FEATURE : MANUFACTURING
place that have contributed to increased trade and improved economic resilience .
Modern manufacturing
In the move to modernise and improve operations , we are seeing more African manufacturers looking for ways to enhance their legacy technology assets digitally . For example , a digitally connected manufacturing execution system will help to improve productivity and , after all , new production machinery is considerably easier to connect to business systems than the legacy systems of the past .
Pranish Kushare , Senior Principal Solutions
Consultant , Africa and Middle East , Infor
Technodyn ’ s Queiroz points out , not all African manufacturers are able to modernise with many still owning large and expensive production machinery that is fast becoming outdated . These organisations risk being left behind those that are along their way on the digital transformation journey .
Manufacturers are increasingly turning to smart manufacturing principles , hoping to turn the shop floor into highly efficient , data-driven operations humming with synchronised precision . Unfortunately , line-of-business managers , crew leaders and shift supervisors , the shop floor heroes , often lack easy access to the ERP system and the relevant data needed to keep production on track .
Kate Queiroz , Chief Commercial
Officer at Technodyn
Points out , Pranish Kushare , Senior Principal Solutions Consultant , Middle East and Africa , Infor , countless critical decisions are made on the shop floor every shift . The setting , notoriously noisy and fast-moving , is not conducive to careful , prolonged pondering of influences .
Fast-moving production lines require fast decisions and expedient action . At the same time , errors can be costly , eating away at profitability , wasting resources , and jeopardising as-promised delivery times . Decisions based on guesses , one random exception , or anecdotal stories can send a team into spirals of wasted time , frustrating workers and managers alike .
The answer is to put data in the hands of every decision-maker in the organisation , even those who are not advanced data analysts . Modern digital platforms provide interface tools to help users apply advanced functionality to everyday situations . Digital platform provides front-line users with role-based dashboards to track relevant key performance indicators and custom reporting to investigate emerging trends .
Vibhu Kapoor , Regional Vice President ,
Africa , Middle East and India , Epicor
Factories of the future will need an advanced missioncontrol centre , built on the manufacturing execution system , MES , a platform that is an all-in-one overseer ,
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