Reimagining Manufacturing Value Chain

Smart Factory and shop floor automation delivers excellence across the value chain, doubling the net income.

Case Summary

The client, a Fortune 500 company that manufactures engineering products for industrial, commercial, and consumer markets, wanted to improve efficiency across its manufacturing value chain. SLK co-innovated with the customer and leveraged leading edge-to-cloud technologies to drive digital transformation. This led to a 2x increase in revenues and net income, a 10% reduction in cost, and a 14-18% improvement in productivity.

The Challenge

The client wanted to improve its manufacturing operations to reduce unplanned downtimes and failure of critical assets. They also wanted to operate on a lean inventory model to save costs, lower maintenance & labor costs, and reduce energy consumption and waste. To achieve these goals, the client needed better visibility across their manufacturing operations that would lead to the right decisions at the right time. They wanted a partner who could deploy the right technology solutions and drive digital transformation across their value chain.

The Solution

The SLK team helped the client transform manufacturing operations using an innovative, automation-led approach. We implemented digital manufacturing operations management, production-edge-to-cloud solutions for data collection and decisioning, digital twins, and real-time visual and intelligent predictive and prescriptive analytics leveraging data science. Some key components of our solution included:

  • A KPI management software to capture performance, reason codes, and problem-solving actions
  • A digital standard work tool to capture tribal knowledge and create standard work with video (factory and office) for onboarding and real-time use in the work area An IIoT solution connected with an analytics engine that showed
  • the correlation between process parameters and operational performance
  • An automated replenishment process developed with scanning technology (Barcodes and RFID) and scales connected to manufacturing operations modules

Business Impact

10%

Cost savings

2X

Revenue and net income

14% – 18%

Higher productivity, efficiency, and quality

SLK’s Efforts Showed Quick Results:

Transformation of customer’s value chain led to a steep improvement in output, quality, and operational cost optimization. A better connected and transparent system also created more communication and collaboration channel in the customer organization leading to world-class performance. Predictive insights helped improve Machine Uptime, Run Rates, and Decreased WIP. Reduced energy and water wastes helped the manufacturer become a green company. Better outcomes also increased employee morale