The Real-Time Enterprise has become a key initiative for
manufacturing organizations in today's fast past and global
environment. The concepts and metrics for what a "Real-Time
Enterprise" looks like are in the early stages of development.
As we build business systems it is important to establish
guiding principles that help us through the process so we do not
miss any long-term benefits by making short term decisions.
Here are four simple principals to considered when designing an
information system:
- Capture data once at the point of creation. Waste of effort is
created with any duplicate entry and waste is created when
information is not available in real time. The typical argument for
not implementing real-time data collection is that it will slow
production but the challenge is to build the data collection
seamlessly into the process.
- Create a single, linked information repository. A typical
production oriented company includes sales/marketing (CRM), core
financials (MRP/ERP), operational (QA, Logistics, etc.), and web
(portal/eCommerce) systems. It is critical that thought is put
forward so all information systems are appropriately linked and
presented as a single version of the truth. When appropriate links
do not exist, islands of data are created, comprehensive reporting
is limited, additional effort is required to mine data, and
decisions are delayed, and/or errors in judgment can result from
missing or incorrect information.
- Deliver information when needed and in the correct format.
Waste occurs when an employee does not have the information needed
to make a decision or that information is not presented in a way
that enables them to gain insight. When building information
systems assume that reporting and data presentation is not going to
be in a single format. The system design should allow a user to
easily access information whether they are using an operation
report, are using a mobile devise, or accessing over the web.
- Decisions about information systems need to be made for the
entire system not a single business unit or function. The typical
attitude from an individual user might be that if it increases my
work load I do not want it. Leadership has to weight the value of
the increase in the data manage requirements for a single area
verse the benefit of the entire organization. In many cases it can
require five times more effort to delay correct management of
information. For example, instead of scanning each part as it
completes a process the operator might write the results on a piece
of paper. The paper is then take by manager to data entry. Data
entry personnel type the information in. Initially there would have
been no more time required to scan verse write the information
down. Now we have delayed availability of information across the
organization, created multiple chances for data errors, and
increase amount to time required to collect.
One of the key benefits of following a Lean methodology is that
you learn to identify waste in an operation. Going down the
path to be a Real-Time enterprise is similar. By nature a
system that is real-time will have the waste in processes, data
capture, and information usage squeezed out. The principals
presented above can start you down the right path.