Project of the Month
"Cost-effective and Fast Digitization Measures"
Optimizing Production Transparency and Downtime Management Using Low-Code Solutions
INITIAL SITUATION
High manual effort for production transparency posed significant challenges, resulting in inefficiencies across the workflow. Specifically, the reliance on manual data recording methods led to:
- Error-Prone Handwritten Records: These delayed accurate reporting and introduced the risk of human errors.
- Disorganized Excel Exports: The data was difficult to interpret, leading to confusion and inefficiency in decision-making.
- Time-Consuming Data Evaluation: The existing complex software tools were difficult to navigate and inefficient for real-time visualization of production data.
APPROACH
- Analyze Production Environment: Focused on understanding production rates, downtime, and equipment performance to identify critical areas for data tracking and performance metrics.
- Team Engagement: Encouraged operators and staff to participate in the data collection process to foster a data-driven culture and create opportunities for continuous improvement.
- Tailored Solutions: After the analysis, we designed a solution specifically suited to the client's needs, leveraging existing infrastructure and integrating cost-effective, low-code solutions for efficient data collection and reporting.
- Leveraging Low-Code (Node-RED): Using low-code programming through Node-RED, we connected data streams from machines, allowing real-time data flow and minimizing setup costs.
- Custom Dashboard Development: A user-friendly dashboard was created to visualize key metrics and provide the production team with quick insights for better decision-making.
IMPLEMENTATION
- Simple, Tablet-Based Interface: The solution provided operators with a simplified system for tracking downtime and logging reasons via buttons on a tablet at the workstation.
- Downtime Reasons Tracked: Key reasons such as "Maintenance," "Machine Error," "Shift Handover," and "Pause" could be quickly recorded, reducing reliance on manual, handwritten notes.
- Built-in Notification System: If an issue required further attention, a notification was automatically triggered through Microsoft Teams, informing the team lead and enabling quick problem resolution.
- Daily Dashboard for Leadership:
- All logged data was summarized into a dashboard for the team leader, allowing them to evaluate daily performance and pinpoint bottlenecks or frequent downtime causes.
RESULTS AND BENEFITS
- Improved Production Transparency: Real-time data collection and logging provided an accurate, up-to-date overview of production performance without relying on manual records.
- Increased Efficiency: The simple tablet interface reduced manual effort and allowed operators to focus on core tasks rather than data reporting.
- Quicker Problem Resolution: The built-in notification system streamlined communication, ensuring issues were promptly escalated to the right person.
- Informed Decision-Making: The daily dashboard helped team leaders track downtime trends, enabling them to make informed decisions and optimize the process more effectively.
This project demonstrated that significant transparency, efficiency, and responsiveness improvements can be achieved even with simple, low-code tools without large-scale investment in complex software solutions.