Product category:
Factory data acquisition
News Release from: Harford Control | Subject: Key Performance Indicators
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 18 November 2004
Why specify integral KPIs on new lines?
KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are definitely worth it, providing you have had the experience, which allows you to specify what you need, and just as important, what you don't need.
Why specify integral KPIs on new lines ? Project Managers would answer "because they are worth it" Indeed KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are definitely worth it, providing you have had the experience, which allows you to specify what you need, and just as important, what you don't need ! Will your line KPIs cover all end-of-line equipment, regardless of make ? As new equipment is added, can this hardware also be included in KPIs, without excessive expense ? Harford have proven that an integrated, generic, factory-wide approach, works best with the production team
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 11 Jan 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Turnkey, production line, performance measurement package requires little factory resource, before generating major operational benefits, and will cover all productivity and quality issues.
However, performance data-collection is so often only considered later, as an after-thought, by which time it is much more difficult to write a solid justification.
A common problem with KPIs which are supplied by the main filler/line manufacturer, is that these KPIs are, in practice, geared more to giving the vendor reliability data, than to provide performance analysis for the user.
So often such reports include excessive detail, and end up rarely used to optimise line performance, especially if each line's management system is different.
A generic KPI approach to all lines, allows managers to build their experience with downtime, yield and quality reports, using a common drill-down method to access OEE, etc Sharing experiences from lines across the factory becomes practical, which is truly motivational for production team-building.
Generic KPI suppliers have a wider experience to draw upon from different manufacturers' lines in many factories.
This helps maintain optimum focus when planning the benefits of keeping KPIs to a minimum, to speed up any project commissioning period.
The Harford solution therefore, is to become involved with Project Management at an early stage, to simplify process control of complex lines, for operators, engineers and operations management alike.
This ensures all team members are "singing from the same hymn sheet ".
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