Smart Factory. Nowadays it\u2019s a term that everybody knows and uses. But what is a Smart Factory exactly and why is it useful to invest in a Smart Factory? And even more important: how does the customer benefit from a Smart Factory?<\/p>\n
For many years we\u2019ve been hearing about the concept of \u2018Smart Industry\u2019 and the corresponding term \u2018Smart Factory\u2019. Smart Factory is trendy. So many entrepreneurs stuffed their machines with internet cables to collect data and rapport a fancy KPI with that data. Smart, isn\u2019t it? No, it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n
For EPR the concept of Smart Factory goes beyond the machines. All our processes need to be smart. For the last few years our goal was to structure our processes and, above all, bring our processes back to the core and to automate them where possible. Automation often involves reducing administrative tasks, enabling our employees to be more concerned with what they are really good at.<\/p>\n
The construction of this automation movement has now been renamed EPR Infinity \u00a9, because the possibilities of this system are endless. Meanwhile we have expanded the platform of EPR Infinity \u00a9 so more and more processes are connected to this platform. Our production staff works on tablets. On these tablets they can see the planning, they can indicate which order they are working on, and they can immediately give feedback to, for example, the preparation engineer when there are improvements possible to the product documentation. And in this specific closing of the loop lays the strength of a real Smart Factory. You need to learn directly from the data that comes available so you can respond to it immediately. This immediate response ultimately leads to a better product for the customer, and that’s what it’s all about.<\/p>\n
In the construction of our new building we have also implemented the concept of Smart Factory. From the design phase on we sat down with the architect to talk about the specific wishes of EPR to perfectly match the flow of people, materials and information. And this has been beautifully executed. As an example, we installed many screens at various places to directly transfer the information of EPR Infinity \u00a9 to our employees. And we have implemented an automated warehouse system that feeds the different production departments in a smart way.<\/p>\n
We are ready to bring our Smart Factory to the next level. We will increasingly work with algorithms to implement further automation so our employees can focus on their passion. This will benefit our clients. In the end for us it\u2019s all about our customers and the world we are living on.<\/p>\n