Publications
:
What is a Job Safety Analysis (JSA)? Safety is always a concern on the job site. Safety hazards can put workers in danger, cause serious illness or injury and potentially lead to devastating lawsuits. That’s why many businesses use the Job Safety Analysis (JSA) to help mitigate health and safety risks on work sites. But completing a JSA every day, for every job site, requires a lot of time and effort. It can be easy for workers to half-heartedly complete their JSAs, or ignore them altogether—which can lead to serious consequences. So today, we want to discuss the JSA process, and how you can make it easier using Novacura Flow. Why is it important to conduct a job safety analysis? A job safety analysis (JSA) is a critical first step in promoting workplace safety. By breaking down specific tasks to pinpoint potential hazards, a JSA helps reduce the chances of accidents and injuries, keeping workers safer on the job. In fields like construction, conducting a JSA before each shift and prior to starting work offers a proactive approach to identifying risks that might otherwise go unnoticed. Recognizing hazards early on provides an opportunity to address them, whether through elimination, substitution, or mitigation strategies, reducing the likelihood of incidents. Prevention is key—every accident avoided is a direct result of proactive safety measures and a commitment to zero-injury principles. A well-conducted JSA exemplifies this commitment, reinforcing that safety is not only a priority but a continuous process. For employers, job safety analysis brings additional benefits beyond worker protection. A thorough JSA can improve job site efficiency by reducing delays associated with unaddressed hazards and compliance issues. Identifying risks in advance allows employers to manage resources more effectively and ensure regulatory compliance, ultimately saving time and reducing operational costs. Though a JSA is just one part of a broader workplace safety program, its impact on reducing accidents and fostering a safe, compliant environment can be significant. How many JSAs should a company conduct? Ideally, you would conduct a JSA for every business process—but that takes a lot of time and effort. Focus your efforts on the processes: where previous injuries have occurred that are high-risk tasks You will need to update the JSA whenever conditions change. This can mean changes to equipment, location, or even weather: if the business process changes in any way, you need to review/update the JSA too. You should also review and update the JSA whenever injuries occur on the job. Best practice is to review, and update as required, prior to beginning the task. How to create a JSA Map the process Maybe you’ve already done this. If so, awesome! You’ve already built the foundation of a successful JSA. If not, you’ll want to start by breaking the process down into tasks. For example, if you were to create a JSA for drinking your morning cup of coffee, you might start with something like this: Task Hazard Recommendations Pour coffee in cup Add sugar to coffee in cup Drink coffee Identify the safety hazards associated with each step of the process For […]
Inventory control over a long period of time can no longer rely on manual data entry using paper forms. The dependence on the manual data entry method cannot be verified in a short period of time and can cause inventory discrepancies that have serious financial implications for the organization. Traceability of goods in manufacturing requires digital inventory management software. Production clerks equipped in mobile devices with embedded software can take control of the entire inventory management process. Handheld computers and mobile scanners operating with barcodes, QR codes, RFID technology are able to ensure proper supervision of the internal flow of materials. Providing barcode material labels when products are inbounded is the solution that should be implemented in any factory. There is no doubt that the use of mobile devices with embedded operate software in manufacturing can influence all stages of production and increase its quality of: Material consumption – consumption registering and preventing shortage ofraw materials. Processing inbound – good traceability from dock registration to inventoryputaway process. Order picking – accurate collection from direct stock locations. Packing and pelletizing – easy determining delivery destination and good quality order checks. Outbound and shipping management – efficient dispatch and reliable ETA with track & trace. Inventory control – quick inventory control and accurate cycle count. What is manufacturing traceability? Manufacturing traceability refers to the ability to monitor and track materials, parts, and products—whether individually, by batch, lot, or shipment—throughout the entire manufacturing process and into the supply chain. This capability has evolved significantly from the days of manual records and paper-based tracking. The introduction of barcode technology was transformative, enabling manufacturers to track any item associated with a barcode, including raw materials, components, subcomponents, and finished goods. Modern manufacturing traceability systems go further by leveraging advanced tools like barcodes, RFID, and data analytics to provide real-time visibility into production processes, not just physical items. This comprehensive traceability begins the moment raw materials and parts enter production and continues until the final product exits the facility. By offering detailed insights into each stage of production, today’s systems help manufacturers ensure quality, boost efficiency, and maintain regulatory compliance, ultimately enhancing operational control and customer satisfaction. Manufacturing in the COVID-19 era – Top 3 challenges and how to overcome them (PDF) Top 3 challenges for manufacturers during the pandemic What are the root causes of the challenges? Proposed solution How to implement iT Download Effective traceability of materials Embedded software connected to ERP systems can be enough to fulfil general needs of particular warehouse management but its customization is almost impossible. Modification of ERP system is difficult and time consuming therefore any sort of random software cannot be suitable for complexity of production process. The manufacturing industry is closely dependent on the dynamic changesoccurring in each industry sector. Ongoing changes regarding market demand are forcing factories to respond. Adjusting production lines and Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) is already part of its strategy. To secure effective material traceability, manufacturing facilities should consider selecting the most appropriate solution with the possibility of flexible software modification. The software should not only be suitable for the existing hardware, […]
