At Eyelit Technologies, we face the same issue as all solutions providers: how to convey the practical value that our technology delivers? How can we show the day-to-day benefits of our tools, and also demonstrate the way we help customers advance more strategic priorities such as cost reduction and continuous improvement initiatives?
The best answer of course comes from the experiences of our existing customers. Those who have gone through the process of selecting, implementing, and putting Eyelit to work.
In this instance, the client is Domino Printing Sciences. A manufacturer of highly bespoke coding, marking, and printing technologies, employing over 3,000 people and operating in 120+ countries. This is their experience of Eyelit, split into the three distinct sections of what, why, and how.
Introduction: Where we explore what an MES system means to Domino Printing Sciences
In terms of output for Domino Printing Sciences (hereafter referred to simply as Domino), the company typically builds up to 60 Ax-Series printers per day on its Cambridge assembly line. Importantly, they build to order and incorporate a large number of configurations for each customer.
Central to their shop floor operation is the Manufacturing Execution System (MES). Connected to their Oracle E-Business Suite ERP system through which customer orders are loaded, the MES system turns this detail into work orders. Information that is presented to individual operators along the assembly line:
- Each morning, an operator will log-in to find details of what they need to work on that day
- Every component to be fitted has a unique barcode that is scanned by the system, to ensure the correct parts are being used
- The information presented is tailored to each operation at different stages of production
- This level of guidance covers the end-to-end workflow, from initial build-stage through to dispatch
Domino requires their MES system to support a paper-free shop floor environment and avoiding the inefficiencies associated with printing daily work schedules at the start of each day, and then passing these around to the right people. This ensures that each operator is largely self-sufficient, and uses the system to inform their workload and sequence for the day. Most importantly for Domino, the MES system is there to guarantee quality, and ensuring every printer is built exactly as ordered. If an operator accidently fits the wrong part, scanning the barcode will highlight the error – and not allow further progress until it’s rectified.
Finally, the technology also has an important role to play in Domino’s on-going continuous improvement initiative. It’s a source of key insights, detailing key aspects of performance such as the time to complete a job versus the time allocated and employee utilization.
Carl Haycock, UK Printer Operations Director and Group Manufacturing Excellence / Health & Safety, Domino Printing Sciences
“Right first time is vital for us as a business. Particularly with high levels of configuration for each customer. And we’re talking here about large MNCs, where any delay in delivery is a huge deal.”
Mark Lammin, Manufacturing Engineering Manager, Domino Printing Sciences
“We wanted an MES system which is built around the operator, around people and making it quick and easy to interface with different machines. That to me is the meaningful difference behind Eyelit, as it empowers an already talented team to work even more productively.”
The What
Where we explore what an MES system means to Domino Printing Sciences
In terms of output for Domino Printing Sciences (hereafter referred to simply as Domino), the company typically builds up to 60 Ax-Series printers per day on its Cambridge assembly line. Importantly, they build to order and incorporate a large number of configurations for each customer.
Central to their shop floor operation is the Manufacturing Execution System (MES). Connected to their Oracle E-Business Suite ERP system through which customer orders are loaded, the MES system turns this detail into work orders. Information that is presented to individual operators along the assembly line:
- Each morning, an operator will log-in to find details of what they need to work on that day
- Every component to be fitted has a unique barcode that is scanned by the system, to ensure the correct parts are being used
- The information presented is tailored to each operation at different stages of production
- This level of guidance covers the end-to-end workflow, from initial build-stage through to dispatch
Domino requires their MES system to support a paper-free shop floor environment and avoiding the inefficiencies associated with printing daily work schedules at the start of each day, and then passing these around to the right people. This ensures that each operator is largely self-sufficient, and uses the system to inform their workload and sequence for the day. Most importantly for Domino, the MES system is there to guarantee quality, and ensuring every printer is built exactly as ordered. If an operator accidently fits the wrong part, scanning the barcode will highlight the error – and not allow further progress until it’s rectified.
