Why Precision Manufacturers Don’t Use Machine Monitoring
In an industry that is literally built around precision, there are lots of facilities that have not yet implemented an automated production monitoring system. Most rely on manual data collected at the end of the shift that’s tracked in spreadsheets or an ERP. The most commonly collected data is date, job name, operator, shift, hours, parts made and parts per hour—all important things to know to track what’s been made. The problem is those facts don’t help manufacturers figure out how to make more.
What is Machine Monitoring?
Machine monitoring, often referred to as production monitoring, is just what is sounds like—technology that monitors what a machine is doing on the production floor. It has been around for decades and started as simply monitoring whether a machine was on or off. Over the years it has become more sophisticated as CNC machines got smarter. Then monitoring companies started gathering more data from the machines augmented by operator input. While better than the on/off model, these systems still require people to spend a lot of time either entering data or manipulating it to find insights. The newest monitoring solutions, like Datanomix Production Monitoring, pull real-time raw data directly from the CNC controller and then analyze and organize the data into user-friendly dashboards available across connected devices like smart TVs, mobile phones, tablets, and laptops.
Having real-time and historical insights into production performance is a real game changer. So why hasn’t every facility adopted monitoring? The reasons seem to fall into the following categories:
Questions Around ROI
Doubt around whether the benefits of increased uptime and efficiency outweigh the costs and effort of implementation. Some think the process of implementing monitoring software is on par with implementing an ERP system. Spoiler alert, it’s not. The most skeptical are the manufacturers that tried earlier monitoring solutions that didn’t deliver the ROI they were promised, and rightfully so.
Datanomix Difference: Customers love Datanomix. We don’t just take your money and run. Your no-downtime implementation is completely managed by your dedicated customer success team. It includes training on the software and best practice coaching for driving change using data. The average ROI is an additional hour of uptime per machine per day from implementing Quick Wins. Many of our customers switched from other systems, and are blown away by the difference. Want an idea of your ROI? Here’s a calculator
Integration Challenges
For many, the only point of reference for implementing production / machine monitoring is an ERP system, which can be complicated. ERPs and Production monitoring are very different. Production monitoring solutions need to connect to your machine controllers, that’s it. It takes hours to set up the system not months or years.
Datanomix Difference: Your dedicated Customer Success Team (CST) manages the installation process for you. They ensure that every machine is hooked up and delivering good data before you “go live”. No IT department required! Datanomix has connected thousands of machines and is compatible with all makes and models of modern CNC machines.
Resistance to Change
Change is hard. In the past, concerns that employees will think that “big brother” is watching have contributed to the slow adoption of machine monitoring. However, this is changing as leaders in manufacturing are adopting data automation faster to ensure they stay competitive. Operators are also embracing the technology because it offers immediate feedback on what they are doing and supports their claims of changes that need to be made to the program.
Datanomix Difference: Change is hard, but we make it easier by starting you out with three simple workflows. These Quick Wins, introduce the team to the power of real-time data. Once everyone can see the impact their actions have on meeting goals, they embrace the system. We believe that everyone wants to do a good job, and when they have the information they need to succeed, they do! We also coach the leadership team on how to head off the “big brother” concerns right from the beginning.
Too Busy
Busy managers can’t see how they will have time to add one more thing to their plate and operators don’t want another thing to do either. Ironically, monitoring is perceived as more work, not as a way to be more efficient.
Datanomix Difference: Datanomix takes things off people’s plates, like chasing people, paper, and parts to populate spreadsheets. Plant operation managers tell us they get back an hour a day! And Datanomix requires No Operator Input. Operators can spend 100% of their time running their machines, not writing down part counts and reasons for downtime. Additionally, our Prescriptive guidance outlines industry best practices that help facilities streamline their processes.
Here’s how every person in your facility could use Datanomix to drive daily decisions.
Data Security
Concerns about cybersecurity and the risks of a data breach make people wary about putting their machine data “in the cloud”.
Datanomix Difference: We help our customers conform to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171. Our flexible architecture allows us to quickly implement new security requirements to help thwart anyone targeting US manufacturers. In many cases, we help customers improve their cybersecurity because they don’t have a dedicated IT team.
Good Enough
Some facilities feel the manual process they have is good enough and see no immediate need to change.
Datanomix Difference: If a company is satisfied with “good enough” they are probably not a good fit for Datanomix Production Monitoring. Customers choose Datanomix because they want to make more: more parts, more revenue, more profit, and more progress. Good enough isn’t an option.
