On the factory floor -- where immediacy should matter the most -- real-time communication has too often been ignored in the endless iterations of lean projects and efficiency programs.
Wipro Technologies
To N.S. Bala, senior vice president and global head of the Manufacturing and High-Tech business unit at global information technology consulting company, Wipro Technologies, even this simple improvement at Nation Pizza and Food underscores the basic advantage wireless systems offer the production environment.
"Being able to make the decisions faster right there and collaborate is a big deal," he said. "It's a big, big plus for all lean companies because now you are cutting the waste of movement, cutting the waste of time."
This is a benefit that ripples through the supply chain, he said.
"If a shop floor supervisor is walking and suddenly sees a line stopped and he then knows there are parts that are not being produces,” he explained. “Now he can quickly determine which customer is getting impacted, not just that the line is down.”
The result of that development is profound.
"That information was already there, but now you can get that right there, right when you need it. That typically used to take two to three hours,” he said.
“Very simply put,” he added, “The focus in mobility and mobile devices has been to improve excellence on the factory floor. Increasing efficiency has everything to do with making sure that the different work teams can communicate.”
