| When Advanced Tool, Inc. recently decided to expand | | | | with reminders, provides shift-to-shift information on |
| its offerings beyond precision cutting tools for the | | | | screen, distributes email messages to specific areas or |
| automotive and aerospace industries, it implemented | | | | persons through an easy-to-use system and |
| changes that have already started to see results. In a | | | | automatically notifies factory floor personnel of a floor |
| recent press release, Advance Tools' CEO said, "We | | | | problem so action can be taken immediately. |
| are on a path of large growth." | | | | 2. The provision of alert messages - A shop floor |
| What has led to such measurable results for this | | | | management system enables factory production |
| 33-year-old company? "An important tool to spur that | | | | control to set up alarm parameters that can alert the |
| growth is another of the CEO's changes at the | | | | floor of problems. Such issues may include: |
| company. Along with diversifying the company's tool | | | | - Lower-than-predicted efficiency levels |
| offerings, the company can now also act as a | | | | - Higher-than-expected scrap levels |
| tool-inventory manager for its clients. 'We have a | | | | - Movement outside of quality ranges |
| proprietary software package,' the CEO says. 'It's a | | | | 3. The containment of a 'What If?' feature - Such a |
| shop-floor-management inventory system.' The | | | | feature enables factory owners to work around |
| program helps clients keep track of their cutting tools, | | | | unanticipated changes. As such, it reduces the need |
| what ones are used the most, and when new ones | | | | for expensive outsourcing, safety stock and premium |
| are ordered." | | | | shipping. Shop floor managers simply key-in different |
| Advanced Tool, Inc. isn't the only company leveraging | | | | customer delivery scenarios and the factory floor |
| factory/shop floor management to its advantage. By | | | | management system automatically calculates the |
| getting in touch with factory floor innovation, CEOs | | | | workflow process for each. |
| across a wide range of industries can touch, monitor | | | | 4. Reporting of critical information on a daily basis - A |
| and adapt every shop floor process for real-time | | | | factory floor management system delivers |
| improvement that delivers greater profitability. | | | | management reports in five categories: Machine |
| The only system that enables manufacturers to | | | | Performance, Labor Performance, Part Analysis, |
| compete on speed rather than cost and which delivers | | | | Problem Analysis, and Scrap Analysis. This information, |
| real-time, continuous improvement for greater | | | | delivered on demand, provides a feedback loop so |
| profitability and faster delivery to customers, one shop | | | | shop floor managers can make critical decisions and |
| floor management innovation is giving factory owners | | | | produce a scorecard for employees. |
| the competitive edge that keeps them in touch with | | | | 5. Easy integration and system compatibility - A shop |
| their factory floor. | | | | floor management system works with a variety of |
| From machine performance to factory data collection, | | | | off-the-shelf and customized software packages. It |
| a factory floor management system can give CEOs | | | | can also receive information electronically - including |
| like those at Advanced Tool complete shop floor | | | | orders upstream from ERP/MRP and office systems |
| control. Some of the growth-fueling benefits of using | | | | to machine monitoring equipment delivered |
| this technology include: | | | | downstream. In addition, a factory floor management |
| 1. The ability to discover and resolve shop floor | | | | system can link with other systems such as |
| problems faster - A factory floor management | | | | Computer-Aided Design (CAD). |
| system informs shop owners of special instructions | | | | |