To manage means to measure. And your management decisions are as good as the quality of data you used to base them on. Management decisions are made based on “business systems” (Reporting systems – business intelligence, ERP systems, Planning systems APS, MES systems). But these systems have problems with acquiring appropriate information from original information sources. Integrating the systems would be a solution to this, but it’s challenging due to two problems: On the Shop floor side – different devices have different protocols, some are new and some can be over ten years old. There are various business systems on the IT Systems side (APS, MES, ERP, MRP, WMS, QMS). They all use different protocols, provide other information and have independent databases (usually not synchronized). What Is Shop Floor Control Software? Shop Floor Control (SFC) software typically – but not always – part of a Manufacturing Execution System (MES), is a tool that captures, compiles, and analyzes the data needed to make your manufacturing tractable. This set of software constantly gathers data on human input as well as automated systems to inform what is happening right on the shop floor as work is in progress. With shop floor management software, you gain the ability to monitor every detail of factory activity in real time. Detailed reports can reveal essential metrics such as machine runtime, material usage, work remaining, and overall production efficiency. These insights empower managers to make timely, informed decisions that can improve productivity and reduce downtime. Moreover, SFC software can provide a broad perspective that spans multiple departments, individual machines, or even various manufacturing sites. This capability allows for the tracking of key performance indicators (KPIs) from numerous data sources, offering a comprehensive view of the factors driving your company’s production performance. By leveraging SFC software, businesses can pinpoint areas for improvement and better understand the variables influencing their overall output, helping to optimize operations and support continuous improvement across facilities. Solution The low-code BPM platform, Novacura Flow can integrate with all devices on the shop floor side as well as all systems on the IT side. This makes it an ideal solution for bridging the gap between equipment and business systems. Protocols that Novacura Flow support – by devices side How we can communicate with different products: Via a rest-based IoT-Hub, as Azure IoT Via a OPC-UA server Via a machines PLC over ModBus Directly with a machine over TCP/IP Directly from the Novacura Flow-app with a device over BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) What type of equipment can we connect? Production Robots — automatically read all information, detect downtime, track the number of cycles, and identify alerts. Vision AI cameras — to identify mistakes, take action and record the “incident” for quality purposes Semi-automated Machines used for production — like CNC, 3D Printers – as above, to read information about performance progress, number of prepared components, downtime, alert detection Different gauges/measurers — measure various parameters on the shop floor, such as dust, humidity, temperature, noise, vibrations, and power consumption (including voltage and amperage). Internal access control system — to monitor if a worker leaves or enters the warehouse, track their availability, and […]
Today, companies that operate in field services and provide maintenance are often closely dependent on ERP systems. However, ERP capabilities often go far beyond the scope of FSM processes, which can only be supported by highly customized software tailored to the specific needs of service industry businesses. The system transactions in ERP allow the organization to run basic operations but does not include the detailed data needed to perform all operations dedicated to FSM effectively. For this reason, field personnel still perform FSM-related tasks with typical paperwork in their hands and then record manually in the ERP system. Manual data entry causes many discrepancies in the system and delays, which lead to much more serious problems and can have significant financial consequences. In addition, inefficiencies in FSM lead to problems with data flow, which is very important for industries that provide services such as public transport, logistics, energy supply, railway installations maintenance, machinery maintenance in manufacturing, and many others. Only a company with mobile solutions for industrial maintenance in the hands of its personnel will be effective enough to deal with the day-to-day business problems associated with field services and maintenance in a highly dynamic environment. What is field service management software? Enterprise Field Service Management software is a system that provides personnel with the capabilities to perform field services and maintenance. Organizations that depend on industrial installations in different locations around big cities and the entire country must often provide services to these installations to ensure their continued functionality. Therefore, the FSM software capabilities should deliver these functions: Mobile access: the FSM should provide mobile applications that can be used by field personnel on mobile devices where they can perform checklists, record damages, system functionality faults, and all operations that are needed for their industry-specific equipment and installation requirements. Offline mode: organizations that are location-dependent with limited network access should be able to record data on mobile devices