Mixing Microsoft with Manufacturing
Manufacturers all over the world have long relied on Microsoft Office tools to help run their operations. As great as these tools are, the industry and it’s technological demands have grown to require more intelligent solutions.
So, let’s take a quick look at three areas in which Microsoft has heavily invested for the future of manufacturing…
Microsoft Dynamics AX
An ERP for the Manufacturing world – Microsoft Dynamics AX/Dynamics 365 for Operations paired with the Manufacturing industry expertise of Ellipse Solutions has been a successful combination for decades. Our portfolio of work spans across many manufacturing types including process, repetitive, discrete, project, and mixed modes.
Microsoft Dynamics AX/Dynamics 365 for Operations ERP for Manufacturing gives you real-time visibility into your entire operation up and down the supply chain and throughout the business ecosystem. It helps you build more collaborative and profitable partnerships with suppliers, empowers your employees with critical business intelligence and collaborative capabilities, and develop deeper, more responsive relationships with customers. And, it helps you run a more efficient operation – improving quality, reducing waste, and ensuring compliance – all with familiar tools your people already know how to use.
Some key manufacturing features in Microsoft Dynamics AX include:
- Demand Forecasting
- Warehouse Management
- Transportation Management
- Shipment Consolidation
- Product Change Management
- Lot Tracking
Azure IoT
The Internet of Things has been a hot topic over the past few years. Microsoft has invested a lot of time and money in building an environment in which Partners (that’s us!) can build exciting and beneficial IoT solutions for customers.
The IoT arena is still fairly new, however Ellipse Solutions has been proactive in the field, and has already built solutions using Azure IoT.
Some areas in which an IoT solution could benefit a manufacturer include:
- Remote Monitoring
- Predictive Maintenance
- Manufacturing Capacity, Throughput and Availability
- Remaining Useful Life or “RUL”
- Quality Control
- Process Improvement
- Service Contract Impact
Shop Floor Integration
Visibility. A buzzword that has been in the manufacturing world for many years (and, for good reason too). Having full visibility into your shop floor is crucial to running an efficient plant.
Shop Floor Integration provides manufacturers with the ability to monitor and report on machines on the shop floor, as well as manual processes through an automated software system.
Benefits of shop floor integration include:
- Proactive, real-time response for less downtime, improved production scheduling and quality, and increased productivity.
- Extensive data analysis and reporting capabilities.
- Eliminates manual entry, through a direct connection to the manufacturing machine.
- Performs automatic data integrity tests on data, improving accuracy and reducing errors.
- Allows for greater insight into operational data, including down to the second reporting
- Accurate OEE data.
- Clear run time statistics for better machine utilization.