with shop floor data capture and machine monitoring
When it comes to realising the true costs of running a production business, knowledge is power. Imagine being able to see your machines running live, to know the actual time spent on each part of the process, the time a job has taken, the amount of machine downtime, the speeds of your machines per job, as well as the amount of waste produced throughout your overall production cycle. A company can be producing the best estimates in the world, but if the job is taking twice as long as it should be in the production cycle, then it is obvious that money is being wasted at some point. In a consumer driven world where manufacturing is growing exponentially to meet demand and trends and market forces are changing on a daily basis it has never been more important than now for print companies to take control of jobs and costs in ‘real time’ to ensure and maintain business growth.
Print in its DNA
“They regard each customer as a partner. They see each system they install as unique. Imprint’s systems are built for printers by printers.”
Did you know that Imprint’s Shop Floor Data Capture module is device independent, for example via a tablet or PC With SFDC their innovative and powerful systems are able to load hundreds of small digital jobs in seconds onto the Imprint production board, which then plans them intelligently and efficiently making true savings on costs. Integrating live, the production board shows each job being produced and where it is in the cycle. In a consumer driven world where trends and market forces are changing on a daily basis it has never been more important than now for companies to take control of jobs and costs in ‘real time’ to ensure and maintain business growth.
It is never easy to change habits and ways of working but Imprint knows this. With 40 years of experience they know how tough it can be for companies working in a challenging marketplace. Using an Imprint system doesn’t mean a ‘one time’ visit and installation – it is the beginning of a relationship where Imprint’s teams work alongside each customer for the foreseeable future advising and supporting a company’s needs. We regard each customer as a partner. We see each system we install as unique. Imprint’s systems are built for printers by printers.
Raising the Bar
Imprint is always working to develop new systems that raise the bar. Tools such as Shop Floor Data Capture (SFDC) coupled with Machine monitoring (Sentinel.NET) offer a company deeper insight into every aspect of their production cycle. This is a high performance monitoring system supplying real time data and realising costs for all presses and post press equipment where accurate monitoring of time and materials is an essential. The SFDC and Machine Monitoring tools integrate with all other aspects of Imprint’s system including MyData – a report generator that customers can customize to give them the information that is relevant to the individual, department or the company as a whole. This unique data extraction and reporting tool has been developed inhouse to give the printer the power to realise his actual costs.
Imprint’s SFDC system will also record the length of time each job is taking – logging events such as downtime - spotting the pressure points and recording the data will allow a business to identify the reasons and the areas that can be altered to gain maximum efficiencies. SFDC can integrate in a number of ways to provide you with the data you need - utilising a range of technologies ranging from JDF or direct machine signals to support legacy equipment. The introduction of an API has now broadened the spectrum of what is now possible in this area, bringing flexibility to work with existing systems.
Glennys Bourne, CEO concludes, “A good estimating system will go a long way to help realise costs but couple this with Shop Floor Data Capture (SFDC) and Machine monitoring (Sentinel.NET) and realising true and actual costs becomes a reality. Utilising the online option for SFDC makes this module even more effective. Customers can have constant access online and monitor their production progress from anywhere and any device. Imprint can potentially integrate with any existing system no matter the functionality.”
If you would like to know more about the true benefits of SFDC/Machine Monitoring give Imprint a call. You won’t get waffle – just ‘MIS techies’ who are very happy to chat and talk about your business and your challenges. Realising your true costs might just be the key to a brighter future.
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