Automating Shop Floor Processes with Mobile Technology

Automating Shop Floor Operations

The manufacturing industry rapidly adopts new technologies to streamline processes and improve efficiency. As cloud inventory expert Shawn Coultice, Head Of Channel Partnerships at Katana MRP, explained in a recent interview, “70% of our customers do a mix of all those different order fulfillment types. And that's really what technology has enabled them to do.” One area seeing major innovation is the automation of shop floor processes using mobile technology.

Mobile solutions provide manufacturers with real-time visibility into production, allowing them to “monitor the production process from a remote location,” Coultice said. The benefits of automating the shop floor include “reduced human errors, improved efficiency and productivity, enhanced real-time visibility and data accuracy, streamlined communication and collaboration, and faster decision-making and problem-solving.”

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Automate Shop Floor Processes: What Can Be Automated with Mobile Technology

In today's manufacturing landscape, there are several shop floor processes that can be automated with mobile technology. These include real-time communication between interconnected machines, equipment performance monitoring, and analytics-based decision-making. As Shawn Coultice from Katana MRP mentioned in the interview, “70% of our customers do a mix of all those different order fulfillment types. And that's really what technology has enabled them to do.”

Benefits of Automating Shop Floor Processes

Automating shop floor processes with mobile technology offers numerous benefits for manufacturers. These include improved efficiency and productivity, reduced human errors, enhanced real-time visibility and data accuracy, streamlined communication and collaboration, and faster decision-making and problem-solving.

How Manufacturers Can Get Started with Automating Their Shop Floor Processes

To start automating shop floor processes, manufacturers should assess their current processes and identify areas for improvement. Next, they should research and select appropriate mobile technology solutions that align with their needs. Developing a phased implementation plan and providing adequate employee training and support will also be crucial for successful adoption. Finally, manufacturers should continuously monitor and optimize their automated systems to ensure they are getting the most out of their investments. In addition to software, manufacturers increasingly use robots and automated machinery to automate shop floor processes.

Challenges of Automating Shop Floor Processes

Common Challenges Faced by Manufacturers When Implementing Automation

Manufacturers may face several challenges when implementing automation for their shop floor processes. These challenges include high initial investment costs, integration with existing systems and processes, employee resistance to change, ensuring data security and privacy, and keeping up with rapidly evolving technology. One way to automate shop floor processes is to implement manufacturing execution systems like Katana that provide digital instructions.

Strategies for Overcoming These Challenges

To overcome these challenges, manufacturers should develop a clear business case for automation, highlighting the potential benefits and return on investment. They should also select solutions that are compatible with existing systems and can be easily integrated. Involving employees in decision-making and providing adequate training and support will help ease the transition to automation. Implementing robust data security measures and policies is essential for protecting sensitive information. Lastly, staying informed about industry trends and advancements in technology will help manufacturers stay ahead of the curve and maintain a competitive edge.

Contrasting Digital Task Management in Katana versus Manual “Hopper” System

Traditional “hopper” systems for scheduling production tasks involve printed lists of manufacturing orders stacked by priority, with manual processes for moving orders based on changing priorities. This approach can be inefficient and prone to errors. In contrast, Katana's digital task management system offers a drag-and-drop interface to prioritize and schedule production tasks, digitizing the manual “hopper” system. This provides real-time visibility into production schedules and status, improving efficiency, accuracy, and flexibility.

Shawn explains in the interview, “With Katana, we've digitized that process. So you can drag and drop your sales orders, you can drag and drop your manufacturing orders, and that's going to not only reprioritize them on that screen, it's going to reprioritize the tasks that the employees see on their shop floor application, as well as the inventory that's being allocated to those jobs.” It is no secret that automating shop floor processes like packaging and loading materials can reduce manual labor and improve efficiency. Companies should consider costs and benefits when deciding whether to automate shop floor processes.

Related article: Hybrid Order Fulfillment: The Future of E-Commerce - See how mobile technology can help you streamline your order fulfillment process and improve customer satisfaction.