that can be updated in the ERP system when the network is available again. The Novacura apps have an offline mode. Field workers can retrieve information about the equipment needed for the inspection or reparations and then update the data in the central system. System customization: each industry requires a different approach to field service and maintenance, and business requirements can change; therefore, FSM should be easy to adapt when needs increase or system transaction models change. Real-time data sharing: the FSM is dependent on remote field staff, but the decision-making process should be centralized; therefore, it is important that the FSM continuously provides real-time data to the central management unit to allocate existing resources better. Work order management: the FSM should provide functions accessible from mobile devices that allow easy material pre-order, tool/equipment allocation, process step updates, and even direct access to work instructions with remote assistance. Personnel management and scheduling: the FSM should have built-in functionality for allocating various resources and scheduling personnel, which is critical for any field service to provide services in a timely manner and schedule sufficient working hours, as well […]
Service and maintenance projects necessitate focused attention on FSM-based control systems. The intricacies of service work highlight that FSM can optimize efficiency only when underpinned by customizable software that aligns with business requirements. When determining a cost-effective approach to procuring FSM software, companies should assess its integration capabilities with ERP systems. This approach enables businesses to maintain lower costs when expanding the ERP system with supplementary FSM functionalities. Utilizing the right FSM software facilitates the customization of functionalities without the need for external software development support. Consequently, this approach ensures ERP modifications remain cost-free, effectively establishing the FSM software as an independent layer integrated atop the ERP. Some ERP providers, such as IFS, offer specialized integration capabilities that connect the ERP system with FSM software. This integration empowers IFS users to manage field service and maintenance functions within a segregated system environment. This enables IFS users to align maintenance standards with business objectives, with a strong focus on cost efficiency. Linking FSM software to an IFS ERP system enhances a company’s technological capabilities, delivering numerous benefits, including free customizations and more (as detailed below). What is field service management software? Many industrial companies are required to adhere to particular standards related to health, reliability, customer satisfaction, safety, quality, and even security. Field service management software plays a crucial role in upholding and preserving these standards, facilitating the use of digital systems to collect data and carry out essential tasks. FSM software facilitates the integration of data from ongoing operations into all maintenance practices and methods. This empowers maintenance departments to oversee their work, enhance the efficiency of maintenance tasks, address customer concerns, and respond to emergency situations effectively. Internal: An in-house maintenance structure that relies on internal resources and operates independently, managing facilities and remote installations using only the company’s own personnel. External: Involves external organizations that provide the required assistance independently, often utilizing third-party services to maintain the operational efficiency of equipment and installations. What is a field service platform? FSM software comprises two primary components that collectively play a crucial role in overseeing operations at remote locations. Together, they constitute an integral field service platform. These essential components for effective field service and maintenance management include: Mobility: FSM software should offer mobile functionality for field workers who utilize customized mobile applications on their mobile devices. This empowers them to conduct equipment and installation inspections with enhanced speed and accuracy, ultimately improving the efficiency of maintenance operations. Portals: FSM software should facilitate comprehensive control over field operations through a centralized administrative hub. Here, managers and shift planners can meticulously plan maintenance schedules, make informed forecasts, and devise maintenance strategies based on pertinent operational needs, all within a single interactive portal. This consolidated view allows for a more streamlined approach to maintenance management. Indeed, only a select few systems in the market offer a complete maintenance platform that aligns with the comprehensive criteria needed for FSM software. Novacura presents the Novacura Flow software solution, which functions as a service platform, delivering users with the full spectrum of FSM capabilities along with a platform […]
Field service and maintenance management software should provide on-site management and technical services for businesses in a variety of industries, including manufacturing facilities, commercial and government buildings, hospitals, railroad infrastructure, and even large sports complexes, which require extensive security compliance control to guarantee thousands of visitors complete safety during sporting events. Field services and maintenance should include a strategic planning function, which is very difficult to accomplish without proper instruments for extensive management of operations at various locations across the country. Companies such as SweMaint and Holmen, whose successful operations are closely dependent on well-managed field and maintenance services, are just one example. These companies operate in manufacturing, maintenance, and field service, providing flexible and consistent support for locations and equipment. Despite the different areas of field service and maintenance operations, these companies require cost-saving results when performing maintenance services, as well as more efficient labor management. Obviously, these companies wanted to make the