The fourth industrial revolution, commonly known as Industry 4.0, has ushered in a new era of digital transformation thanks to the whole host of technological advancements now available. Unfortunately, for those who prefer to do things old school, embracing Industry 4.0 is no longer optional; it’s a necessity to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving market.
Luckily, Opcenter Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) tool can do the heavy lifting for you, and help your business keep pace and get ahead of the market.
Understanding the role of Opcenter APS in Industry 4.0
Opcenter APS is an advanced planning and scheduling tool that uses advanced algorithms and real-time data to address the unique, and often complex issues, faced by FMCG companies.
By taking advantage of Opcenter APS, businesses can manage their production plans, improve delivery performance, and reduce inventory costs. It acts as a central hub, integrating data from various sources such as production machines, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, and external suppliers, providing a holistic view of the entire production.
When it comes to staying ahead of the competition, it is vital that your business is able to collect data, analyse it and act upon this data. Opcenter APS empowers FMCG businesses to embrace data-driven insights, improve production efficiency, reduce lead times, and enhance the overall agility of your business. By enabling early and proactive decision-making, Opcenter APS can help you to reduce things like waste and production downtime, leading to substantial cost savings and giving your productivity a helpful boost.
Additionally, when you allow Opcenter APS to do the repetitive or mundane work for you, you free up your time and resources to focus on other areas of your business, driving further success.
Strategies for successful digital transformation with Opcenter APS
With the digital world firmly here to stay, it’s important to think about how you can best utilise Opcenter APS within your own business to ensure you’re getting the most out of it. Some key strategies include:
Assess your current state
Before embarking on any digital transformation journey, it’s essential to assess your current technological infrastructure, data capabilities, and operational processes. Identifying existing gaps and challenges will help you better understand where Opcenter APS can be integrated for maximum impact.
Define clear objectives
Establish specific and measurable objectives regarding what you’d like Opcenter APS to help you achieve within your business. These could include increasing production output, reducing inventory costs, minimising lead times, or enhancing product quality. Clearly defining your goals will ensure that the implementation of Opcenter APS aligns with your business objectives.
Invest in employee training
As great as technology is, it’s only ever as effective as the people who use it! Invest in training programs to equip your workforce with the skills needed to use Opcenter APS effectively and get the most of out its features. Empowered employees will be more open to embracing digital tools and actively contribute to the success of your digital transformation initiative. We have Opcenter APS training available, so if you think your team would benefit from this, talk to us today!
Encourage collaboration within your business
By fostering a culture of collaboration and department communication, teams will be able to share relevant data, best practices and decision making, ensuring your business runs seamlessly and no opportunities are missed. With its data driven insights, Opcenter APS can help your team do exactly that, giving everyone in the information they need to collaborate all in one place. This makes sure that there is no miscommunication or details that are lost in translation.
Key performance indicators
To help you make sure you’re getting the most out of Opcenter APS, it is vital that you implement and track KPIs to measure progress.
Overall equipment effectiveness
OEE measures the productivity of your manufacturing processes by assessing the availability, performance, and quality of equipment. With Opcenter APS, you can monitor OEE in real-time, identify bottlenecks, and implement corrective actions to improve efficiency.
Lead time reduction
By tracking lead time reductions after implementing Opcenter APS, you can gauge the impact on your supply chain and overall customer satisfaction.
Inventory turnover ratio
A higher inventory turnover ratio indicates efficient inventory management, reducing carrying costs and minimising the risk of obsolete stock that can then be costly to dispose of correctly. Opcenter APS provides valuable insights to enhance inventory levels and ensure products are readily available when needed.
On-time delivery performance
Customer satisfaction heavily relies on delivering products on time. Measuring on-time delivery performance post-Opcenter APS implementation will highlight improvements in meeting customer demands promptly.
Case Study: Dauper
Dauper used Opcenter APS to make production scheduling 300 times faster!
Key outcomes:
- Reduced production schedule from five days to 10 minutes
- Lowered costs
- Generated reports and customise line views for faster decision making
- Met increasing customer demand
- Benefitted various departments and assisted with smooth communication
Want to know how your business can use APS to work more efficiency and increase profits? With our decades of experience and deep understanding of the industry, we are well-equipped to provide you with the tailored solutions you need to get the most from your processes. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.
