I have worked with numerous factory automation customers over the last 10 years and the main goal of everyone has always been the same; “What can we do to streamline our process?” Although every customer and application differs from one to the other, I have put together a list of areas I recommend you consider before undertaking a streamlining process.
10 Steps to Consider before and during the Implementation Process:
- Know what you don’t want: It’s easy to dream big and think about the specific hardware and software customization you want for your Automation process. It’s a lot more difficult to consider the variables you don’t want. By doing this, you can eliminate areas where there is no need, have a narrower project focus and begin developing a plan sooner.
- Have a budget: Many customers will just ask, “How much will it cost me?” There are usually two reactions to the price. The customer either goes dark or the number provided is way over budget. Determining a budget allows you to provide the financials to a systems integrator, who will provide you with your options at that price point. It will also enable you to decide whether you will implement everything in one single phase or multiple phases.
- Have a Survey & Assessment performed: Any systems integrator worth their salt will want to do a survey and assessment at your facility. This enables them to better understand your goals, the current process, any hardware in place and the hardware/software platform required to deliver you a fully integrated solution. If things further develop, they will put together a Functional Design Document. This is done after meeting with the customer several times and specifically noting all hardware, software and processes that are current along with all changes and additions to be made with the new implementation. This is a contract that can be utilized by any developer to implement your solution.
- Include your IT Department: There are times that you will meet with a systems integrator, determine the best solution and want to get started. There’s just one problem; IT has no buy-in and isn’t psyched about the project. By having Engineering, IT Project and Plant Management work together to come to a conclusion on a viable solution, you get everyone’s support, which makes it easier during the software
development and hardware implementation stages. - Select the appropriate platform: It’s important that the platform selected will support all of the processes and tasks required of it. Hardware is important here but not as much as the software. You want to make sure that the software not only addresses all areas you need covered but also is built to address future upgrades that you foresee occurring. When this kind of foresight is developed into your platform, you have the flexibility to upgrade your lines as you see fit.
- Select Quality Product: I firmly believe that price should not be the determining factor when selecting product for implementation. Best in breed always prevails and the longevity and satisfaction received will be seen in constantly moving lines and little downtime.
- Keep the big picture in mind: It is easy to get bogged down in some areas of assessment, development and implementation. There are times where you think it’s never going to get done. There could be “scope creep”, revisions to the process and problems during development or implantation that never could have been anticipated before getting to that stage of the process. It’s important to understand that no project goes smoothly throughout and that it’s better to have it completed correctly and better than expected than to have a patchwork solution put into play.
- Develop a timeline: This will be the most crucial aspect of any project. It’s important to have a timeline detailing your expectations for the project. This will help determine software development, hardware procurement and the implementation and debugging schedule.
- Be Available: The toughest part about any large project is getting everyone together. It’s best to make weekly commitments to each other, your integrator, installers, etc. Encourage conference calls and bi-weekly site visits for updates and troubleshooting that will need to occur.
- Communicate: If there’s something you wanted as a part of the delivered solution that isn’t part of the FDD, it’s important to communicate that to whomever is responsible for implementation. Any disagreements, dis-satisfactions, questions, and changes are all easier handled when they are on the table. No one likes surprises, and on larger projects, they will have an impact on your timeline.
I know that is a lot of information, but believe it or not, there’s a lot more to a successfully implementing a streamlined factory automation solution than what I have listed. If you have any questions or would like to further discuss your vision for your space, feel free to give me a call at 800-830-9223, ext. 126 or via email at jeremy.miller@l-tron.com.
About the Author
Jeremy Miller is L-Tron’s Industrial Automation and Advantech Product Specialist. Jeremy is highly trained and brings over 10 years of experience in the industrial control, data acquisition and test & measurement markets. Jeremy holds Advantech certifications in: Industrial Platform, Industrial Operator Panel, Automation Controller & I/O, Industrial Communication, & Automation Software. Jeremy can be reached at 800-830-9523 ext 126; jeremy.miller@L-Tron.com