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DataMerge Solution Drives Business Process Redesign
RR Donnelley, the world leader in commercial printing, was looking for a way to rapidly deploy a standard manufacturing execution system (MES) as a way to drive quicker delivery and better quality, improve asset utilization, reduce system costs, and eliminate production paperwork. To achieve those objectives, Advanced Automation Associates (A3) developed an enterprise wide MES that gathers, analyzes, and reports operational and production data. Within (18) months, base systems were designed, built, and deployed by A3 that met the rigorous criteria set by RR Donnelley.
Situation
In the ultra-competitive world of commercial printing, a few seconds of inefficient production can translate into tens of thousands of dollars in scrap. The ability to anticipate problems and properly match operational resources with production demands is paramount to maintaining an edge in the marketplace. Customers are demanding high quality and quick turnaround of varying volumes, requiring agility from printers to secure their market share and profit margin.
Historically, RR Donnelley relied on post production reports based on operator input to determine operational and production performance. In many cases, this meant incentives to reduce scrap, cut down on set up times, or other attempted solutions to perceived problems. As you may expect, operators learned to achieve their objectives, for example by assigning scrap to another operation, but overall efficiency remained the same. Because each facility was autonomous in this regard, many plants, despite having the exact same layout and equipment, would operate at dramatically different efficiencies by job, shift, and operator.
RR Donnelley decided that an enterprise wide solution was in order. Encompassing (30) plants, (5) business units, (2) process equipment types, (3) bindery equipment types, and unlimited equipment variations, RR Donnelley set rigorous standards for the solution. In addition to having the base systems designed and deployed in (18) months, criteria were set to avoid certain pitfalls. For instance, data was to be mined from existing systems, rather than from wholly redesigned control systems. In addition, RR Donnelley was committed to an open system with ownership of the code and database to have full control of the future with the lowest possible support costs. Finally, the solution required a platform of scalability and performance for future expansion, which leveraged existing applications within RR Donnelley.
Solution
A3 embarked on a project to achieve all of RR Donnelley’s objectives. Called “DataMerge”, the project was managed for rapid development and deployment, full support for the system users, and buy in of all of the key players- plant, operations, and management.
After a full auditing of the installed base, A3 asked key representative plants to demonstrate their current solution and describe what they would do differently. A3 then developed a prototype front end in Visual Basic that incorporated the best elements of each plant’s feedback, industry benchmarks, and A3’s domain knowledge. RR Donnelley system users viewed and commented on a conference room pilot (system demo), in essence the functional requirement specification (FRS). These users then visited A3 for several weeks to install plant equipment configurations, test and simulate user operations, and gain user acceptance.
The database on which the front-end system relies was developed in a Microsoft SQL 7 Server. Since the system gathers line operation and production information from each line’s controller, each controller and sensor had to be normalized to assure that the data was consistent in format and meaning.
With the front-end and database developed, A3 was able to deploy the first DataMerge system at a plant with a good sampling of operations. With extensive training and support from A3, RR Donnelley was rapidly able to roll out subsequent DataMerge systems at all their plants. A3 support included rapid response, quick fixes, and continuous enhancements.
This process was repeated with consistent feedback and buy in from all levels of personnel at RR Donnelley. DataMerge has evolved with corporate needs to where it is now an integral part of RR Donnelley’s daily operations at the plant floor level through the executive offices.
Benefits
By implementing DataMerge on existing capital equipment, without the addition of new controllers or sensors, RR Donnelley saved approximately $20,000,000 in capital expenses. Furthermore, the use of an open platform for data collection saved almost $1,600,000 in software support fees. With the open platform configuration, combined with RR Donnelley’s ownership of the code and database, they control their own destiny and direction for future MES enhancements and expansions.
Utilizing DataMerge, RR Donnelley is able to track key performance indicators at all levels with full visibility across their entire enterprise. From corporate wide management reporting for SEC filings, to individual operator job analysis, DataMerge’s is utilized across all levels of the company for real time operational feedback. |
