How to save a million dollars a year

A roadmap to cost savings and increased productivity for manufacturers 

by Spencer Cramer, chief technology officer of ei3 Corp.

The picture of the perfect factory is one that utilizes process line automation to achieve near 100 percent service delivery, and negligible unscheduled downtime.

As market leaders, these model plants are highly efficient, productive and profitable. By implementing new technology strategies, most manufacturers can achieve high levels of optimization.

The key to cost savings
Bringing process line functions online is a highly effective way to dramatically increase productivity. Online services can monitor, analyze, control and store production data allowing a comprehensive view of process line activity that is unprecedented in scope, detail and accessibility. 

Determining which functions benefit the most from universal online access can be challenging. Manufacturers must consider how collected information will be managed, where it will be stored, and what Internet technologies will be used to enable access.

The best approach
Application hosting provides the best model for bringing process line functions online.

ASPs (Application Service Providers) offer benefits of security, high-speed networking and fault-tolerant server capacity to store and process data. By establishing a direct connection to the manufacturer’s machine controls, the ASP can provide online technical support and analysis to solve process line problems quickly from a remote location.

In this way, the ASP becomes an extension of the manufacturing organization. Hosting also eliminates a significant capital investment in the hardware, software and administrative staff needed to support an internal solution. The ASP model is especially practical in a harsh manufacturing environment, where delicate computer equipment is at greater risk for damage.

In sum, an ASP solution is more cost-effective, faster and simpler to deploy than an installation of enterprise software.

The foundation for online services
As the foundation of an online solution, remote monitoring can save manufacturers millions. The ability to monitor dozens of process line parameters, such as temperature, and alert plant staff to changing conditions can significantly decrease downtime. 

It also gives an ASP’s online engineers the insight to solve production problems quickly, and provides the foundation for predictive maintenance, trending and complete analysis of process line activity.

Decreasing downtime
Because downtime is one of the most costly conditions a manufacturer can experience, using online technical support to prevent or more quickly solve process line problems can generate significant cost savings. 

It is essential that the ASP have a deep understanding of the manufacturing industries their customers specialize in. Most ASPs address a broad range of process line issues daily, so they are constantly increasing their knowledge base and sharpening their problem-solving capabilities.

Optimizing traditional process line functions
Control software can also be delivered as a hosted online service to replace an expensive deployment of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA). 

This yields tremendous cost savings by avoiding capital investment in the hardware, software and customized labor needed to implement SCADA. On average, total cost of ownership for hosted SCADA functionality saves almost 50 percent of the investment.

Protecting manufacturing investments
Using an ASP to protect existing investments can also save manufacturers millions. By providing online services that back up system software and machine settings, manufacturers are protected against information loss due to electrical failure, disaster or system lockup. 

Regular back up of machine data also provides version control to ensure that equipment is operating with the latest settings.

Leveraging the value of monitored process line data

Analysis tools
Online productivity tools can identify optimum production benchmarks by monitoring and analyzing machine parameters that affect output quality. This alerts plant staff if any metric falls outside “best case” standards.

The ASP’s senior engineering professionals also leverage monitored parameters by providing insightful reports on how to reduce costs, improve quality and enhance productivity. 

Historical database
The ability to cross reference current process line data with past activity enables manufacturers to more quickly identify and solve problems.

Automating traditional manual processes
Online services that incorporate traditional manual processes, such as quality assurance testing, into an online centralized data repository, augment process line problem resolution and maximize production uptime.

The bigger picture
Online services also bring manufacturing operations in closer alignment with corporate headquarters. This ensures that business plans are in step with the needs and goals of the plant, and vice versa. 

Online services also pave the way for the future integration of enterprise applications that synchronize manufacturing operations with customers and suppliers. This holds great potential to accelerate and enhance the entire manufacturing process from raw material to finished product.

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