right choice on FSM software to avoid poor planning and organization that lead to poor maintenance management and backlogs. Buying FSM software can be pretty difficult if the software does not offer specific capabilities and features, giving companies visible benefits in the long run. What are the features of field service software? FSM software provides control over critical elements in industrial operations. Therefore, in practical maintenance, it is important to provide its users with software that includes certain functions and allows users to develop a maintenance management framework with remote control of industrial equipment and installations. Here are several important features of FSM software: Work order management – FSM should perform as a job scheduling software where all job progress is visible in the system and can be easily tracked and controlled by planners providing the organization with real-time visibility software functions. Constant data collection – information acquisition and constant data exchange require FSM to process as analytical data software, where staff can get analytical information at any time to prepare better forecasts. Personnel Management – to perform all operations most efficiently, FSM should support working hour assignments and act simply as workforce management software, making scheduling easier even in unpredictable cases like personnel shortages. Business Process Management – high workloads in various industries require simplifying the most complex operations in an organization, so FSM should provide business automation software capabilities where processes can be simplified with a better user interface, etc. Deep ERP integration – FSM software can maintain higher performance when it has integration software capabilities, allowing it to connect existing systems in the organization and integrate with another ERP system and implement that way the ERP evergreen strategy. Who are the key players in field service management? The features above are absolute standards for the successful procurement of maintenance software. Companies that want to invest in process optimization should also consider performance metrics that allow them to collect relevant data from the entire operation, which can include maintenance performance metrics or financial data with an assessment of annual maintenance expenses and much more. Key players who provide FSM software […]
Maintenance and field services for equipment and all electromechanical systems are becoming a strategic tools in most industries, regardless of equipment and network extension complexity. Monitoring the entire business system and networks provides operational dynamics analysis and supporting technologies to prevent unexpected events that can cause massive operational problems and unplanned downtime. Field services are needed to ensure the equipment’s ability to accurately determine the operating condition and isolate the root cause of possible aberrations. Field services and maintenance are mainly applicable to industries that depend on equipment located in remote locations and local installations in their premises. These operations involve property management, which is very common in high-tech industries. Among these, we can point to telecommunications, the energy industry, construction, building maintenance, the railroad industry, various field services, and manufacturing. For all these industries, it is required to provide services that guarantee the standard functionality of equipment in different locations with mobile access to general services and maintenance systems, which includes warranty repairs, parts management, specific price assessment, personnel scheduling with the definition of working hours along with all the logistics processes involved (GPS scheduling, tracking, and tracing operations). Companies that want to be most efficient in their cost evaluation and process optimization programs within complex service management should take appropriate precautions on preventive and corrective maintenance, as well as maintenance improvement within the autonomous work order. What is IFS field service management? Process optimization programs include equipment control systems that give a company the correct parameters to evaluate its service and maintenance requirements. One of the Field Service Management systems has been introduced by IFS as a process monitoring and optimization program for organizations operating in the field service, high-tech, medical equipment, and telecommunications industries. The IFS Field Service Management software system provides its users with the following capabilities: Optimized planning and scheduling: resource modelling and planning with travel time, route optimization, and working hours. Field service management: work order management and performance management. Customer engagement: CRM capabilities within ERP portlets. Reverse logistics and warehouse repair: parts management that ensures parts flow back to the warehouse and OEM repair providers when required. Intelligent asset monitoring: monitoring technologies with service levels for tracking reparations of individual pieces of equipment. IFS has been the leader of Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Field Service Management 7 times, and for the last time in 2022. What is an FSM solution from Novacura? The IFS FSM solution has its base on IFS ERP. IFS FSM, despite its extended capabilities, is strictly characterized as an off-the-shelf solution. From this perspective, IFS FSM has limited mobile capabilities in terms of the available customizations that are required in various industries. Novacura offers its fully customized mobile solution for field service management, combined with IFS ERP as a system layer on top of ERP. With this solution, companies using IFS ERP can enhance their capabilities with customized software that allows easy modifications directly by users. Novacura’s FSM solution was developed as part of Novacura Flow software based on a low-code platform. https://www.novacura.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/nc-www-app-creation-in-flow.mp4 The example presented […]
