An i4.0 Path Forward for Small and Midsized Manufacturers
The manufacturing industry is in a state of rapid transformation, as technology is increasingly being used to automate production and improve efficiency. In 2011, the concept of “Industry 4.0” or “i4.0” emerged, which combines digital and physical technologies for advanced automation in manufacturing. This new technology relies on connectivity and automation across the entire supply chain—from the design and development of products to the final delivery of finished goods. It also creates a connected system that helps manufacturers improve efficiency, increase profitability and improve the overall production of products. To take full advantage of i4.0, small and medium-sized manufacturers face the task of upgrading their operations to include data-driven decision-making, predictive maintenance, and other automated solutions. While large-scale manufacturers have been able to quickly invest in these upgrades, smaller companies often lack the money and resources to do so, leaving them at a competitive disadvantage. In this blog post, we highlight the benefits of using i4.0 technology, the challenges, and offer a platform solution for small and medium-sized manufacturers to implement these tools quickly and easily into their operation. The challenges Industry 4.0 has the potential to revolutionize the manufacturing industry, but it brings its own set of challenges. For small and midsized manufacturers, these can often times be daunting. One of the major challenges is that setting up and implementing an i4.0 system can take extra time and resources, which some small manufacturers may not have. Additionally, there are data security concerns when using a connected system that relies fully on the cloud. Lastly, a lack of skills or talent to manage complex i4.0 structures could hinder some operations. The benefits of i4.0 technology Though there are challenges that come with i.40 technology, as with any new technology, the benefits far outweigh the risks. Some of which include: The Solution The solution for small and midsize manufacturers is to harness the power of accurate, real-time manufacturing data. One way to do this is to implement a unified platform that connects all manufacturing assets and offers actionable insights in the production process. This platform should be equipped with machine data, which is the most important source of information for manufacturers. Bearex Shop Pulse is an example of such a platform. It provides real-time visibility and data usage across multiple machines, allowing manufacturers to gain new insights into their operation. Additionally, the Shop Pulse offers several features that can help manufacturers drive value beyond monitoring, such as labor productivity increases, machine downtime reduction, throughput increases and cost of quality improvement. All of this data—combined in one powerful platform, helps manufacturers better understand their machines’ performance and make informed decisions to optimize their operation. It’s also user friendly and requires minimal training, allowing manufacturers to focus on what they do best; produce products. A path forward The growth path for small to midsize manufacturers is clear: embrace i4.0 technology to maximize productivity, streamline operations and increase profitability. By leveraging the power of automated intelligence and data-driven insights, manufacturers can create a culture of productivity and up-time that is predictive and proactive, rather than reactive. With this technology, and platforms like Shop Pulse, the playing field is no longer lopsided in favor of large companies—small, tech-savvy manufacturers with the right investments can now compete for dominance!
Jackson’s Bearex to be Honored at the 19th Annual Michigan Celebrates Awards Gala
JACKSON, Mich. – March 28, 2023 — Bearex, a leading data analytics and aggregation company based in Jackson, Michigan Success is best when shared, and the event will gather over 800 guests at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan to celebrate the achievements of this year’s award recipients. “On behalf of the entire team, we are honored to receive this award,” said Tom Jurasek, CEO of Bearex. “We have worked tirelessly for our clients and winning this award motivates us to continue this work knowing we are adding value to their business.” Launched in 2022, Bearex’s custom data platforms and EOS solutions allow manufacturing companies to collect information in real-time, delivering actionable insights that optimize machine performance, reduce downtime and improve overall machine efficiency. Additionally, Bearex products are designed to integrate with existing machinery, which allows small to midsize manufacturers to remain competitive without having to buy new equipment. The past three years have been a challenging landscape for business owners, but small businesses have learned to become nimble and innovative in order to accomplish their goals. The 2023 awards gala will put Michigan’s small businesses in the spotlight and give them a chance to share their success stories with the supporters who helped them get to where they are today. “MCSB has always prided itself on its spirit of collaboration and celebration,” said Jennifer Deamud, MCSB board chair. “We love seeing our awardees celebrating one another’s success and sharing in this amazing moment is each awardee’s journey. It’s true— success is best when it is shared.” Companies nominated for the Best Small Business Award must be Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs), Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), or SmartZone headquartered in Michigan. Awardees in this category are selected based on the following: Additional information about the awards gala and ticket information can be found at MichiganCelebrates.org. To learn more about Bearex, or to request a demonstration, please visit bearex.com. About Bearex Bearex is disrupting the data analytics industry with loT platforms that empower business owners to leverage data and insights to maximize profit and productivity. Born out of demand and the value of the Insights Hub, Bearex started as a secondary solution for clients of a CPA firm. Since 2014, the Insights Hub has grown in capability and the company is slated to launch their newest product, The Bearex Shop Pulse, in 2023. For more information, please visit www.bearex.com.
