PROBLEM
The commodity producer needed to increase profitability by getting greater productivity and efficiency out of existing equipment and human resources. From the management perspective, the absence of a modern automated real-time reporting solution to monitor the performance of people and equipment was a critical shortcoming. Reports from original equipment manufacturer (OEM) machine sensors didn’t align with the company’s business requirements and therefore failed to produce any significant insights. Other reports written by supervisors were inherently open to misinterpretation and error. Reported information was not available when needed for timely decision-making by management.
SOLUTION
Major pieces of equipment were fitted with sensors which capture and transmit data every second. The Pulse Analytics app collates this data and combines with data from other pertinent sources, such as shift rosters, and production and budget data from the company’s ERP. The resulting analysis is available to stakeholders immediately on a dashboard that’s accessible via tablet or by email on a pre-determined schedule.
BENEFITS
The company’s deployment of Pulse Analytics is resulting in group production increases valued at more than US$14 million per annum. Data and reporting accuracy is greatly improved through the use of automatic data input versus manual entry. The increased volume of data provides a greater overview of productivity. Users can review data in an easy-to-read dashboard format, which offers a clear grasp of current operations. Working with Pulse Analytics has also increased the understanding of frontline managers as to how people and equipment actually perform within overall production processes.
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