WIP, materials and machine utilisation all in one

Kronos’ Workforce Central suite has been augmented, and the result is the potential for real-time visibility into how, for example, machine downtime affects labour productivity. Equally, shop floor managers should be able to identify and resolve bottlenecks, also in real time, resulting in more tightly directed continuous improvement and, again, higher levels of productivity. Kronos makes the point that unlike some MES systems that collect and batch machine performance information, only to provide reports later, this system provides machine and WIP status, alongside shopfloor workers operations to managers as it happens. Consulting firm Caruso & Associates is impressed: “Achieving the next level of shopfloor productivity improvement requires intelligence and insight on the combination of labour, WIP and machines,” comments David Caruso, founder and principal. “The ability to track in one application how these resources interact and impact overall productivity will be of interest to all operations leaders who care about continuous improvement processes. By offering measurement on these in real time, Kronos is setting an industry standard in productivity improvement endeavours.”