Next-Generation Shop Floor Control

by Roberto Mangual | November 29, 2018

10 Advantages to Shop Floor Control

Companies implementing a next-generation wireless tablet-based Shop Floor Control (SFC) solution most often realize… 

…a quick payback just by considering the “minutes saved” throughout their cut & sew operations.

Of course, other cost-saving benefits such as massive efficiency gains will also contribute to the full Return on Investment (ROI) picture.

Here is a realistic hypothetical (taken from our very conservative observations of our Shop Floor Control Solution in use with our various customers) in which Shop Floor Control saves a 100 operator manufacturing location thousands of dollars per year in labor just by considering one aspect of time saved.

A clock with the text “time is money” on the white wall.

Assumptions:
1. 100 operators
2. Single 8-hour shifts
3. 2,575 minutes gained per day:

  • Scanning QR codes vs legacy barcodes
    • Scanning a QR code is a much more efficient process than scanning barcodes. This can save up to 1 minute per operator/shift.
  • Visual communications vs alphanumeric display
    • Workers have the ability to look at and interact with the “content rich” display on a tablet without having to key special commands or codes; saving another 7 ½ minutes.
  • Paperless travelers
    • Large, visual displays can also display a PDF file/traveler to improve communications and reduce errors for all workers and saves 5 minutes.
  • Clocking in at the operator’s workstation vs waiting in the time clock queue
    • This saves between 4 – 6 minutes per operator.
  • Clocking in using QR codes vs NFC or Biometrics
    • This saves 10 to 15 seconds or .25 minutes per operator.
  • Email notifications for machine downtime
    • Automatic email notifications to alert mechanics to machine downtime gets problems solved faster, saving approximately 4 minutes per operator.
  • Email notifications for other off-standard events
    • Automatic email notification to supervisors for off-standard approvals saves 3 minutes per operator.
Shop floor control software

In time alone, wireless SFC can, and has, yielded manufacturing facilities and CMT operations immediate savings of thousands of dollars in annual labor costs. As you can see, a significant part of these savings come from the use of a wireless tablet system.

But this is only part of what makes next-gen Shop Floor Control so great for your business!