A Manufacturing Productivity Guide - Chapter 3

Digitalising older machines

Overcoming the skills shortage

NexSys is collaborating with hardware partners to attach sensors to older machines that lack the ability to provide specific data or cannot be upgraded easily due to high costs. These sensors capture crucial data, such as the piece count rate and machine utilisation. However, this data is typically isolated at the sensor level, requiring an operator to read it manually, and it is therefore inaccessible to the ERP system. To solve this problem, DataSwitch facilitates the translation of data between the sensor and ERP levels in a cost-effective and repeatable manner. This allows the data to be instantly available in the ERP system, Manufacturing Execution System (MES), and warehouse management system. As a result, manufacturers can efficiently monitor and track material levels, and schedule the right people on the shift. DataSwitch’s automated integration reduces the need for manual data extraction, making the process more efficient and less labour-intensive.

Businesses may face challenges with digitalisation due to a lack of IT skills among their employees. Modern digital tools often require technical expertise, making it difficult for businesses without the necessary skills to implement and maintain them. SYSPRO helps alleviate this problem. It’s user-friendly interface and low-code platform allows non-IT personnel to easily tailor the system to match specific industry and business data capture needs without exposing the complexity to employees. Additionally, SYSPRO can be configured to alert operators in case of transaction failure or success. Marrying the easy power-tailoring capabilities of SYSPRO with DataSwitch also eliminates the need for costly in-house solutions, saving businesses from the expense of bespoke development. Implementing integrations is much faster with DataSwitch compared to developing them in-house or hiring external parties. Within days or weeks, DataSwitch can be integrated seamlessly into existing systems, significantly reducing the time to value and enabling businesses to reap the benefits of integration sooner. One of the biggest barriers holding manufacturing businesses back from reaching their true digitalisation potential, is the integration and communication between different business systems, a problem which DataSwitch was developed to solve.

19 | A manufacturing productivity guide

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