Practices in the construction industry can be classified according to operational activities in different fields. Civil engineering and construction projects differ from their functionality and can be related to metropolitan commercial buildings, energy facilities projects, high-way bridges and even as much particulate as house residential district in the nearest neighbourhood of our hometown. These types of projects require a lot of time and high expenses. They must be managed well to complete the entire project with its time and cost limitations. A crucial assessment of construction projects focuses on the critical path method (CPM). The approach to this assessment allows developers to establish a complete plan for each stage of a construction project. Common construction hurdles in project management Construction project management accelerates the various areas of investment that are important for creating a comprehensive CPM plan. Although each project is very unique, we can note some basic practices that are important for CPM planning. Determining project planning – identifying dependencies for project with fundamental CPM engineering assessment. Resource management – planning material manufacturing, manpower, machines and equipment with suppliers, including carriers within good supply chain solution for construction requirements. Time control –aligning manufacturing deadlines with project phases, machines availability and scheduling complete workload for investment closed in the timeframe. Financial control and project costs system – creating cash-flow system and evaluating cost requirements and financing stages for the project. The various tasks performed in a construction project reveal several areas that need to be targeted and managed properly. A lack of a proper management approach can affect operational areas as follows: Coordination Labour Failures – insufficient staff scheduling affects safety, quality, time scheduling and manual work performance. Lack of good staff coordination can cause very costly delays in the contracts on which construction depends. Lack of materials – materials from manufacturers should be delivered on schedule. Lack of materials on site can cause construction downtime, as some construction stages cannot be completed and skipped. Machines and equipment failures –lack of maintenance and service keep the project from moving forward. Unplanned downtime and machine breakdowns can also mean costly repairs and/or replacement. Wrong cost estimations – unexpected costs can be caused by failures that are related to insufficient labour or machine management. All operating costs calculated inaccurately at individual stages, incorrect forecasts and completions can bring the entire project to stop in a matter of day. Mobile solution for construction project management Many construction projects have adopted the just-in-time method. According to this approach, engineers need solutions to help them coordinate each stage of the project under the critical path method (CPM). Project coordinators will focus on effective labour management (time and tasks), supply chain management (scheduled deliveries), documentation management, good maintenance of machinery and the financial system. To maintain control over all these processes, a well-integrated system that can give mobile control over all micro-operations inside a construction project can be a good solution. Novacura provides mobile solutions for managing construction projects with its low-code platform, Novacura Flow. Resource management is made easier, and workforce activities can be controlled […]
Companies operating within an extended network of industrial installations are constantly exposed to the malfunction of their equipment or systems. Extensive networks require constant support at several levels of maintenance. Preventive measures taken in the direction of machine maintenance, have a proven return on investment when it comes to business evaluation during QBRs. The prospect of protection against losses of the company’s current assets is leading to invest in improvements to all of the maintenance activities. Understand an effective practices Global technology and service providers that operate as a field service, face tremendous challenges. Inspectors, project engineers, systems and maintenance technicians must focus on multi-level operations to keep operations up and running. These operations very often involve the maintenance of railroad tracks, plant pipeline systems and pipelines that stretch for hundreds of kilometres. These operations are closely linked to entire utilities, chemical industrial processes and oil and gas pipelines. To understand effective maintenance practices, it is important to recognize problems and challenges. Maintenance capability can vary from industry to industry. The differences do not reduce the importance of maintenance as a preventive measure taken against unexpected machine failures and downtime. The global requirements for each network remain the same. Each company needs to focus on several aspects: No communication to the standalone system – inefficient communication doesn’t to be constantly aware of upcoming changes to track the status of maintenance tasks; Equipment failures – setup and machinery adjustment cause slowdowns and long-lasting downtime; Problems with paper work – the use of paper work is difficult in remote work not only because of the difficulty of sending documentation and reports by mail, but also because of the risk of losing printed documents in various work circumstances; Administrative costs and clerical errors in data entry – errors on checklists or reports can cause huge disruptions and even loss of assets due to inaccurate data; Lack of offline work mode – maintenance required a number of jobs carried out offline if access to the network is limited due to services in remote locations; No updates and insight to data – lack of data exchange between systems to keep the entire organization up to date. This can cause a damage in customer satisfaction. The above-mentioned points will be directly applicable to the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). Operational departments should be able to track the status of maintenance tasks. Combining all maintenance activities in a single but powerful solution will allow to maintain total control over all operations. Process optimization tool Finding the best CMMS software can be a challenge in a high-demand environment. Company will need a highly flexible system where users can realize the entire service demand. The system should allow to build a simple UX (user experience system), where the designed processes are easy to maintain and are clearly understood. Proposing the best CMMS software can be difficult. There are not many software vendors who are able to provide systems with as many extensive options as the industry requires. Novacura has developed relevant software as part of its flagship product. Novacura Flow is […]
