time
Cut time needed for finding, formatting, transferring, distributing information. You can now customize your forms, checklists, notes, the way you need them and follow up by immediately sending them out to the right personnel.
Company A implemented new digitalization tools to improve their machine maintenance. Toolsets like production scheduling, workflows and inventory management were part of many others that are built to improve operations and processes. Soon after they were able to cut time recording, documenting, and correcting data. Their engineers were able to track more variables and potential consequences allowing company A to focus on preventative maintenance.
Long Term:
1. Increase operational efficiency and quality
Pinpoint deterrents and pain points of production when analyzing manufacturing data on a micro and macro scale. Business will then be able to harness data to make continuous improvement and growth in their processes.
2. Flexible and well-documented reporting process
Never lose information again. Keep track of digital documents and never misplace an attachment again. Find, update and compare documents from the beginning to end of a machine's lifetime. Prevent legacy issues with a digitalized database that is both accessible and efficient.
3. Increase competitiveness
Increased efficiency and quality controls give you the edge over industry competition in production and operational activity. Over time, greater data visibility and monitoring only increases a business' potential to achieve results.
After a few months, Company A has increased its competitiveness with other businesses. With the well-documented maintenance reports, it is easy to stay up to date with new standards and customer requirements. Engineers are able to quickly notice problems that recur weekly, monthly, and/or annually with automatic alarms. Production quality and efficiency have improved as the maintenance schedule is analyzed and updated every 24 hours based on historical data.
Do you want these benefits?
Or unsure if you are ready to implement some digital factory initiatives yourself? Here at Arcstone, we provide an array of Digitalization solutions to help your business optimize its production operations and give your full visibility over your production. Curious to hear more about how we can help you get started on your digitalization journey in 1 day? Discover more here.
