One of the advantages of a smart manufacturing is the ability to collect and track data and information as it’s happening, in real time. Real-time production monitoring is a crucial component in many industrial facilities today, as it allows managers and employees to be up to date with what’s happening on the shop floor as it happens. This is a real advantage over the old way of conducting production monitoring, where important information regarding a production line could only be analyzed after the fact. In addition, it plays an important role in tracking machine performance, 24/7, flagging any issues that staff can address and solve, and preventing the need for downtime of the production line.
What can real-time production monitoring track?
In addition to tracking the operation of the machines in a facility, real-time production monitoring software can be programmed to provide a wealth of valuable information for a manufacturing business. For example, it can track material consumption, traceability, specific events and the time- they occur, and quantities of items and their parts. In addition, it can handle batch number recording, barcode label management, and track material non-conformities. Perhaps most importantly, a real-time production monitoring system can be connected to a company’s ERP, providing crucial real-time data that is necessary for a complete overview for effective management of time and resources.
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What are the benefits of implementing a real-time production monitoring? Essentially, by tracking real-time production performance, a company can improve efficiency, productivity, and quality related to both machine and process performance. Most importantly, it can help reduce downtime, as any production or maintenance issues can be addressed before they become a real problem. On a strategic management level, having the capability to view real-time data can lead to business insights and new ideas, and on a practical level, it can improve overall data accuracy, and help eliminate manual or redundant data entry processes.
The availability of real-time manufacturing analytics is transforming the manufacturing sector, helping many facilities reach optimum performance. Systems that collect, process, and even analyze the data across the factory floor provide management with the information they need to improve operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Most importantly, managers are able to view all departments and factory lines, in a single platform, even across multiple operations. With a standardized methodology for reporting and tracking data, the system enables improved data-driven decision making, allowing employees to make fast, effective business and operational decisions.