How Katana Digitizes Scheduling and Makes It Mobile

Katana's core scheduling features include a drag-and-drop production scheduling interface, integration with inventory data to allocate materials, and real-time schedule updates on a mobile app. These features offer several benefits, such as improved visibility into production status, flexibility to change priorities easily, scheduling and inventory allocation accuracy, and real-time data access on mobile devices.

Shawn highlights the advantages of Katana's mobile capabilities in the interview: “So if I'm using my cell phone or a tablet of some sort, and I want to see what are the jobs I need to work on today, I would go over to my tablet or my cell phone and I can see all these jobs that are prioritized for me to go ahead and work on.”

By digitizing scheduling and making it mobile, Katana enables manufacturers to streamline their shop floor processes, improve efficiency, and enhance real-time visibility. This allows manufacturers to focus on higher-level tasks and make more informed decisions, ultimately driving business growth and success. Previously, companies that wanted to automate shop floor processes required significant upfront investments in equipment and integration. Today, that is no longer the case with cloud solutions like Katana.

Automating shop floor processes with mobile technology like Katana can significantly improve efficiency, accuracy, and visibility for manufacturers. By digitizing traditional manual systems and making scheduling mobile, manufacturers can better manage their operations and make more informed decisions. As technology evolves, embracing automation and digitization will be crucial for manufacturers to stay competitive.

Best Practices For Automating Shop Floor Processes

Implementing automation for shop floor processes can significantly improve efficiency, reduce waste, and increase manufacturer profitability. Shawn shared insights on the key steps and best practices for implementing and managing automated shop floor processes.

Key Steps Involved in Implementing Automation for Shop Floor Processes

1. Choose the right software solution: Select a solution that integrates well with your existing technology stack, offers real-time inventory and production management, and provides an open API for easy integration with other systems.
2. Implement the software: Implement the chosen software solution within your organization, ensuring that it is set up correctly and integrated with your existing systems. The average implementation time for Katana MRP is around 30 days.
3. Train your employees: Provide training and support to your employees to ensure they understand how to use the new software and can adopt it quickly.
4. Monitor and optimize: Continuously monitor the performance of the automated processes and make adjustments as needed to optimize efficiency and productivity.

4 Best Practices for Managing Automated Shop Floor Processes

1. Leverage real-time data: Utilize real-time data provided by the software to make informed decisions about inventory management, production planning, and order fulfillment.
2. Prioritize tasks: Use the software's scheduling system to prioritize tasks and ensure employees work on the most critical jobs at the right time. Shawn explains, “With Katana, we've digitized that process. So you can drag and drop your sales orders, you can drag and drop your manufacturing orders, and that's going to not only reprioritize them on that screen, it's going to reprioritize the tasks that the employees see on their shop floor application, as well as the inventory that's being allocated to those jobs.”
3. Improve communication: Utilize the shop floor control application to provide employees with all the information they need to complete their tasks efficiently and effectively.
4. Analyze performance: Use reporting tools and analytics to gain insights into your automated processes' performance, identify improvement areas, and make data-driven decisions.

Related article: Adopting Cloud Technology to Enable Manufacturing Agility - Learn how cloud technology can help you connect your shop floor to the rest of your business and improve overall efficiency.

Ensuring Manufacturers Get the Most Out of Their Automation Investment

Adopting a hybrid order fulfillment model is one-way manufacturers can maximize the value of their automation technology investment. Many manufacturers now leverage a mix of B2B, B2C, and direct-to-consumer sales channels enabled by solutions like Katana MRP. This diversified approach provides more revenue streams, mitigates risk, evens out seasonal revenue fluctuations, and offers comprehensive customer insights.

Another key is to focus on user adoption by ensuring the software is intuitive and easy to use. This encourages employees to embrace the new technology quickly.