Client Highlight: Classic Turning
Establishing Lean Daily Management Background: For more than 40 years Classic Turning has been serving a multitude of industries, including aerospace, medical, precision industrial, high performance automotive, industrial machine building, and military. Their goal has always been to provide customers with high-quality precision machined components and assemblies, making their short lead times and efficient delivery system something to count on. Opportunity – Revamp the Morning Meeting: When the Bearex and Classic Turning teams first connected, the conversation started at the core of it all, day-to-day operations. For Classic Turning, their morning production meetings were running on a consistent schedule but still sought room for growth and new insight to ensure they were delivering on their commitment towards precision and quality. While each day started with the same general format, the direction of the meeting was often misguided, varying with no rhyme or reason simply because it lacked an agenda built off sound data. In order for them to get an accurate read on their daily operational targets and track performance as it stands, standardized data became a necessity for the team to lead the meeting each morning. It meant turning the multiple disparate spreadsheets into one single “source of truth”, connecting all crucial data that drives forward impact for their purpose, people, and process – the 3 pillars of a lean organization. When we started digging into the nuts and bolts of their inventory and most used tools, our underlying focus became clear – turn the Morning Production Meeting into a Lean Daily Meeting. After laying the groundwork of which spreadsheets, databases and ERP system to connect to, we began to map out the workflows that would guide the team members towards more streamlined decision-making by having an at-a-glance view of their main KPI drivers. These included: With a combined real-time view of these KPIs all at once, the Classic Turning team could then assess current production performance and address areas of concern by analyzing visual patterns in their data – all without worrying about whether information was missing, inaccurate or outdated. Results: With complete analysis now at their fingertips every morning, Classic Turning has been able to take control of their data in a new way, making proactive decisions that have a significant impact on upholding their customer’s expectations. As Bearex and Classic Turning continue to partner and discover ongoing ways to adjust, we wanted to highlight the initial results and moments of success so far: Depicted above is a dashboard template to reflect an example of what was created. We do not share the intellectual property and data of our client.
What is an Outsourced Insights Team?
More and more, companies are seeing the value that comes with outsourcing their data analytics and operations by focusing on the lifted weight it creates across their budgets, bandwidth, and process bottlenecks. Back in 2020, the data analytics outsourcing market was valued at USD 3.04 billion, and by 2026 is expected to reach USD 9.46 billion at a CAGR of 21.5% during the forecast period from 2021 to 2026. A common myth of data outsourcing is that you lose sight of your business by giving up control of the informational systems within it. In reality a successful outsourcing partnership allows businesses to feel a greater sense of control over their data because it is now completely standardized to provide a holistic view and they have continued insight from those partners analyzing the functionality and workflows of their data solution. Another common myth of an outsourced data insights team is that it’s not sustainable long-term as the business evolves. Again, this does not have to be the case. By collaborating with the right fitted team for your business, the outsourced solution and service you invest in will scale with you as you endure inevitable market fluctuations and make changes for business continuity purposes. While we’ve “debunked” what an outsourced data insights team doesn’t necessarily do, here’s a quick snapshot to answer the question, what does an “outsourced data insights team” do? Drives real-time insight into correlations within your data you may have otherwise overlooked Monitors and alerts areas where there are data errors, gaps, or inaccuracies so you can get back up to speed without wasting additional resources Frees up your time to focus on high-priority matters when an in-house solution may have consumed the bandwidth of multiple team members at once who are simultaneously trying to put out fires as they occur Gives clarity through an outside expert perspective that is looking at your data and operating systems with fresh eyes to see areas for improvement Provides new ways to structure and clean your data to meet each leader’s unique decision-making needs Supports your team ongoing, not just through a one-and-done transaction Deciding whether to outsource your data analytics is a critical decision to make when many factors are involved and often it comes down to a matter of when, not if. With an outsourced data insights team suited to your needs, new opportunities for growth are achievable without the fear of barriers to entry, higher costs, or lack of sustainability. See what’s possible when you outsource with forward thinking in mind.
