The New World of Data

As I was watching a documentary on the Christopher Columbus expedition to the New World, it occurred to me just how audacious he and other early explorers really were. Imagine setting off into the unknown with only your experience and wits about you... and, perhaps, some technology.

In fact, whether it was Columbus sailing for the East Indies and landing in the Americas, Ferdinand Magellan circumnavigating the globe, Sir Edmund Hillary scaling Mount Everest, or even Neil Armstrong walking on the moon, they all relied on the technology of the day to aid in their quests to be the first to achieve their own unique and daring goals. Incredibly and against sizeable odds, each were able to make discoveries still celebrated today, and technology played a significant role in every journey.

An essential element of those discoveries was the science and practice of navigation, and, in particular, technology that communicated their whereabouts, how fast they were moving, and what direction they needed to go based on their previously logged course. However crude or elementary the technology the early explorers used, it was essential in providing crucial data that they needed to make informed decisions and change course intelligently.

While not as outwardly dangerous, it’s not a far stretch to draw comparisons to what businesses are trying to achieve today. We all want to run a tight ship, guide our teams safely through each challenge, and do it all as efficiently as possible... perhaps even gaining some notoriety along the way.

Many centuries have passed, and along with them a multitude of remarkable advances in technology, but the fundamental requirement for accurate data has remained the same. Early technologies such as the compass, sextant, or traverse board were essential to realizing discoveries. While we have newer and more precise tools, the same is true today – even more so considering the ever-growing competition we face and the constant push to produce more for less. The centuries have brought with them staggering advances in technology, and we are now living in a time where there is no shortage of data. Whether we are bottling juice, manufacturing heat-shrink film or packaging capsules, we need to know how things are going on the shop floor in as close to real time as possible so we can maximize our labor, equipment, and materials.

The challenge of the day is getting the right data at the right time and understanding how to use it make intelligent decisions and drive deliberate action. Factory MES is ever expanding the quantity and quality of data directly from your shop floor. Whether acquired from automation or from the fingertips of your frontline resources, we have access to real-time information about what is happening in the moment on the shop floor. Equipped with that intelligence, your organization has available the essential dashboards, KPIs, and dynamically prepared meeting content to make change a reality. The data is available, and its potential is waiting to be unlocked to guide you on your journey to excellence.

For more information on new metrics and KPIs and ways our team can help yours maximize technology, reach out to your Factory representative.