News & Blogs
Stay updated with the latest news, insights, and expert blogs from Emixa. Explore industry trends, digital innovations, and company updates all in one place.
Collaborating in the Supply Chain: How do you do that?
Gone are the days when machine builders exclusively handled in-house development and construction. In the contemporary landscape, most companies either possess their own supply chain with various suppliers or operate as integral components within an Original Equipment Manufacturer's (OEM) supply chain. While this collaboration within Dutch manufacturing companies offers substantial benefits, it also presents significant challenges. How does one manage the critical exchange of data in this intricate web of partnerships? Every manufacturing entity, irrespective of its industry, feels the increasing pressure of competition, shrinking margins, rising costs and staff shortages. To bring products quickly and seamlessly to market, manufacturers can no longer afford the luxury of time-consuming data exchange, fraught with manual checks susceptible to errors. With increasing product complexity, this problem is only getting bigger and causes more and more challenges. Firstly, companies have to deal with more and more complex data: assemblies become larger, the number of electronic components increases, there are more specifications and quality checks. In addition, each company has its own way of working and provides data in a different structure. There is a lack of standards. Companies often also lack access to each other's systems. So, how do you ensure data is exchanged securely without exposing yourself to a cyberattack? Continuous stream of modifications The challenge often extends beyond a one-time data transfer. During the product development process, continuous modifications arise that need to be implemented properly. Keeping oversight and carefully recording all changes is a time-consuming task that usually has to be carried out by expensive engineers, who should actually be spending their time on completely different tasks. I still hear too often in the market that this leads to mistakes that only become visible late in the process - and therefore cost a lot of money. This might involve ordering the wrong products, older revisions going into production, increasing lead times with possible penalties from the OEM and a loss of trust in the supplier. Now what? We believe that a large part of this problem can be solved by automating and digitising current processes. No more reliance on email and Excel for manual back-and-forth data exchanges! Intelligent data importation is key, where the system can automatically compare data and process changes. The way you can do this largely depends on the data source. Is your customer's or supplier's data organized in folder structures, and does it arrive consistently at your end? Or do one or both parties have a Product Data Management (PDM) or Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system where data is securely managed? In the latter case, there are possibilities to use an intermediate portal where data can safely flow from one system to the other. Regardless of the situation, achieving this necessitates gaining a comprehensive understanding of internal workflows and the modification rules (Change Management). By aligning your customer's or supplier's workflows, you can document this knowledge in templates or rules within a system. Only then can you start to automate. Get in touch Information exchange throughout the supply chain is a complex topic. Tackling this issue isn't straightforward, and there can be multiple ways to approach it. Curious about how we can assist you with this? Contact us, and we'll provide you with more details.
How AI can Drastically Reduce your E-commerce Returns
Returns - a real headache for the e-commerce industry. Did you know that 12 to 15% of all shipped packages are returned? This costs significant time and money; a whopping €12,50 per return. Fortunately, AI offers advanced solutions to drastically reduce this flow of returns. Starting today. By bridging the gap between customer expectations and reality, retailers can improve their operational efficiency and support sustainable practices. In this article, we’ll give you five innovative AI strategies that can help solve return issues.
Future-oriented construction thanks to modernization of the IT landscape
Margins within construction are wafer-thin. High costs, relatively sensitive schedules and the switch to maintenance contracts are the basis for this. As a unique additional challenge, construction companies run the risk of one miss erasing all profits for the year. To build for the future, measures are needed that mitigate these risks. A modernization of the IT landscape offers a solution. A perfect, future-oriented IT landscape in construction offers: central storage of expertise and knowledge; overview of all construction activities; support for internal collaboration; links for external collaboration and transfers; control over the supply chain; automation or robotization of steps in the chain. Central storage of expertise and knowledge The aging of the population is strongly noticeable within the construction industry. A new generation of employees needs to be trained, but the enthusiasm among school leavers is low. A high turnover of experienced employees who are ready for retirement hinders the transfer of knowledge and expertise. This makes it difficult to find, train and retain professionals. Complex projects are being delayed and accidents and incidents are increasing across the board of construction activities. Digital support for expertise and knowledge transfer is therefore essential. The knife cuts both ways. On the one hand, knowledge and experience is no longer only in the minds of employees because it is stored centrally, on the other hand, digitally stored knowledge can be translated into innovation. A central source of information fuels further innovation. It serves as inspiration to develop best practices. The better the digital knowledge assurance, the greater the use of this knowledge in practice. Thanks to this flywheel principle, success leads to more success. By working with photos and videos, knowledge is easy to provide and record. A side effect of the visualization of knowledge is that it can also be used as a 'see-through sheet'. People can use the images to check and improve their own work. Overview of all construction activities Risk management is essential to survive as a construction company. One project gone wrong can wipe out a year's worth of profits. To make the pain worse, it often turns out that problems arose early on. Earlier intervention, for example by distributing resources differently across projects, could have prevented worse. The cause of this problem lies in the silo approach. Each project is approached on an individual basis. Connecting construction projects provides an overview of budgets, available