In our Lunch and Learn session 4th of April 2022, we, among other things, talked about the importance of cooperation between production and maintenance people. People is a keyword here since it’s not the department itself but communication on an individual level. We can improve this communication and minimize downtime by providing the right tools and technology. Effective basic communication Let’s look at an actual use case where we have an operator who needs to change some tool or has a problem with a machine and needs to make a “tool request.” This is where time often is lost, reaching out and trying to find and reach (chase, call, email) the right contact person to solve this request. We at Novacura suggest a better, more practical, and time-saving solution – to do this on a mobile device. You know that it will be notified directly by the best possible resource in the maintenance department. Effective communication for tool requests: Request or order new tools or spare parts directly from the work center Observe the progress of requested tools or parts in the app Standardize maintenance tasks with guidelines for operations Require users to complete a maintenance checklist Collaboration between the operator and maintenance In the lunch and learn session Östen gives us a practical example by looking at both production and maintenance next to each other to illustrate a typical process of a problem. As shown in the illustration below, the first thing people in production do when something doesn’t work as it should is to try to fix it independently. This process varies in the time since it could take a few seconds to restart a machine, or it could be a lengthy process even if they have the skills to solve it. They often have instructions to reach out for help – might be the instrumental, electrical, or mechanical department of your maintenance organization. First, you need to report a problem, get some help and then start looking at how to fix it and let them do the actual repair before you can be up and running again. This typical situation gives us a couple of lead times to measure: Wasted:Wasted time might be a harsh word, but unfortunately, the time is wasted when we try to fix the problem independently but fail. Some companies set the rule not to do this alone or have a maximum of 5 minutes to solve it on your own to avoid wasted time. Mean Time Waiting (MTW):When someone reports an issue, there will be a lead time until someone starts working on this problem and that is the lead time we call “Mean-Time-Waiting.” Mean Time To Repair (MTTR):The actual time it takes to fix this problem. The actual repair is where most companies perform well but still have room to save some wasted time. In the presentation, Östen tells us about a company that managed to eliminate wasted time in MTT, by requiring the operator to stay by the machine during the repair. That way, the person from the maintenance department could get background information on the issue, get some assistance if needed, and […]
Demands on today’s manufacturing businesses to operate effectively are huge. When significant competitive advantages include short and accurate delivery lead times and high product variety, margins for error are small. A smooth material flow, from timely placed orders towards the suppliers, arrival handling, inspections, internal sourcing to the correct workstation, finished goods picking and shipment loading, is essential. To achieve this, the company must work in an organized way and minimize errors in the workflow. Common problems in the material flow To increase the efficiency and predictability of the material flow, having a structured and systematic way of working is vital. IT solutions for automation, an overview of the flow and follow-up is today indispensable. However, these systems could often work better if data quality and accuracy were improved. Read more: How to integrate shop floor equipment with business systems Manual labor still makes up a large part of the logistics work. Human error needs to be considered when humans are part of a flow. It is essential to have a well-organized physical environment and a good representation of the workflow in the IT system. Below we summarized problems that can arise throughout the material flow, from arrival to shipment loading: At the Arrival: Messy arrival procedures.– The goods might not be registered in the system directly, so we have a shortage when in reality, the material has arrived.– The wrong part number could be registered as arrived if manually registered to a computer.– Many goods are placed at a single location, awaiting further handling. Some goods might lay there for too long and/or might be hard to localize. At the Inventory: Difficulty in finding items in the inventory.– Some inventory movements are not registered, creating a mismatch between reality and the IT system. – Locations are too general and complex to overview. At the Production: Production components do not arrive fast enough at the production station.– There is no well-working system to signal the need for re-fill and re-fill might happen when the need is spotted. At the Production: When consumption of production components is not registered in the system, registered late or incorrectly, re-supply will not be system generated when needed – either from main inventory or suppliers. – Registration might happen much later if updating the IT system is down-prioritized.– Registration might be done automatically based on theoretical consumption to save time when reporting, creating mismatches between the system and reality. At the Production: When tracking is essential and data of the As-Built Structure is necessary.– Keeping track of the As-Built Structure is often challenging for producing companies where traceability is vital. The challenge is to know the used component parts (where alternatives might be used) and the serial or lot batch number in a specific production. – In this scenario, the consumption of component individuals must be recorded with accuracy. This puts high demands for reporting on the production workers. At the Shipment: Finished goods are not made available fast enough for picking. Allocations to orders might not be correct regarding delivery times. At the Shipment: Goods that should be packed for shipment might be hard to find. Often, the way of working is not structured enough and people act in urgency. The IT […]
