Rather than starting from a problem, we begin with a challenge: improving what already works.What actions can be taken to gain more precise control over the manufacturing process?We are starting from a scenario in which efficiency indicators are already being developed based on real data collection. But how can the generation of that data be streamlined, while also making it more accurate and reliable? And most importantly, what can be done to ensure that these indicators are updated in strict real time? Beyond that, another major challenge is being addressed: achieving full traceability of a finished product, from the moment it is merely a collection of materials to the point at which it is packaged and ready for shipment. Wouldn't having the ability to digitally consult the entire manufacturing trace of a product — with just one click — represent a major differentiating factor? Wouldn't it also constitute a substantial improvement in quality control and management? Finally, it is worth asking what role the corporate ERP system plays in production management.How can its master data be reused and integrated into this process? Digitize daily operations. The applied solution consists of the comprehensive digitalization of the manufacturing process, the generation and collection of its data, and the construction of its traceability. To this end, each workstation belonging to a production line is transformed into a digital station through the implementation of Polaris, our production management platform. The objective? To provide the operator with a simple and user-friendly tool that allows them to know which operations must be carried out at any given moment, provides the necessary information to execute them, and helps manage their lifecycle—all in an agile and efficient manner. Through the automatic input of incurred times and the registration of paperless documents, Polaris generates a complete trace of the production flow, both in terms of manufacturing efficiency and its adherence to planning, as well as in terms of quality control, allowing any type of incident or non-conformity to be recorded and managed digitally. Leverage real-time data. With Polaris, full digitalization of manufacturing process data in real time is achieved. But how can it be leveraged? Under the designed strategy, two solutions are identified: the creation of ad-hoc reports within the platform itself, mainly focused on real-time consultation of the complete traceability of a finished product; and the development of master dashboards in Microsoft Power BI. This project is an example of digitalization aimed at the progressive improvement of a manufacturing process through its real-time management. The generation and exploitation of the data derived from this process, along with the application of a paperless philosophy understood as the ability to digitize any document associated with the production flow, represent a qualitative leap in the production control at InverCumbre. On one hand, agility and efficiency are provided both in daily operations when carrying out tasks inherent to the manufacturing process and in the collection of its data for subsequent processing and consolidation in order to measure results, which becomes a nearly automatic process. On the other hand, the reliability and accuracy of these results are enhanced, as they reflect solely and exclusively the reality of the production flow at each step of the chain. And all of this in real time. Ultimately, and no less importantly, the continuous generation of information associated with each operation and, therefore, with each manufacturing order allows for the creation of a digital and comprehensive traceability of each product produced. This traceability can be consulted through its identifying code, providing a complete and individual history of its manufacturing process in all its aspects, from the materials used to the dates on which its various tasks were carried out, including the certification of its quality reviews, among other aspects.