The Bearex Process
Here at Bearex, we like to keep our process as streamlined and efficient as possible so that the time between discovery to full implementation happens as quickly as possible and your team can start seeing real operational impact from day 1. We find that leaders are often spending core productivity time out of their day making reactionary decisions or managing in-the-moment issues as they arise. Our process creates an Insights Hub for your organization that connects and merges all important data, creating a single place for answers and analysis. This way, inefficiencies are highlighted, patterns are captured, and time is more effectively spent on proactive measurables so you can start seeing real return. Our process can be broken down into 3 main stages – Discovery and Storyboarding, Development, and Continued Insights. We’ve designed it this way to keep all parties aligned, making progress easier to track, deliverables more attainable, and the finish line visible. Discovery and Storyboarding Development Continued Insights The Bearex Process serves as our ongoing and flexible support guide for you – our team will continuously reference it to ensure we are meeting the benchmarks we’ve set out with you from the beginning, and we encourage all clients to use it as a way to check-in, ask questions, and make changes as needed, whether it be during the implementation process or well after. A plan such as this allows us to deliver with structure and uphold standards to our best practices, but it is also intended to be flexible to your needs as they evolve and you discover new ways to leverage your data with various Bearex solutions.
Automate Production Scheduling and Morning Meetings
We are witnessing a highly juxtaposed labor market these days, where despite high unemployment rates, we are still seeing severe labor shortages with continuous demand from employers as they face retention challenges. The trickle-down effect of this unique phenomenon in today’s world means your business does not have to be directly experiencing one of these challenges to still feel the impact it has on everyday operation preparedness. Anyone working in manufacturing knows how valuable scheduling is to operations. Production lines depend on the alignment of many factors running successfully together – what parts need to be produced by when, influx of customer orders, and constant shifts/delays. Add all of these factors to the labor shortages that may be present across your vendors and others down the line of your supply chain and effective scheduling becomes all that more crucial. It’s likely you already have some format and process in place for scheduling, a level of status quo that everyone on the team follows in order to keep things standardized and moving in an orderly fashion. But what if your scheduling could do more? And what if it could do more without a greater operational lift from your team? We’re here to talk about what automation can do for your production scheduling and morning meetings, so you can truly level up and dig down into what matters. As you look to automate your production scheduling, there are a few key elements that should always be kept top of mind. Here at Bearex, we call it the ABCs of effective scheduling. Agility To be agile is to be aware. When it comes to scheduling, every aspect of the business has to find a unique balance between how many resources you have available, where the current demand lies, and the active resources/hands you have on deck to get the job done on time. Agility requires forward thinking, anticipating what you cannot yet see but may have to expect. Doing that manually poses a lot of challenges and often creates room for human error. That’s where predictive modeling and automation can work together. With your attention on a single at-a-glance dashboard, your daily analysis does not have to jump from report to report, only to make informed decisions that are in fact missing the whole story. Routing, dispatching, and execution will become that much more seamless when the data behind each area is correlating with one another, while still ensuring each area is getting undivided attention on the dashboard – this way you can drill into problem areas, look for more economical options, and deliver as expected without managing multiple costly systems. If there’s anything we’ve learned in the last few years it’s that every month, and even week, can look different from the last. Using a dashboard for your morning meetings and production scheduling takes the exact same KPIs of your existing reporting and turns them into a business intelligence guide that helps you learn from the past, assess the present, and plan for the future. Break it Down for the Big Picture One of the biggest flaws in how businesses still manage reporting – whether it be manually, siloed, or through disparate spreadsheets and data systems – is that it neither catches all the details nor focuses on the big picture. Effective reporting should do both – highlight the key performance indicators of each department and functionality while also providing a holistic view of business performance and projections. You cannot have one without the other; the metrics are your day-to-day, teaching you about the problem areas and where you can maximize your resources to lessen friction down the production line. The dashboard and big picture scope provide you with an overall health assessment so you can ask yourself and your team – Is this a week of adjustment? Where are we projecting to miss our goals by the end of month? Can we better streamline – in our machine capacity, staffing capacity, or overall facility management? Let’s break it down for you – The ability to look at various metrics simultaneously and comparatively – customer orders by day vs