In our Lunch and Learn session 4th of April 2022, we talked about optimizing your maintenance with solutions proven in real business. Below you find shorter information about what’s been discussed and what you will learn about if you decide to watch the whole session On-Demand. What do we mean by Maintenance? Maintenance is a huge area. Somehow, everything needs maintenance in one way or another. It’s very easy to think about maintenance as “having skilled people working on assets one-way or another”. We often see issues when we have poor maintenance in our day-to-day life, but maintenance is not an isolated island. It is part of a bigger picture: “Asset Management”. Some people experience it hard to see the whole picture of the asset management scope. Everything we’ve invested in assets that we would like to maintain and operate in a way that benefits us and makes sure we can use it for the planned life cycle (and to extend the life cycle). This is related both to your private life and your business processes. Identify the problems in your maintenance process In this Lunch and Learn session Östen, Sales Director at Novacura, talked about a continuous improvement approach to asset management. In the presentation, he tangled out the problem related to each step of the maintenance management process. Root causes for poor decision support What will happen if you have poor decision support? If you lack operational and historical data, it will affect the analysis, leading to bad operational and strategical decisions. As a result, you will most certainly end up with high maintenance costs and lower quality and in the end, you will have lower performance in your facilities. This affects all levels in the organization, Maintenance Operators, Mid-level Managers, and C-level. In the presentation, there is a suggestion on managing the information flow in an organization and alternatives of how to reverse the organization structure to create better decision support. Learn all about it In the Lunch and Learn Session, you will get more detailed information about the problems related to the above areas, but you will also get an introduction and clarification of how you can use digital solutions such as mobile applications to manage each step of the process. Watch the webinar Conclusions from the maintenance presentation We believe Maintenance is a key factor in a company’s overall success. We believe that an optimized maintenance process is based on improved use of both: maintenance departments’ resources and subcontractor resources working in common processes. Better measurements lead to better analysis and better operational decisions Good decisions rely on data transformed into relevant information designed for each role. This is the support that management should provide for operations. Related articles : What are the benefits of FSM software from Novacura Flow? learn more Field service management software that connects to IFS: key benefits learn more How to choose mobile field service management software? learn more Field Service Management Software connected to ERP learn more More articles
There is no doubt that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on Manufacturers and production downtime. It’s also not surprising that there has been an increased pressure to improve overall efficiency as a natural response to the global pandemic. In speaking with our Manufacturing customers, we found three key efficiency challenges during the pandemic that consistently stood out amongst the rest. Knowing the challenges that exist—along with the root causes – is the first step in identifying solutions to improve productivity. So, let’s take a closer look at the top three challenges that our manufacturing customers faced as a result of COVID-19: Challenge 1: Problems in the supply chain Delayed deliveries disrupted production plans Limited availability of resources required manufacturers to shift production lines Supplier diversification was a necessity to avoid order fulfillment issues Challenge 2: More competitive market Focus shifted from offline to online, putting more pressure on delivery time Manufacturers had to improve their Just in Time (JIT) strategies A reactive demand-driven approach was implemented as part of the JIT strategy The more competitive the online market, the higher the need for product configurations Challenge 3: Internal problems Lack of personnel due to illness and quarantine measures Supply chain limitations and unstable demand impacted production capacity Enhanced hygienic procedures had a direct impact on production efficiency Before we started interviews with our customers, we assumed that COVID-19 brought a lot of problems in terms of production efficiency. But we never assumed that the word “downtime” would be used so many times by our customers! Fredrik Rosendahl Novacura, Sales Director DOWNLOAD complete 18-pages report Manufacturing in the COVID-19 era Top 3 challenges for manufacturers during the pandemic What are the root causes of the challenges? Proposed solution How to implement it Download Related articles : How low-code can unlock the business value of Industry 4.0 learn more Mobile solutions for WMS based on Novacura Flow learn more Novacura met with the Infor M3 customers learn more Meet Novacura at IFS Unleashed learn more More articles
Downtime (especially unplanned) is a serious threat to any manufacturer. However, there are at least 6 proven ways which can help to deal with this issue and drastically improve operational efficiency.
