Manufacturers can categorize intelligence into five distinct types, each playing a crucial role in modern operations. The first is business intelligence (BI), traditionally linked to data stored within business management software. The second is operational intelligence, encompassing data from distributed systems like programmatic logic controllers (PLCs), historians, or manufacturing execution systems (MES). The third is human intelligence, derived from the insights and expertise of operators working on the factory floor. When these three types of intelligence are combined, they form a fourth category: collective intelligence. This collective view provides a comprehensive perspective of the entire business operation. The fifth type is artificial intelligence (AI), which elevates collective intelligence by applying sophisticated algorithms to identify patterns, draw correlations, and turn data into actionable insights, driving continuous improvement and delivering measurable business value.
However, the concept of AI can be intimidating for some manufacturers, making it seem too advanced or unattainable. Others are intrigued by the potential of AI but are unsure where to begin. In fact, 32% of manufacturing professionals have cited uncertainty about how to start as their top concern when considering the implementation of digital capabilities like AI.
To help navigate these challenges, here are some practical tips on how to effectively leverage AI in manufacturing today:
Start with a Clear Vision and Take Measured Steps
When integrating AI into your manufacturing processes, it’s crucial to begin with a clear vision of your end goal. Start small by selecting an area where data is easily accessible and well understood. This approach allows you to create a prototype that demonstrates the potential of AI, helping to build momentum and foster an understanding among employees about the value of data-driven insights. By focusing on a specific outcome, you can identify the key information needed to enhance a process, then work backward to determine the necessary data to achieve that goal.
Take, for example, the common data tag of an emergency stop in a PLC or control panel. On its own, this information might seem insignificant. However, when correlated with other data tags—such as motor bearing temperature or power supply status—this information becomes highly valuable. It can help you identify the root cause of the emergency stop, whether it’s due to an overheating motor or a critical component losing power. By drilling down into these details, you gain actionable intelligence that allows for swift notifications and responses, minimizing downtime and enhancing operational efficiency.
To implement this effectively, consider leveraging the expertise of an in-house or outsourced controls engineering team. These professionals can help you decode machine outputs and transform them into operational intelligence, enabling faster and more informed decision-making.
Maximize Existing Investments to Unlock New Insights
Before diving into new technologies or solutions, it’s wise to first assess the investments your company has already made to enhance data accessibility. By leveraging these existing resources, you can effectively integrate and utilize data in ways that generate actionable insights and drive business performance.
Consider, for example, a machine with data continuously streaming into its PLC—a common scenario in many manufacturing environments. Although most PLCs overwrite data every 24 hours, you can capitalize on this by identifying and extracting the most critical data tags and integrating them into your Internet of Things (IoT) database. This integration not only preserves valuable data but also enables deeper analysis and more informed decision-making.
Another overlooked asset might be your in-line scales. These devices offer a wealth of operational data that can be harnessed to compile crucial metrics, such as specification compliance, material yield impacts due to “product giveaway,” and even production counts. By strategically utilizing data from these scales, you can gain insights that contribute to improving efficiency and optimizing material usage across your operations.
In essence, by thoroughly evaluating and utilizing the tools and technologies you already have in place, you can create a powerful foundation for extracting actionable intelligence that propels your manufacturing processes forward.
Don’t Ignore Simple Solutions
While AI is powerful in processing vast and complex datasets, sometimes the most straightforward solutions hold the key to valuable insights. It’s easy to get caught up in the complexity of AI, but small, everyday tools on the production line can provide critical data if utilized effectively.
Take, for instance, a label dispenser or carton taper—basic yet essential pieces of equipment in many production processes. By simply attaching a sensor to these machines, you can track the number of outgoing packages over any given time period—daily, weekly, or monthly. This seemingly small piece of information can be vital for optimizing production flow, managing inventory, or ensuring that targets are met.
Additionally, it’s important to recognize that most OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) equipment comes with proprietary communication protocols that dictate how data is transmitted and presented. This can be a barrier to integrating data across different systems. However, there are cost-effective solutions available to translate this machine data into widely accepted formats using Open Platform Communications (OPC) protocols. These methods are not only applicable to modern digital equipment but can also be adapted for older analog machines, enabling you to capture and leverage data from all corners of your operation.
By focusing on these simple, cost-effective strategies, you can unlock valuable insights without the need for complex or expensive solutions, ensuring that no critical piece of information goes unnoticed.
Value Human Intelligence Alongside Machine Data
In the rush to harness data from shop floor machines, it’s easy to overlook the valuable insights provided by the human elements of your manufacturing processes. Operators and quality technicians often record critical information manually, either on paper or in separate databases. While this data might seem less sophisticated than the automated streams from machines, it holds significant value that shouldn’t be ignored.
