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| Vecta on Automation | ||||||||||
| Production-limited
or sales-limited, manufacturing industry is always under
pressure to improve the customer relationship, minimise
overhead and labour, maximise yield, yet reduce material,
energy, transportation and waste disposal costs. Process automation, control and management are key tools. Increasingly that automation has to be closely integrated with enterprise-level business systems if the full benefits of that technology are to be realised. |
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| Companies must excel on three key dimensions: | ||||||||||
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create outstanding products that meet customer needs better than competitive products | |||||||||
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understand and do exactly what it takes to keep a customer loyal | |||||||||
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manage key business operations effectively and efficiently whether in-sourced, co-sourced, or outsourced. | |||||||||
| Automation
has been, and remains, a key tool for manufacturing
companies. "Lights out, 24/7" production the
dream of many. Developments in hardware and software technology are changing the economics of automation so that the capital cost is usually less important than the associated engineering costs, especially when automation systems are integrated with enterprise level business management systems. The Internet has introduced technology with enormous potential to reduce costs by disintermediating a wide range of business-to-business interfaces allowing errors and misunderstandings to be all but eliminated. Usine web access to the data releases staff from the chains of their desk and the mobileinternet alows them access to pretty much everything, even when on the move. Efficiency gains in Supply Chain Management have encouraged businesses to add Customer Relationship Management software to their systems. Full, seamless, integration of plant-level automation with enterprise-level business managemt systems is becoming increasingly possible and compelling. |
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| Which type
of process
automation system is now most appropriate for your plants?
Do those systems have the right architecture to permit
close and value-effective integration with your
enterprise-level systems? If your plants are running near full capacity, are there innovative ways to increase yield or reduce downtime and avoid major capital? Is there a role for improving the dynamics control of major plant equipment so as to reduce energy, reduce wear, or improve product quality? Can you reduce costs and improve quality by further automation or the use of advanced process control techniques? Which approach to Manufacturing Execution Systems will best integrate information from plant and enterprise systems and gain other benefits? Will integrated approaches deliver the best solution or will technologies like XML and Web Services allow System Integrators to deliver working "Best of Breed" solutions? |
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Our Process Automation Experts Network is dedicated to exploring developments in process automation and enterprise integration. This involves projecting the evolution of enterprise and plant level functionality and identifying strategic business needs. It also requires identifying issues related to supplier and partner selection. And, perish the thought, we can help when a system project goes wrong. |
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Our extended network ensures we have the expertise to help you solve just about any business or technology problem. |
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Vecta Consulting Limited, Mulberry House,
2 The Spinney, © 2001-2010 Vecta Consulting Limited |
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Vecta5 |
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