To manage means to measure. And your management decisions are as good as the quality of data you used to base them on. Management decisions are made based on “business systems” (Reporting systems – business intelligence, ERP systems, Planning systems (APS), MES systems). But these systems have problems with acquiring appropriate information from original information sources. To integrate the systems would be a solution to this but it’s hard to integrate because of two problems: On the Shop floor side – different devices have different protocols, some are new and some can be over ten years old. There are various business systems on the IT Systems side (APS, MES, ERP, MRP, WMS, QMS). They all use different protocols, provide other information and have independent databases (usually not synchronized). Solution The low-code BPM platform Novacura Flow can integrate with all of the devices on the shop floor side and all systems on the IT system side. Therefore it can be used in the middle of Equipment and business systems. Shop floor machines integration provided by Novacura. Protocols that Novacura Flow support – by devices side How we can communicate with different products: Via a rest-based IoT-Hub, as Azure IoT Via a OPC-UA server Via a machines PLC over ModBus Directly with a machine over TCP/IP Directly from the Novacura Flow-app with a device over BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) What type of equipment can we connect? Production Robots – read all the information and automatically detect downtime, number of cycles, and alerts detection. Vision AI cameras – to identify mistakes, take action and record the “incident” for quality purposes Semi-automated Machines used for production – like CNC, 3D Printers – as above, to read information about performance progress, number of prepared components, downtime, alert detection Different gauges/measurers – other measure parameters at the shop floor – like dust, humidity, temperature, noise, vibrations, power consumption (such as voltage and apers). Internal access control system – to check if the worker goes out / goes to the warehouse, to read information about their availability, to notify managers when a person is not logged in at the work center Warehouse automation systems (such as automated pick-up systems, movable shelves) – to read some info about performed operations/problems/warnings Internal transportation units (such as forklifts, micro-trains, trailers) – to read necessary parameters like utilization, numbers of km traveled, who uses the machine (if protected by some ID card), read important operation parameters and warnings. Industry scales – e.g.., to read the weight of the raw material on every production stage and weigh packed finished goods before delivery to confirm if the pallet/package contains the correct goods. Quality control apparatus – e.g., read quality inspection results, number of tested elements and warn about anomalies. If you think that IoT integration is not enough, and you need some more complex solution, check the other applications that Novacura can deliver. CHECK MORE SOLUTIONS FOR MANUFACTURING What else can we deliver? Novacura Flow is not only a gateway to connect devices. It also connects people (workers) by offering a mobile app that could be […]
Let us introduce – Novacura FSM Mobile Application. An efficient and fully customizable application developed for technicians. The application gives you an extension interface for IFS FSM, with the latest technologies available. Ensure your tasks are well executed with all the steps needed to stay compliant with the quality standards Handle task assignments, status change, location information, time reporting, and more within the application. The information in the IFS FSM system will be updated automatically and instantly. You will get easy access to details and instructions. There is also a possibility to add additional technical documentation such as instruction manuals, etc. It is easy to log the information, even to add pictures as additional information. The technician can report observations, alerts, and closure notes. All documentation is linked to the task and stored in the IFS FSM immediately. The manager will be updated when a task is completed. But what if there is no internet connection? – No worries. The application reads the data and stores it locally. The user can read and modify the data and will be synchronized as soon as you are re-connected. There is much more to discover about this application and our BPM platform Novacura FLOW. Click here to watch the video and get a practical example of how it works! Novacura FSM Mobile Application Related articles : No posts found
Work orders are the backbone of your business: without them, nothing would get done. Yet many businesses still rely on Excel spreadsheets (or worse, paper forms) to manage their work orders.
In their report Magic Quadrant for Field Service Management, Gartner reports that “by 2020, more than 75% of field service organizations with over 50 users will deploy mobile apps that go beyond simplified data collection and add capabilities that help technicians succeed.” Augmented reality (AR) is a billion-dollar business. Every day, people are coming up with new and innovative ways to bring AR into our everyday lives in the form of games and apps like Pokémon Go and Snapchat. As of right now, AR hardware for field service—like glasses and smart sensors—are quite expensive and not readily available to most field service companies. But you don’t need fancy glasses to bring the power of AR to your field service business. There are ways you can start benefitting from AR right now, without investing thousands of dollars in new equipment. Remote Visual Assistance Remote visual assistance is a way for field service technicians to collaborate in real-time with remote agents or experts during inspections, assessments, diagnosis, or support processes. It’s sometimes also called “remote guidance” or “remote collaboration”. Here are just a few scenarios where remote visual assistance can be helpful for field service: Scenario 1: A technician is called out to a repair site. They look at the issue and realize that they don’t know how to fix it. Rather than bringing someone else to the repair site to help, the technician connects with a back-office expert through their phone, tablet, or other mobile device. The technician can show the expert the issue exactly as they see it, using the camera on their device. The expert can ask questions, gather information, and conduct a thorough assessment of the problem. From there, they can create a detailed Fault Report. Scenario 2: A customer wants a technician to come out and look at an issue, but the technician isn’t sure what kind of equipment they need to bring. Through remote visual assistance, the customer can visually show the technician the issue while the technician gathers details and assesses the problem. Then, the technician can be sure they have exactly what they need BEFORE they go out to the customer’s site to fix the problem. This increases the chance of a first-time fix. Scenario 3: The technician is on-site, Fault Report in hand, but they’re not completely confident they know how to fix the problem. Rather than taking a chance and “winging it”, the technician can remotely connect with an expert to guide them, step-by-step, through the repair. The expert sees exactly what the technician sees and can show them exactly what to do using hand overlays on the technician’s screen. Improve now See our entire collection of applications to streamline your field reporting and much more. Marketplace Why Use Remote Visual Assistance in Field Service Better first-time fix rates Remote visual assistance can help raise that all-important first-time fix rate in a few ways. Because your technicians can gather more information and context before they go to the site, they can better assess and repair problems. And because your technicians have access to […]