Plant Services - August 2007 - (Page 17) UP AND RUNNING Manufacturing as a knowledge business Converging software systems offer a competitive edge By Russ Kratowicz, P.E., CMRP, Executive Editor ES is starting to overtake ERP systems in relevance to daily operations because it gives the corporate financial people the tools they need to connect savings with a specific initiative taken on the plant floor. This could prove valuable to maintenance departments, which always have a difficult time proving that its effective asset care efforts saved money by preventing downtime or catastrophic failure. Such was the thread running through the Rockwell Software Technical Education conference held June 17 through June 19 in Orlando, Fla. No less than 1,600 attendees representing 47 countries attended this user’s group event on its 10th anniversary. Rockwell’s software suite, FactoryTalk, the centerpiece of the event, is intended to provide plant-wide integration through its basic modules, which include design and configuration, production management, data management, quality and compliance, asset management as well as performance and visibility. These are integrated into a seamless, paperless, real-time whole. The overriding goal is to capture realtime plant-floor data and process it into useful information M that can be delivered to the people and systems that need it, said Kevin Roach, vice president of software, Rockwell Software, in his keynote speech (http://powerhost.powerstream.net/008/00100/Linked/RStech2007.wmv). Roach argued that in a global economy, effective information processing is going to be a big part of the manufacturing revolution, a movement having a business impact as But trying to overlay databases of all sorts to identify connections, linear or otherwise, can be problematic. large as that of the industrial revolution. Manufacturers are focusing increasing amounts of IT investment on the plant floor because that’s where the plant management sees the greatest probability for significant improvement in financial performance. But integrating with existing ERP packages and trying to overlay databases of all sorts to identify connections, linear or otherwise, can be problematic. One road- WIKA receives Perfect Engine Award ach year, this award honors a manufacturer that has been successful in implementing LeanSigma methodologies throughout its entire organization and throughout its value chain. TBM Consulting Group’s selection criteria includes customer focus, workforce commitment, innovation, market share growth, value chain alignment, and fiscal responsibility. From 2001 to 2007, WIKA has held more than 500 continuous improvement workshops called Kaizen events. These worldwide events have produced the following results: • Sales revenue up 23% • Five-fold increase in profit before taxes • Rework and scrap reduced 13% • External quality complaints reduced 60% August 2007 E • Lead times decreased from four to six weeks to one to three weeks “WIKA achieved the Perfect Engine designation because of its proven ability to implement and leverage cutting-edge processes that facilitate agility, continuous innovation and synchronization to assure the prosperity of the enterprise,” says Anand Sharma, TBM Consulting Group’s CEO. “In response to the pressures of a demand economy, WIKA has demonstrated significant success gaining market share and building brand loyalty through dedication to a LeanSigma transformation and commitment to investing in the workforce.” WIKA is the fourth corporation to receive this prestigious award. Visit www.wika.com for more information. 17 www.PLANTSERVICES.com http://powerhost.powerstream.net/008/00100/Linked/RStech2007.wmv http://powerhost.powerstream.net/008/00100/Linked/RStech2007.wmv http://www.wika.com http://www.PLANTSERVICES.com
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