inventory vs WIP (work in progress) vs labor vs OEE (efficiency) – gives a look into how to effectively schedule your entire shop, without missing the mark on monthly production goals or budget. Usually this is done by pulling 6-8 different reports and analyzing daily, which can lead to overlooked data points or hyper-fixating on one variable that may not fix the issue with long-term success. With a Bearex Morning Meeting Dashboard, all of that disconnected data is pulled into one convenient place, in one visual format. From there scheduling is then automated so you can have a daily look into the exceptions that are causing inefficiencies across the entire business. Customers and Communication This sounds obvious, but your customers are your bread and butter; and while changes in needs and resource demands can cause stress on the production line, customers should remain the core of your schedule and morning meeting breakdown, and how you can meet those needs while operating in a cost-effective way. It can be easy to quickly derail and become distracted by the many outlying variables that pull your attention away, but an automated dashboard is put in place for that reason – to catch all the inefficiencies and alert you when attention is necessary. The more equipped you are to have a clear understanding of the entire production workflow, the better you can communicate with your team each morning and make definitive decisions on what needs to be taken care of as top priority. A real-time dynamic dashboard helps you locate the bottlenecks before they become long-term issues so you can better serve your customers and remain flexible in each phase – from your supply chain to processing timescales and end product delivery. Your next morning meeting does not have to follow the standard, “we always do it this way” flow. Automation can provide immense benefits to
Data Storytelling – How to Make your Reports More Compelling
So you want to tell the story of your data but don’t know where to start or how to make a compelling case for those who rely on reporting for good measure? Data storytelling does not have to be over complicated – it starts by asking yourself the questions you’d want answered most and then assessing whether your current reports are providing you those answers. As receivers of information, humans are constantly digesting what is visually being presented in front of us. Over time we have developed neural pathways, using them as tools to process information quickly and in ways that are familiar to us. From comparing and contrasting, pattern recognition, and associative/correlative thinking, we subconsciously use these methods to find answers and help ourselves understand what we are looking at. That’s why it’s important to ask yourself the questions you want answered and whether your reporting is actively doing so – this will give clarity to how information can be better communicated in your reporting based on what your brain is evidently lacking in order to process. Emotions will always be a bias in decision-making when it comes to us being the ones to make those decisions. However, another benefit of data storytelling, beyond better representing your data, is that storytelling allows for more immediate decision-making. While emotions may still play a role and are necessary when needing to think through decisions rationally, this independent action-driven thinking makes day-to-day decisions more efficient without the intrusion of error, overthinking, and biases. By being more responsive and adaptable through these visual reinforces, businesses can see impact in the moment. 5 Ways to Make your Reports More Compelling Follow the Gestalt Principles of Perception At the forefront of data visualization is the unique combination of colors, shapes, and format that feed into those neural pathways discussed earlier. The Gestalt Principles of Perception, laws of human perception, can be your guide to effective data storytelling, each serving as distinct features you can incorporate into dashboards, reporting, and presentations that are universal to all humans who are working to process the same information. Proximity – objects seen close together are perceived as a group Example: KPIs that relate on the shop floor and if alerted, should remind viewers to check the other metrics in correlation for concern Similarity – objects that share attributes (color, shape, direction) are perceived as a group Example: Analyzing across departments or the same KPI YOY Enclosure – objects within a boundary are perceived as a group Example: Top leadership needs a high-level view of your weekly report where their attention won’t get bogged down by the details Closure – structures that are open can be perceived as closed and complete when there is a way they can be perceived as such Example: Assessing progress to completion in projects across each of the supply chain facets Continuity – objects that are on a continuation with one another can be perceived as a group Example: Understanding if there is any correlation over time or seasonality as you assess revenue, incidents, and top numbers Connection – objects connected by a line are perceived as a group Example: Tracking growth or diminishing returns as you make budget projections into the next fiscal year Symmetry – even if far apart, symmetrical elements tend to be perceived as together Example: Needing to communicate overall order and structure to stakeholders when sharing reports externally Define your structure All data sources should be available if they are needed to connect to for analysis, but you do not want to overcrowd the story your data is trying to tell you. Taking the time to know which sources are needed, the angle you need to interpret the data, and the outcome you wish to achieve (e.g. historical