resources, schedules and subcontractors. This data is not only related to one project, but is included across the entire scope of the work in progress. This makes it possible to gain mutual insight into priorities and make adjustments with available resources. Integrated data storage also provides benefits after delivery. It provides the basis for monitoring maintenance contracts and provides good substantiation for new quotations. Results from comparable projects help you to quote razor sharply while maintaining a good margin. Internally there is continuous insight into project progress and project results. This information helps to optimize planning and management of subcontractors. Support for internal collaboration Without insight into the scope, schedule and costs, no project will get off the ground. Structured document management has rightly retired carbon paper and clipboards. But that is the beginning of innovation, not the end point. By further digitalizing internal collaboration, quality, safety and profitability can be improved. By supporting internal collaboration in a structured manner, planning becomes easier and costs are always transparent. This makes it easier to coordinate the activities of employees, suppliers and subcontractors. Everyone involved in a project has easy access to the latest 2D and 3D models. All other documentation surrounding a project is available to everyone. Anyone who takes into account 25 years of operation, facilitation, maintenance and sustainable demolition when realizing the asset will benefit from this throughout its entire lifespan. This collection of data forms a so-called Digital Twin. This allows maintenance staff to view status and track repair and warranty information. The builder accurately records the lifespan of deployed resources and takes this into account in new projects. In the context of circular construction, it is clear at the end of the lifespan which materials can be reused. This approach requires active involvement of all responsible parties. Links for external collaboration and transfers The complexity of construction projects is increasing. Higher requirements and more advanced materials are partly responsible for this. But the desire to have maintenance carried out by the contractor after delivery also plays a role in this. To continue to operate profitably, it is important to collaborate with specialized partners and subcontractors on every project. Those who find partners quickly can respond to quote requests earlier and better. This requires knowledge of your own organization, good connections with third parties and a way to quickly share concepts with each other. Construction Information Model software (BIM) offers a solution here. You can coordinate this collection of construction data using the software. By linking BIM to ERP and project management, agreements can also be properly recorded and used in the tendering part of the process. The collaboration becomes closer as digitalization is better organised. By fully supporting internal processes digitally, it becomes easier to also allow external parties to collaborate. Partners who also work digitally are desirable. This allows connections to be made that further simplify collaboration and transfer. Control over the supply chain Delays entail costs. Better control over the supply chain reduces these costs and offers planners more certainty. The chain for builders consists not only of suppliers of building materials, but also of subcontractors and rental companies of large equipment such as cranes. By digitally integrating this chain with your own resources, control over projects is increased. For construction companies, smarter planning is a first step towards better margins. The digital resources that make smart planning possible can also be used to gain more control over the chain. Statistics on delivery times and reliability of suppliers can play a role in planning new projects. If those suppliers also work with advanced digital support, then a link is obvious. Technology such as IoT (Internet of Things), which makes it possible to see the exact location of equipment at any time, makes it possible to work with more precise delivery times. The use of BIM makes it possible to plan prefabricated materials in such a way that they can be installed immediately upon delivery. Automation, robotization and 3D printers Traditionally, construction has the principle of intermediate checks. For example, goods are received at the gate of the construction site, but only paid for when the project manager approves the invoice. With the right automation, the person responsible on site can check the goods upon receipt at the gate, after which all further steps are handled automatically. This saves a lot of time because other parties involved only have to deal with deviations. More time savings can be achieved with time registration. It still happens too often that the project manager has to approve the hours of external employees twice: once for inspection and once for the software. By smartly registering controlled hours, it is possible to link them directly to the corresponding invoices. With one precise control at the front, work can be done much more efficiently at the back. Robots, cobots and 3D printers offer unprecedented opportunities. Robots can perform repetitive tasks very quickly without human input. Robots strengthen employees by directly assisting them and simplifying tasks. The added value of cobots increases if they can draw from the central store of expertise and knowledge. The potential of 3D printers is unprecedented. A good example: when pouring concrete for a villa and apartment complex in China, the use of 3D printer technology saved 30 to 60 percent of building materials and the execution was 50 to 80 percent faster. Future-oriented building Future-proof construction companies have control over costs and work with tight schedules. Modernizing the IT landscape makes it easier to meet these two essential requirements. In addition, it offers room to quote more competitively, collaborate more smoothly and deploy people more effectively. Organizations that innovate are given the space to transform. This helps them respond more effectively to the market of the future and operate more profitably. Get in touch Ready to make a business change? At Emixa, we'd be glad to share our comprehensive insights. Contact us to discover how our approach can help your organization thrive in the cloud era. Let's embark a journey towards enhanced efficiency and effectiveness together! Jan Wijbren Dijkstra Jan Wijbren Dijkstra is Senior Lead Consultant ePPM at Emixa Managed Services. With more than 25 years of experience with SAP and ePPM, he knows how to translate specific processes into solution in or related to SAP, with efficiency and continous improvement. His business knowlegde is in the domain of managing projects within several branches and organisations, primarily in Engineering and Construction.
