Recently, host of the popular television series “Dirty Jobs” Mike Rowe wrote an article repudiating the old adage that employees should work smart, not hard.
But what if was possible to work both smart and hard. It can be argued that the future success of global manufacturing depends on striking a perfect balance between the two. In fact, it is possible to work hard while working smart; manufacturing intelligence is the necessary key to achieve this.
In manufacturing, having access to the right data—and knowing how to use it—creates a happy medium of smart and hard work. The right data can help companies reduce industrial waste and ensure solid, quality production. With statistical evidence available at every step of the supply chain, executive decisions can be made confidently and accurately when needed. All of the guesswork is taken out of a process that is meant to ensure industrial conformity.
At the same time, however, companies can work harder by speeding up production as stability increases. The goal is to establish efficient strings of production with as few mistakes as possible. As variation is weeded out of the production process, companies can actually churn out products faster based on the fact that they do not have to stop every time something goes wrong. Easy solutions can therefore be applied to problems that would otherwise be complex.
Manufacturing intelligence is produced by using statistical process control software such as InfinityQS’s ProFicient. This software scans products along a manufacturing belt and ensures that each product is of sound quality before being packaged and shipped out. As future manufacturing leaders navigate the educational and vocational sectors, it will help to rethink the old adage of working smart instead of working hard. Statistical process control software is the game-changer that is needed to ensure that today’s—and tomorrow’s—factories remain both hotbeds for innovation as well as steady producers of quality goods.