Read time: 2 mins
Date posted: Jun 2020
Theme: Industry 4.0, Product Innovations
The rapidly transforming manufacturing industry requires quick adaption: Manufacturers are faced with the challenge to exceed high customer expectations, reach aggressive production timelines, and operate efficiently to meet market demands.
For manufacturers with a traditional operations strategy, adaption is an overwhelming concept. Industry 4.0 initiatives are fluttered with potential solutions to manufacturing challenges, but it’s crucial for companies to identify where digital assets can create the most value for their employees and customers.
What is agile manufacturing?
This is where agile manufacturing steps in. By definition, agile manufacturing enables an organization to leverage digital tools, processes and trainings to create a rapid response to customer demands and market opportunities.
What does this mean? An agile manufacturing approach is the key factor that separates manufacturers from leading their industry or falling behind.
An agile manufacturing process enables organizations to make quick and accurate decisions, adapt effortlessly to market demands and increase productivity by matching employee skills.
Our solution
Through our partnership with WORKERBASE, we are offering joint consulting opportunities to accelerate your transformation from lean manufacturing to agile manufacturing.
WORKERBASE is a leading software platform provider that helps manufacturing companies building the agile factory. We have combined this expertise with our 15 years of experience in our digital shop floor journey to support organizations in streamlining their processes into an agile shop floor operation. Our hands-on consulting covers four focus areas where we have identified an organization’s greatest potential for agile improvements. Each service can be combined with one another and tailored based on specific needs:
Consulting services can be combined and personalized based on individual needs.
1. Digital processes to extend your existing operations:
Increase the efficiency of your production workflow and implement real-time changes by utilizing apps that manage machine operations, material movement and connect employees through mobile devices on the shop floor.
2. Worker empowerment to optimize employee efficiency:
Leverage onboard training and continuous learning opportunities for employees to respond to on-demand shop floor changes for maximum efficiency.
3. Agile shop floor to quickly adapt to changing environments:
Increase your chances to respond quickly to market demands by implementing an agile, skill-based shop floor organization to coordinate workflows based on data-driven decision making and individual competencies.
4. Data-driven operations to gain real-time visibility:
Create a data-driven digital workplace that makes reliable and consistent decisions based on real-time analytics. Integrate full process transparency through real-time KPIs that are strategically set based upon needs.
How it works
Our experts from GKN Powder Metallurgy and WORKERBASE will take you through a four-step process to identify your production needs and find a solution that best suits you.
Step 1: Assessment
We will assess your current operations and determine your level of readiness for agile manufacturing. From here, we will create a custom implementation plan based on your interest of the above focus areas.
Step 2: Experience
Experience agile manufacturing face-to-face with a visit to our reference plants. See the technology in action and speak to the teams who have successfully implemented these digital solutions. Bring your questions and learn from our experts first-hand.
Step 3: Consultation
Establish your custom digital processes on the WORKERBASE platform with hands-on consulting and training. Leverage the experience from GKN Powder Metallurgy’s team as you jointly develop your system.
Step 4: App usage
In the final step, you will take the WORKERBASE platform on the go through mobile devices. Create processes designed for agile manufacturing in short time frames to generate long-term success in your operations.
Ensure your shop floor is ready to combat evolving market demands by implementing agile manufacturing processes into your operations. Leverage GKN Powder Metallurgy’s extensive experience in the industry and WOKRERBASE’s digital platform solutions to seamlessly adapt your operations. A transforming market requires a new way of working; you can prepare for the future with agile manufacturing.
