Services - Existing Sites
Management and Integration of Legacy Software
It happens… there are those occasions when a software application just can’t be moved, migrated or upgraded but is still a prerequisite to running your business. Finding methods to integrate these legacy solutions with your current software can be challenging.
Efficientia Solutions has provided a number of customers with solutions to allow these legacy software solutions to continue running until a permanent strategy is found. In some cases, this may involve the upgrading of a physical piece of equipment. Retaining these legacy applications in a running state under these circumstances can be difficult but does provide significant benefit to end users.
Infrastructure and Software Upgrades
Sometimes, the computers and servers used to run your systems are simply past their use by. Moving to current state of the art infrastructure like virtualisation and terminal services can provide an extension to their life that allows the business to continue with significantly less risk of downtime because of hardware failure.
These systems can be implemented in a staged approach, allowing for budget friendly implementations to take place over periods of time rather than in a single project.
EfficientIA has experience in transitioning from old outdated infrastructure to current technology and has done so many times for many customers.
Efficiency Improvements
Even new plant and machinery can benefit from a system that measures the true KPIs of the asset. We have often seen newly installed lines and equipment fail to meet their nameplate capacity. Identification of bottlenecks is key to reaching a resolution. Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) can be difficult to understand bottlenecks without quantitative data. Such data allows for effective decision making and development of strategies.
Equally, this same approach can be used on older assets to extend their life or potently reduce manufacturing time for the same net production. This results in savings across the board.
Efficiency is not just about increasing manufacturing capacities. It also flows through to reduction in scrap, raw materials, power and water. The knock on effect of scrap contributes a significant cost to manufacturing and even small reductions will create tangible bottom line results.
Efficientia Solutions has been involved in projects that have netted manufacturers significant bottom line savings. Methods to identify project scope through the use of “Proof Of Concept” implementations have been successful in creating targeted projects that give a strong “Return on Investment” (ROI).
Alarm Management
The use of asset alarm systems to provide operators with notification of abnormal operating conditions is nothing new. These notifications along with the operator actions have been logged for many years.
In recent times, the number of these events have increased significantly with the introduction of “smart” devices being used in the field. This has allowed for significantly more alarms to be presented to the operators. In some cases this has been an increase of 50 times when compared to similar plants 15 years earlier.
The use of best practices like abnormal situation management (ASM) allow operations staff to locate root causes in significantly less time and with increased granularity thanks to the newer, smarter automation hardware.
Efficientia Solutions can provide practical advice in the management of alarms, through to the implementation of the strategies.