review, projection modeling, real-time reporting) will make it easier to define your objective and layer the data resources you are connecting to to minimize information overload and remain more data-driven. Become your audience If you gave a book to 10 different people to read, no one is going to interpret the story in the exact same way. The same goes for your data. Because humans subconsciously react via these laws of perception, it’s important to add value to your reporting where it is most applicable to who will be reviewing it. From the KPIs that are included, to the emphasis put on various bar charts and tables, to the format of the entire data visualization, visual elements should be built as if the developer is in the audience member’s shoes, looking at these reports on a daily basis. What would I look for first? How would I correlate between the metrics I ask about most? How can I see an area of concern that is to be reported to upper management? Stay consistent but change it up As soon as we get comfortable looking at something for too long, we may miss out on actionable alerts that need attention or can prevent more long-term impacts. Data visualizations should evolve with your business, which means having a periodic adjustment to your dashboards and reports you are visually communicating with on a regular basis. However, too much change can be detrimental and cause errors if employees don’t know where to look for insights they have become engrained to analyze in a certain way. Consistency across brand as well as the overall goal and format of the visualization will mitigate this risk and should only be changed if brought to the attention of everyone necessary. Remember to also show, not just tell Often reports should tell us what we already know, validating our predictions or serving as a status reminder. Data visualization and storytelling should not only serve this purpose with clarity, but should also go beyond surface level and uncover hidden insights and correlations you may not have found otherwise. Challenge your team to go beyond the expected by cleaning all data, combining disparate sources, and implementing effective data management that can bring
Gain Access To A Gold-Mine of Information By Breaking Down Your Data Silos
You are sitting on a goldmine of information. The problem is that your data is not available nor does it communicate together effectively. In order to access this goldmine and make informed decisions you need to “de-silo” all of your data and combine it into one accessible place for all your systems to cohabitate, this includes information in databases, spreadsheets, legacy softwares, and live machine connectivity. When it comes to seamless and informed decision-making, the data of your business is, simply put – the mechanism that can guide your employees to reach better solutions more efficiently. The key connector to get you from point A to point B however, is data democratization. Forbes defines data democratization as the following – “Data democratization means that everybody has access to data and there are no gatekeepers that create a bottleneck at the gateway to the data.” Data democratization yields expansive opportunities for all organizations who use data to some degree. With it in place, essentially anyone in the business has ability, access, and visibility to data for making decisions and conducting the every day business of their roles. This idea of anyone having access, however, still comes with some limitations of ensuring critical data isn’t being missed by the right person at the right time. Full accessibility breaks down the data silos that would otherwise be barriers for finding solutions, developing strategies, or seeking new innovations; but it must be thoughtfully implemented into the organization or it becomes a dissipated initiative. From employing data governance for maintaining the quality and accuracy of the data itself, to creating foundational data management practices that organize by departments, functions, and other consequential layers for appropriate use; these steps help set a baseline for data democratization to be most effective without making data a complete free-for-all. Now that we understand data democratization can be seen as both structured but open, we can uncover the value that comes with it. Here are some top benefits: Fosters Responsibility Above all else, you want your team members to be fully equipped to lead proactively and autonomously. Data democratization opens the door for new skill developments by allowing individuals across all operational levels to seek out the data they need to make more informed decisions. It empowers them to leverage the quantitative measures that define the business so they can conduct tasks with greater confidence because they have key insights at hand. With improved responsibility comes a more resounding culture as a whole. As a result, mundane meetings are soon replaced by focused discussions, information fog is replaced by clear direction, and hierarchical challenges are replaced by full-team collaboration. The more eyes you can have on unique sets of data, the greater competitive advantage you have with the ever-changing market as well as with your internal pace of growth and evolution. Processes can be much more fine-tuned when data access is unrestricted because you know everyone can be brought up to speed, be held accountable, and nothing falls through the gaps. Brings Clarity to the Surface and to What Matters Most This leads right into our next value point for data democratization or de-siloing your data. When all your sources are brought together in this streamlined way, not only does your data work in a more seamless fashion, your business will too. No longer will you have to spend hours combing through piles of