How can data collection and analysis support manufacturing?
We live in a world where data is increasingly important. Many businesses collect data to gain insight into their performance, helping to make critical decisions with a full view of the factors and the potential consequences. It can also improve customer experiences by better aligning products and services with consumer needs.
It’s no surprise, then, that the use of data is on the rise in manufacturing. The commonly used term ‘smart manufacturing’ refers to manufacturing that incorporates technology and data analysis to create high levels of adaptability – and more and more plants are introducing this into their own approaches.
Data, while sometimes a controversial topic, is a valuable tool for any manufacturer that wants to streamline its operations. By bringing it into your plant, even on a minor level, you can obtain the power to review performance, refine processes and improve your results.
This guide explores the types of data collection and analysis manufacturers may look to leverage, including the benefits and how you can effectively embed them into your production.
- What are the benefits of data collection and analysis?
- How to introduce data analysis into your plant
- How Yamato Stats can help
What are the benefits of data collection and analysis?
There are many benefits associated with data collection and analysis for manufacturers who choose to implement it.
Firstly, it enables manufacturers to ensure processes are running at optimal level. Using data, you can review performance across your production lines and track output. This should highlight any areas for improvement.
By maximising performance, you can then reap additional rewards, such as reduced product giveaways, cost-efficiencies and higher product quality. This is why lean manufacturing typically incorporates data analysis – enabling manufacturers to reduce cost, waste and lead times by fully optimising their production line.
It will also flag any problems with your line ahead of time, such as equipment not fulfilling its function correctly or other error causes. By identifying this early, you can make the necessary fixes before the problem worsens, saving you unplanned downtime.
Data collection can serve to create accurate demand forecasts that help you manage your supplies. Based on your previous output levels and order volumes, you can predict precisely the materials you will need, when you need them. With better management of your supplies, you can streamline your costs by avoiding unnecessary waste – which will also reduce your environmental footprint.
Real-time data analysis may be used to drive your product inspection efforts. With the right equipment, you can review your products for various issues, including contamination, broken seals or failure to meet pre-agreed specifications. Through it, you will improve consumer safety and ensure you exceed customer expectations, which will help drive satisfaction levels and sales.
Finally, collecting data will facilitate your auditing practices. By accessing data about your production and recording it, you will have information to continually refer to – such as reviewing how your operations have adapted over time or identifying what activity has occurred during processing. If, for any reason, you are asked about the traceability of your products, this will provide evidence about how they have been handled.
It’s also worth noting that data collection may extend beyond your operations. Other examples of data could include consumer research, competitor analysis and so on. All of these can allow manufacturers to understand the marketplace better and shape their products accordingly, so you can serve consumer demand and generate more sales.
How to introduce data analysis into your plant
If you are looking to introduce data collection and analysis into your plant, there are many ways to do so. Generally, the data you choose to collect and how will depend on what you are trying to ascertain about your business. Below, we have listed some examples of data that manufacturers may benefit from using.
Satisfaction surveys, consumer research and complaints data. This is data that indicates what consumers want from your company and their feedback on your existing products. By accessing it, you will be able to refine your output to drive satisfaction and demand. This could include understanding the sort of products you should be manufacturing or improving existing product lines.
Production line analysis. When collecting data on your production lines, you need tools that enable you to review the full line in real-time. This typically means identifying software that allows for two-way communication between you and your machines, using sensors to gain information from relevant points in your production line and visualisation to represent the findings in a meaningful way.
Ideally, any equipment you use will also interact with your production line, such as knowing when to feed insufficient weight to reject belts or highlighting the reasons for production stoppages. Tools like Yamato stats will facilitate this.
Auditing and data records. For traceability purposes, you will need to keep a certain amount of data on your operations, including checks that have been carried out or other performance statistics. By collecting this data, you ensure that you meet industry standards and keep a log to access when needed, helping to improve your production or find the source of problems.
It may be possible to access data monitoring solutions that automatically create these records for you, enabling full traceability and making your job easier.
How Yamato Stats can help
At Yamato, we understand the need for manufacturers to create the best possible conditions across the plant to access outstanding performance. We built Yamato Stats to assist, offering comprehensive data monitoring across the entire production line.
With Yamato Stats’ software, you can analyse data by line (including packing lines), product, shift or site. This enables you to access a variety of views, depending on what it is you want to investigate about your plant, and ensure every part of your production is optimised. It can also work alongside all our machinery, including checkweighers, metal detectors and x-ray systems used for product inspection, and other manufacturer’s.
It utilises two-way communication for integration with your various machines and equipment, creating an intelligent production line that reacts in response to data – such as feeding faulty products away from the line. Remote control facilities and keypads also allow for human intervention as required.
Data is collected in real-time, so you can instantly obtain information and check if you are fulfilling production goals. Email alerts quickly flag any issues so they can be fixed. There is also a suite of analytic tools, plus live line statuses that can be viewed on PCs, to offer a clear view of reporting as it happens.
Downtime is automatically recorded, empowering you to find faults and rectify them swiftly. Reports will also be stored and archived for when you need them, helping to meet your compliance guidelines and making auditing easier.
By incorporating Yamato Stats into your plant, you can gain better insight into your production lines and make the necessary adjustments for an optimal environment. With this, you can enjoy improved quality and higher returns on investment through more accurate and efficient processes.
Conclusion
Data collection and analysis plays a valuable role in the manufacturing industry, enabling individual companies to gain helpful insight into their performance and the broader market. With this, they have the power to streamline their operations, accessing higher cost-efficiency, improved quality and higher returns on investment.
If you do not include data analysis in your processes, it may sound futuristic and high tech. However, the truth is that it’s simple to incorporate data monitoring into your plant, as long as you integrate appropriate tools.
Solutions like Yamato Stats have been created to enable manufacturers to introduce data into their lines to optimise production easily. This means you can start collecting data at a quickly and efficiently while accessing the rewards of better results.
If you want to find out how Yamato Stats can support your plant and maximise productivity, speak to a member of our team to find out more about how it works and the tailored options we can offer for your needs.