Client:
A large manufacturing and automation company in Africa
Industry:
Manufacturing and Automation
Background:
The client is a large manufacturing and automation company in Africa. They are leaders in their industry and are always looking for ways to improve their operations. As a part of the Industry 4.0 mission, they wanted to digitize and streamline their manufacturing process. They wanted to build an intelligent application on top of their existing application to analyze performance reports, offering the management a comprehensive overview of shop floor activities and enabling them to track progress over time. Additionally, the application must feature a rewarding system that recognizes high-performing operators and displays their positions on a leaderboard. This would enable them to make informed decisions that would improve the company's bottom line.
Challenges:
The client's manufacturing operations were highly diverse, with each process having its own unique set of data. This made it challenging to build a single linkage between all of the operations and generate valuable datasets. Additionally, the manufacturing industry is highly technical, which requires a custom approach to the software plan.
Solution:
Cubet worked with the client in a discovery phase to understand their needs and requirements. Cubet also proposed and developed additional features to be integrated into the existing application. These features were seamlessly integrated into the app, including:
Conversational AI: Cubet integrated an interactive chatbot powered by artificial intelligence to provide accurate insights into shop floor management. The chatbot supports operators with daily activities and training, and it offers management insights on production capabilities, maintenance issues, production line updates, and more. The chatbot is also multilingual and serves as an internal communication tool. It can capture a significant amount of floor data.
Live Feed: Operators can access real-time organizational and factory-related updates, as well as personal feeds, directly through the app. Factory-related updates include QA reports, system health updates, idle status of systems, downtime/slow sessions of machines, repair alerts, and appreciation or birthday/work anniversary messages. Personal feeds include messages from management and updates on stations/production lines where the operator works. The feed can be dynamically customized based on user preferences, with options to view, like, and assign content.
Training Videos Module: Cubet enables admins to mark and save specific content in the live feed, providing troubleshooting videos for resolving operator-reported issues and for future training. Admins can also upload training videos for operators to view, facilitating ongoing skill development.
Tickets: Operators can now assign tickets to the person in charge of requisitioning necessary consumer wearables to ensure job safety. This feature improves the efficiency and effectiveness of communication for operators.
Technologies Included:
- Reactjs
- Python
- MSSQL
Outcomes and Impact:
The integration of new features and subsequent upgrade has significantly enhanced the user experience, empowering the management team to effectively oversee shop floor activities and drive operational efficiency. The application has become an indispensable tool for operators, streamlining their data management processes and facilitating seamless operations.
Furthermore, leveraging the application's success internally, our client capitalized on its potential by bundling it as a deliverable alongside custom-made machines for end-customers. Tailored deployments were conducted to cater to specific shop floor requirements, further solidifying the client's reputation as an industry leader in the region's adoption of Industry 4.0 principles.
Key Takeaways:
This case study demonstrates how Cubet helped a large manufacturing and automation company digitize and streamline their manufacturing process with a mobile app.
The app was developed using a custom approach that addressed the specific challenges of the client's operations.
The app features a number of innovative features that have had a positive impact on the client's business, including conversational AI, live feed, and training videos.
The app can be customized to meet the specific needs of different companies.
Recommendations:
Other manufacturing and automation companies can benefit from the app by adopting a similar approach.
Companies can use the app to improve their manufacturing operations, enhance productivity, and provide comprehensive insights.
The app can be customized to meet the specific needs of different companies.