Integrating this manually recorded data into a digital format is essential for achieving continuous improvement. When combined with machine-generated data, AI algorithms can analyze and correlate both sets of information, offering a more comprehensive view of operational performance. This blend of human intelligence and machine data can uncover insights that purely automated systems might miss, leading to more effective decision-making and process optimization.
However, to maximize the benefits of this integration, it’s crucial to standardize the way data is recorded by personnel. Consistent data entry practices ensure that information can be quickly aggregated, analyzed, and acted upon. This standardization fosters meaningful collaboration between human and machine intelligence, allowing for a more holistic approach to improving your manufacturing operations.
Prioritize Data Wisely: More Isn’t Always Better
In the era of advanced manufacturing technology, it’s common for equipment to offer access to hundreds of data tags, each providing a different piece of information. While the temptation might be to connect to and analyze every available data point, this approach can quickly lead to information overload. Many companies find themselves drowning in data, struggling to identify which metrics truly matter.
Instead of trying to make sense of every single data tag, it’s more effective to apply the Pareto principle—focusing on the 20% of data tags that deliver 80% of the value. By honing in on the most impactful data points, you can extract meaningful insights that drive significant improvements in your operations without getting lost in a sea of less relevant information.
This targeted approach not only reduces complexity but also enhances decision-making, ensuring that your efforts are concentrated on the data that will make the most difference to your business. Remember, just because you have access to a wealth of data doesn’t mean you need to analyze it all—prioritization is key to unlocking the true potential of your manufacturing intelligence.
Elevating Manufacturing Intelligence with NetSuite: Turning Data into Strategic Value
In today’s data-driven manufacturing environment, the ability to transform raw data into actionable insights is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge. Integrating these insights with a robust platform like NetSuite doesn’t just streamline operations—it revolutionizes the way you approach business intelligence. By selectively focusing on the most impactful data points and leveraging NetSuite’s comprehensive suite of tools, manufacturers can unlock new levels of efficiency, agility, and strategic foresight.
NetSuite’s cloud-based ERP system is engineered to be the central nervous system of your manufacturing operations, seamlessly consolidating data from disparate sources into a unified, easily navigable platform. Whether you’re capturing real-time data from your PLCs, correlating human-entered quality control metrics, or monitoring supply chain dynamics, NetSuite offers a cohesive environment where all these data streams converge. This integration enables a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of your operations, helping you to see the bigger picture while also drilling down into the finer details.
Imagine you’ve identified the 20% of data tags that, following the Pareto principle, drive 80% of your operational outcomes. With NetSuite, these critical data points can be continuously monitored and analyzed through intuitive dashboards that offer real-time visibility. NetSuite’s advanced analytics tools go beyond simple data aggregation—they provide predictive insights and trend analysis, allowing you to anticipate issues before they escalate and capitalize on opportunities as they arise. This predictive capability is particularly powerful in a manufacturing context, where small inefficiencies can snowball into significant costs over time.
Moreover, NetSuite’s flexibility allows for deep customization tailored to the unique needs of your manufacturing processes. You can set up automated workflows that trigger alerts, generate reports, or even adjust production schedules based on the data being fed into the system. This level of automation reduces the cognitive load on your teams, enabling them to focus on strategic tasks rather than getting bogged down in data interpretation.
One of the standout benefits of integrating with NetSuite is its ability to harmonize data across the entire supply chain. By linking shop floor data with inventory management, procurement, and even financials, NetSuite ensures that every aspect of your operation is aligned and synchronized. This interconnectedness means that a change in one area, such as a spike in production, is immediately reflected in related functions, like inventory levels or procurement needs. The result is a more responsive and resilient operation, capable of adapting quickly to market demands or internal shifts.
In addition, NetSuite’s scalability means that as your manufacturing business grows, your data management capabilities can expand with it. You’re not just investing in a tool for today’s challenges, but in a platform that will support your future ambitions. As you continue to refine your data strategies, NetSuite’s ongoing updates and enhancements ensure that you always have access to cutting-edge technology and best practices.
In essence, by integrating your prioritized manufacturing data with NetSuite, you’re not just managing information—you’re transforming it into a strategic asset. This integration empowers you to make informed decisions that drive continuous improvement, enhance operational efficiency, and ultimately, lead to greater profitability and long-term success. With NetSuite, your manufacturing intelligence becomes more than just data; it becomes the foundation of a smarter, more agile business.
