*WARNING* These are real incidents from the field and could scare you. A lot! *WARNING* The plant was still looking new after 3 years of operations, nothing like its sister plant which had a history of 25 years and was still going strong. New equipment, new technology and lights everywhere. Just this bright environment with…
*WARNING* These are real incidents from the field and could scare you. A lot! *WARNING* Liquid aluminium has 3 very dangerous characteristics. It is extremely hot, aggressive to most materials including other metals and responds explosive when in contact with water. Three reasons to be extremely careful when handling liquid aluminum. Safety precautions are important,…
*WARNING* These are real incidents from the field and could scare you. A lot! *WARNING* We talk a lot about what could go wrong with Cyber Security and what could be done to prevent it. Let’s have a look at what already happened and what should have been done to prevent it. Just to make…
Modern production facilities are loaded with sensors, systems and smart controls, all providing tons of data on the process and results. The spread of Plant Floor Data Collection (PFDC), Process Condition Monitoring (PCM) and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) in modern manufacturing facilities keeps growing and with that, digitizing Manufacturing Processes continues to spread just as…
A recent survey of 28 executives and leading managers shows that many organizations which have set out to benefit from the autonomous delivery and execution methods, like LEAN CI/PDCA, Agile and Design Thinking, are still struggling with creating the proper environment and culture, especially in the area of empowerment, but also in true implementation and…
A major challenge when transitioning from the classical controlled project execution models to autonomous project execution like Agile, LEAN PDCA or Design Thinking, is to develop and maintain the proper mindset towards boundaries. The strength of these autonomous methods is the ability to provide rapid go-to-market results combined with continuous improvements based on findings and…
When leading Operations as Manager or Director, you will see yourself confronted with expectations for performance and results which are not achieved in the current setting. On the floor, where your team does their work, these expectations might seem far fetched but during the managerial reviews, you fully commit to fulfilling these expectations. You believe…
The foundation of safety lays in discipline, zero tolerance for deviations, and clear understanding and acceptance of the necessity of each safety measure and precaution. This can only be achieved by ongoing (re-)education and development of the Safety Culture throughout the organization, empowerment, supervision and accountability. The biggest risk for the Safety Culture is a growing “we do that…
Industry 4.0 – Now what?
With the introduction of Industry 4.0 by the German Government and the designated workgroup, a roadmap was created to introduce Artificial Intelligence, Smart Controls, Smart Automation and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in combination with Big Data into the manufacturing industries in Germany and beyond. The roadmap for Industry 4.0 focuses on introducing information and communication technology…
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