Lastly, manufacturers should continuously improve by staying current with the latest manufacturing automation trends and technologies. Regularly refining processes and upgrading systems is crucial for remaining competitive in a rapidly evolving industry. Investing in automation is only as good as the processes and people utilizing it.

Case Studies Of Manufacturers Who Have Successfully Automated Shop Floor Processes

Case Study using Shopify and QuickBooks Online

One example of a manufacturer who has successfully automated their shop floor processes with Katana is Jeff's company, which Shawn mentioned in our conversation. Jeff was using Shopify, QuickBooks Online, and a shipping solution but was struggling with the manual process of connecting sales orders to inventory and fulfillment. After implementing Katana, Jeff was able to save four hours a day of administrative time, as the system plugged directly into his existing tech stack and streamlined the process.

We see that Mobile technology through offering quick real-time solutions improves productivity and performance. DeviceMagic sees a similiar trend.

Katana's real-time inventory and production planning capabilities, as well as its scheduling system and shop floor control application, have helped manufacturers like Jeff's company automate their shop floor processes and achieve significant time savings.

Kron Technologies Case Study

Kron Technologies is a high-speed camera manufacturer specializing in producing affordable, high-quality cameras for various industries, including research, sports, and entertainment. They faced challenges in managing their inventory and production processes due to the complexity of their products and the need for accurate tracking of components and materials.

By implementing Katana MRP, Kron Technologies was able to streamline its inventory management and production planning. The system provided real-time visibility into their inventory levels, allowing them to make better purchasing decisions and reduce waste. Additionally, the production planning features of Katana MRP helped them optimize their manufacturing processes, ensuring that they were producing the right products at the right time. This resulted in improved efficiency, reduced lead times, and increased customer satisfaction.

GJ Motorsports Case Study

GJ Motorsports is a company that designs and manufactures aftermarket automotive parts, specializing in off-road and performance vehicles. They faced challenges in managing their inventory, production planning, and order fulfillment due to the complexity of their product offerings and the need to manage multiple sales channels.

By implementing Katana MRP, GJ Motorsports was able to consolidate its sales channels and gain better visibility into its inventory and production processes. The system allowed them to prioritize orders and allocate resources more effectively, improving efficiency and reducing lead times. Furthermore, the real-time nature of Katana MRP enabled them to make better purchasing decisions and optimize their inventory levels, leading to cost savings and increased profitability.

We feel there’s a lot of automation that can happen that isn’t a replacement of humans but of mind-numbing behavior. Oreilly has a similiar sentiment.

In summary, both Kron Technologies and GJ Motorsports were able to overcome their inventory management and production planning challenges by implementing Katana MRP. The system provided them with real-time visibility into their operations, allowing them to make better decisions, optimize their processes, and ultimately improve their overall business performance.

Conclusion

Automating shop floor processes requires careful planning and change management. As Shawn advised, “The key steps in implementing automation for shop floor processes” include choosing the right software, training employees, and continuously optimizing processes. However, manufacturers who embrace automation and mobility can gain “significant time savings,” with one customer saving “four hours a day of administrative time” after implementing Katana.

The future for manufacturers is mobile, automated, and data-driven. As Shawn concluded, “By digitizing scheduling and making it mobile, manufacturers can better manage their operations and make more informed decisions, ultimately driving business growth and success.” Adopting the latest mobile technology solutions can help manufacturers boost efficiency, visibility, and competitiveness.

Learn firsthand how it can support your automation efforts, driving better decision-making and boosting your competitiveness in the industry. Take the first step towards a more efficient and data-driven future for your manufacturing business. Don't miss out on the opportunity to optimize your manufacturing processes. Sign up for a Free trial of Katana MRP today. (No Credit Card Required)

Watch our Software Spotlight podcast featuring Katana MRP: In this episode, Shawn Coultice of cloud inventory management leader Katana MRP explains how the solution helps online sellers efficiently manage multi-channel order fulfillment, manufacturing, purchasing, and financials - enabling small businesses to save time, reduce costs and scale using enterprise-level technology.