White Paper details importance of real-time data capture and how to achieve it

Manufacturing resource planning (MRP) and production control provide intelligent and scalable solutions for manufacturing, making available detailed management information. But Javelin senior consultant Ian Cartwright says data alone is not enough: "It needs to be accurate, relevant and up-to-date to allow SME organisations to successfully compete in difficult economic and market conditions, by directly improving productivity. "Companies utilising RTDC can assess any situation quickly and efficiently, because it gives them current details of all work in progress, stock, personnel, tooling, and the myriad of other relevant information, all updated to reflect the real time situation." The White Paper (see link below) highlights the business case for real -time update information and the best ways of ensuring that manufacturers achieve this valuable business intelligence. Topics include data sources; data capture mechanisms; and the data itself, such as available personnel, the current status of each individual machine, aspects of work in progress, and stock. Says Mr Cartwright: "Raw materials are key to the minute-by-minute decisions to launch jobs. But by utilising RTDC properly, managers can also analyse employee efficiency, by comparing their time at work to their time actively spent working on jobs, or even booked against 'distraction' or 'none-productive' codes." Work in progress benefits most, he says. Traditionally, this is recorded on time sheets or operation cards. "It's time expended against a specific operation in a specific order by a specific person, as well as looking at how many units have been made, how many scrapped and how many rejected. "Managers who have vital information at their fingertips as soon as it is collected can make informed decisions, which keep businesses running efficiently and profitably. And this free White Paper explains how to ensure that such information is always readily available."