The Why
Where we assess the decision to select and deploy the Eyelit MES
The Eyelit MES was a replacement for an MES system that had been in place for over a decade. Although still able to deliver core outputs, this existing system was causing Domino a headache due to a number of factors:
- The system was close to becoming unsupported, and was therefore vulnerable to the latest security threats
- Reliability issues were also on the increase, leading to frequent ‘fall overs’ that kept operators idle while the system was re-set
- Reporting functionality was not available, leading to the need for specialist software – and long queues as IT support was requested
The existing system had also been heavily customised over its lifetime, making upgrades a complex and time-consuming process. Sensing the need for change, Domino was presented with three options: continue ‘as is’; pay a significant amount of money to upgrade the system; or seek an alternative – with the latter option winning through.
When reviewing other technologies, Domino was keen to implement a scalable, cloudbased solution to boost resiliency. A move that would remove the need for future upgrades, while delivering predictable monthly costs. A number of MES systems were assessed and benchmarked, before the decision was taken to go with Eyelit. The reasons behind this were many, with the key factors being:
- The Eyelit MES is viewed as being ideal for helping optimize workflow processes and supporting quality control
- The system is focused on the people dimension, on workforce productivity, and is user-friendly
- Reporting happens at the touch of a button, enabling team leaders and management to drill down into the detail to understand both cause and effect
Add in the ability to deploy the Eyelit MES ‘out of the box’ with minimal customizations, as well as the predicted cost savings, and the decision was taken. Next step: delivery.
Mark Lammin, Manufacturing Engineering Manager, Domino Printing Sciences
“We wanted an MES system which is built around the operator, around people and making it quick and easy to interface with different machines. That to me is the meaningful difference behind Eyelit, as it empowers an already talented team to work even more productively.”
The How
Where we detail the implementation experience for Domino
Today, the Eyelit MES is firmly in place at Domino and embedded in the shop floor. The system is also fully integrated with Oracle E-Business Suite, and automating the flow of information. Operators are happy, and so are the IT department who have seen a huge reduction in both support requirements and urgent submissions for reports.
The question of course, is how did we get here?
Well, first there was initial deployment phase which saw Eyelit engineers on-site and introducing the technology. By month three we were already performing user interface and user training, with a pilot in place by the end of the month. Feedback was constant, with the solution adapted accordingly. All of which led up to the full rollout which was completed by the middle of month seven.
This speed of deployment was greatly helped by a lack of customisation. This was kept to an absolute minimum, with Eyelit’s standard solution covering most bases. Plus, with operators already familiar with using an MES solution, there was no cultural shift to undertake. In fact, the system has required virtually no behavioural change across the production line.
This became evident during user acceptance training, which is typically estimated to last no more than 5-10 minutes! Eyelit was able to replicate many aspects of the previous functionality, with feedback mostly centred on the creation of bigger buttons on touch screens (which we’ve now incorporated into the standard product!).
Where there has been change, this has been deemed for the better. For example, whereas before operators had to click boxes and type in data, now they’re just pressing buttons. Yet even here innovation was in play as Domino pushed for zero screen contact, and removing the need for operators to be constantly pressing touch screens. Instead, with cursor autofocus and the scanning of intelligent barcodes, the system automatically knows where to place the data – and what it means in terms of workflow.
Carl Haycock, UK Printer Operations Director and Group Manufacturing Excellence / Health & Safety, Domino Printing Sciences
“How many times do you experience a system project go right first time? The news is littered with stories of failures, yet with Eyelit the deployment was seamless. We’ve not lost a single product, and we’ve not lost any time.”
Dante Riccio, Manufacturing Engineer, Domino Printing Sciences
“We’d already made big strides in productivity via our continuous improvement program before Eyelit arrived. What we’re looking for now are those smaller refinements that can still deliver impressive gains. For example, removing the need for an operator to touch the screen 30 times during a build phase may only save 60 seconds. But that soon adds up over a year!”
Final Thoughts
While too soon to calculate cost savings, Domino is already confident of demonstrating a clear productivity improvement. With improved reporting, the company will be able to further optimise processes – and model different scenarios in support of continuous improvement. Domino also recognizes the scalability of teh Eyelit MES, and is now building the business case to deploy the solution to other manufacturing centers across the globe.