reports, endless spreadsheets, and countless disheveled databases to find the data points you need to make that one decision for moving something forward, only to come up empty handed. No longer will you be relying on systems that seem reliable but are actually running off inaccurate or incomplete data, not giving you the whole picture for an objective analysis. Eliminating silos in your data leads to a smooth transition towards a cohesive, all-in-one system that everyone can rely on. This will help mitigate confusion that comes with measuring success when employees of all levels and functions can align on the metrics that should be universal to the business. Goals will be better targeted to ensure everyone is working towards the same ‘end purpose’ – whether that be a distinct industry customer service standard, quality assurance, or your overarching mission and operational efficiency. This end purpose that drives the work of your business and the productivity of your employees should always remain at the forefront for your data democratization initiative, never in the rearview mirror. If you allow too much time to pass without a consistent upkeep of making sure your strategies, budgets, reports, meetings, and daily tasks are parallel to your driving goal, then your data is only worth face value. Propels Change at a More Adaptable Rate Change is inevitable and necessary, it is the only constant in today’s world. For the sake of staying on top of industry trends, understanding your customers/clients, and keeping an up-to-date pulse of internal standings, every business should lean into change. With adaptability comes scalability because you are able to gradually train your organization into being prepared regardless of the circumstance. It becomes easier to recognize those moments of pivot and the tools you need to overcome such shifts. When data is at the hands of everyone, it becomes less daunting when these challenges arise knowing the information is consistent and reliable insights can be pulled without having to search high and low for the answers. Change and data democratization also means innovation – it sparks new ideas that don’t require you to reinvent the wheel but provides opportunities for different perspectives to weigh in. Data is no longer withheld by the barriers of being accessible only to certain people or within certain systems. It can now be cross-referenced and correlated with all other existing databases and softwares to improve new ways of thinking. From there, teams can take their data democratization one step further by utilizing solutions like data visualization and scorecards to have their data speak to them, showing them what is going right and where
Industry 4.0 Technology Implementation Grant
If you haven’t had a chance to read up on the options available through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, we want to share some information with you here on the MEDC’s Industry 4.0 Technology Implementation Grant as we say hello to June this week. Starting June 1, grants of up to $25,000 will be available to cover up to 50% of the cost of eligible I4.0 technologies. If you are a Michigan based small to medium sized manufacturer, this is a great opportunity for you and your team to kickstart that new data project you’ve been eager to implement into your existing systems, or replace what you currently have with technologies that will better streamline your day to day. As shared by MEDC on their https://www.michiganbusiness.org/industry4-0/grant/, the following Eligibility Guidelines apply: Eligibility Guidelines Companies must be a manufacturer, as defined by NAICS code Proposed project must take place at a Michigan manufacturing facility Companies must be classified as a small business by the Small Business Administration: https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/size-standards Companies must complete an i4.0 technology assessment prior to award OR provide documentation of an executed strategy for determining which technology to implement Companies must be an Essential Member with Automation Alley (Free). For more information visit: https://www.essentialmembership.automationalley.com/ For more information on the Program Elements for the Industry 4.0 Technology Implementation Grant, you can read more here on the application site. Why Bearex? Our team of data gurus are excited to share that Bearex qualifies as an approved i4.0 technology and data integrator. Whether you choose to complete the Technology Assessment or provide documentation of an executed strategy, we are happy to assist all clients in applying for the grant based on an assessment and plan for achieving better data insights and action. With Bearex as your go-to i4.0 data team, we aim to create a framework for your company that incorporates every crucial data entry while combining with other systems to tell a complete story. That way, you can dare to try on new things while improving your current data systems at work, all without risking your bottom line or exceeding additional cost for implementation. With the foundation of a technology like Bearex, and the support of the MEDC grant, you can focus on creating a culture of accountability and full data visibility. And as another element, the addition of EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) to the Bearex solution allows data to not only be accessible to all key players, but makes it that much more efficient to see how to use it in day to day operations. For more information or to apply for the I4.0 Technology Implementation Grant, click here. To speak with a member of the Bearex team, you can contact us here. We look forward to connecting with you and seeing all that’s possible when you dive into your data and the opportunities that exist such as the MEDC grant.