Manufacturing Menu: Smart Solutions for Future Warehouse Management
In the dynamic world of logistics and warehouse management, companies face the challenge of adapting to a rapidly evolving environment. With the growth of e-commerce and increasing customer demands regarding delivery times, the traditional Warehouse Management System (WMS) often falls short. The need for innovation and a quick transition to intelligent warehouses is reinforced by factors such as rising labor costs, new government regulations (related to the environment), and disruptions such as pandemics.
Driving Innovation in Satellite Production: Airbus Nederlands' Shift
Airbus Netherlands B.V. project Grip: Optimizing the Production Process and Inventory Management.
AI as a Tool to Optimise Last-Mile Delivery
Consultancy.nl, the platform for the consulting industry, published an article about the possibilities to optimise last-mile delivery. Emixa's Jason Bos shares how AI can be a useful tool for this.
The Added Value of Moldex3D and Injection Moulding Analysis
Moldex3D is a software program developed to carry out accurate analyses and simulations of advanced plastic injection molding processes. This software enables you to optimise mold design, increase producibility and accelerate the time-to-market. This software helps you to predict and remedy challenges, by analysing and identifying any potential problems in the injection molding process, including temperature, pressure or shrinkage. 85% of common production problems that occur can be predicted and solved in advance. Injection molding simulation provides valuable insights into the design process, and future results in terms of production. This type of software offers major advantages in that it allows you to assess and qualify designs early, as well as being able to predict and remedy any risks in the product development process, prior to production. Most importantly, it saves time and reduces costs. Identify problems at an early stage In about 80% of cases, Moldex3D identifies design issues that will go undetected by standard DFM (Design for Manufacturability) software solutions. Not only does Moldex3D identify issues surrounding manufacturability, it also determines problems that may arise during production, such as: surface defects, distortion and other potential production problems. A minor change in the design of the mold or product can already solve the problem at an early stage. Diagnosing the problem early on saves valuable time and resources. Injection molding simulation: a virtual mold test If the correct settings are applied, the results of the simulation offer the same capabilities as an initial test injection, displayed directly on the screen. The software confirms of the design before considering production. That's the power of Moldex3D. Often, the injection molding accounts for a large portion of the investment, not knowing the results in advance delays many projects and can significantly increase development and design costs. The use of Moldex3D helps to eliminate risks and offers insights into the results that can be expected on investment in the project. Moldex3D optimises production parameters There are several reasons why the parameters provided by Moldex3D are so valuable. The controls used during the injection molding process are a major factor when it comes to programming production cycle times and output. Moldex3D optimises the cycle time that can be achieved, based on the mold design and the data entered. If the production numbers do not match the expected output, the design or molding can be adjusted. This gives insight into the actual speed of the injection molding prior to production. This information is invaluable for sales, marketing, predicting and planning. Moldex3D is essentially a time machine that looks ahead, makes a prediction, and reports back on production results. Reduce the inherent risk and uncertainty of your product design and mold building, and start incorporating Moldex3D as a standard tool in your design and simulation process. Would you like to know more about what Moldex3D can do for your organisation? Request the free trial and one of our consultants will help you on your way. Discover the power of Moldex3D for injection moulding analysis.
Introduction to IAM – A Jungle of Terms and Acronyms
Introduction to IAM – A Jungle of Terms and Acronyms
Mastering Online Retrospectives: Five Essential Tips
We already wrote about how to deal with the 3 most common challenges for a scrum master working remotely. In this article we’ll elaborate on how to deal with one challenge specifically: How do you effectively conduct retrospectives online while maintaining a sharp focus on continuous improvement? We're here to guide you with invaluable insights based on our extensive experience working with remote teams.