Managing Production Assets in Manufacturing with DAM Solutions

Manufacturers create value on the production floor. However, disparate systems and scattered file shares often plague productivity on the line. A single source of truth for production assets streamlines employee workflows and decision-making. This is where digital asset management (DAM) comes into play in manufacturing operations.

ioMoVo is a leading DAM provider focused on industry needs. The platform centralizes all documentation, images, videos, and other media, guiding production activities. This includes work instructions, BOMs, engineering drawings, quality procedures, and more. With assets organized in a flexible and searchable database, manufacturing can optimize processes from scheduling to corrective actions.

Importance of Managing Production Assets Effectively

Production assets keep a production business going. These assets include maintenance manuals, compliance papers, engineering drawings, work instructions, and training materials. Everything done on the shop floor is based on these assets daily. They are the ones who plan work, carry it out, and improve processes.

However, if these assets are not managed well, they often get out of order. They could be in different file shares, computers, or places. This separates information into other areas of the business, making it hard to find a specific product. It also makes it hard to tell which form is correct, wasting time and money by causing double work, non-conformances, and redos. Ultimately, it makes equipment less efficient overall, which could impact competitiveness.

If you don't have the right production tool on hand when you need it, work can slow down. It takes longer to solve problems, which could mean that whole production lines must stop. It leads to higher prices and less work getting done over time. Also, compliance, quality management, and constant improvement efforts are complex to support when the system isn't reliable.

To address these problems, manufacturers need a central system to organize all asset information. The system must make it easy to find and track different versions. It must also work with technical systems like MES, ERP, etc. Then, workers will be able to easily access official information on any device, which will allow them to do their jobs. This is where a robust digital asset management tool like ioMoVo shines for manufacturing businesses.

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Types of Production Assets

Manufacturing facilities deal with various types of production assets daily. Some common examples include:

   • Engineering drawings showcase the design of parts, tools, jigs, and machinery in 2D or 3D formats. They help visualize specs and resolve production issues.

   • Work instructions outline detailed steps workers follow for assembling products or performing maintenance tasks correctly.

   • Standard operating procedures manuals outline quality, safety, compliance, and environmental guidelines that everyone must follow on the job.

   • Production schedules keep track of plan versus actual performance to optimize resource allocation.

   • Equipment manuals aid in equipment set-up, calibration, breakdowns, and repairs to minimize downtime.

   • Training materials such as modules, presentations, and quizzes impart skills and constantly enhance competencies.

   • Spare parts catalogs provide specifications to procure replacements to resume operations urgently.

   • Many more asset types, such as production samples, business plans, audit reports, etc., also require management and sharing across teams.  

Challenges in Managing These Assets

While critical for manufacturing success, production assets pose several challenges to effective management without a formal system.

   • Firstly, as these assets exist on multiple platforms, it becomes difficult to get a unified view. Their actual locations still need to be discovered at times.

   • Additionally, different versions of the same asset may circulate, risking the use of outdated data, which could potentially compromise quality and compliance.

   • Searching for a particular asset also requires time. Finding information becomes tedious when scattered across folders without organization and naming conventions.

   • Sharing assets company-wide or with suppliers poses an issue, too. Files are transferred via emails, which are unreliable and hard to track.

   • Monitoring asset usage to gauge effectiveness or identify training needs also becomes near impossible.

   • Integrating new assets into various technical systems like MES/ERP/PLC is another effort.

   • Complying with industry regulations around document control, archival, and security adds management overhead.

   • Given their sheer volume and types, storage, cataloging, and housekeeping also introduce complexities that must be solved with the right tools.

   • Such unaddressed challenges lead to inefficiencies and rework and can even halt production under urgent situations.

Manufacturers need an intuitive platform like ioMoVo's DAM solution. It offers a unified, searchable repository that addresses the above issues and streamlines asset workflows end-to-end.  

Read also : Improving Manufacturing Efficiency with Digital Asset Management

How Does ioMoVo’s DAM Platform Help Manage Production?  

Optimizing Line Efficiency

  • The production schedule is everything for making goods on time and satisfying customers. IoMoVo’s DAM system gets all assets into one place for seamless line execution:

  • Work instructions load directly onto HMI/SCADA systems for automatic guidance via barcode/QR code scans or touch screens. There are no paper manuals to misplace or damage on the line.

  • BOMs integrate with MES/MRP systems to trigger automated component replenishment and avoid defects from material shortages.

  • Engineering drawings and 3D models are available anywhere to inspect fit/finish or troubleshoot at fixation points via mobile devices.

  • Standard work templates record and enforce best practices. Comparative analytics reveal places to drive faster cycle times.

Operator Onboarding and Training

Ramping up new line employees optimally requires simplified access to relevant production assets:

   • Training modules and quizzes within ioMoVo guide standardized onboarding programs with interactive content.

   • Critical safety, quality, and compliance standards remain front and center through mobile-first learning on daily online devices.

   • Animated work instructions and videos bring processes to life versus text-heavy manuals alone.

   • Performance metrics track knowledge acquisition and flag individuals or topics needing remediation.

   • Search and version control prevents the use of outdated information that could undermine safety or quality.

With ioMoVo, manufacturers halve training durations on average while improving information retention through an engaging learning experience.  

Compliance and Quality

Meeting regulations and customer specifications demands up-to-date standard operating procedures (SOPs) and control plans:

   • Versioning and reviews happen automatically, so audit-ready paperwork stays in order.

   • Inspection needs and non-conformance processes are easily integrated into MES and QC systems.

   • Browser-based access to assets lets you do remote checking without stopping production.

   • Templates make it easy for all plants to get the latest information when rules or specifications change.

   • E-Signatures, signatures, and alerts keep all stakeholders notified of revisions in real-time.

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Maintenance and Continuous Improvement

   • A reliable, flexible operation hinges on systematic maintenance planning and improvement initiatives:

   • PM/PdM schedules include expected downtime for maintenance and estimates of how much work will be done.

   • Work orders, manuals, and part replacements from the past are used to guide mechanical jobs.

   • In a closed Kaizen loop, feedback from the line drives changes to assets.

   • Tools like 5S checklists make it easy for teams to work together to reach lean goals.  

Analytics for Better Decision-Making

Beyond just housing assets, DAM generates actionable analytics on content usage:

  • Training modules requiring refreshes based on declining usage or poor quiz performance.

  • Top operational KPIs correlate with the most accessed assets for targeted improvements.

  •  Manuals in need of translation derived from locations repeatedly downloading in other languages.

  •  Frequency of engineering drawing views identifying design weaknesses to address proactively.

  • Spare parts deplete inventory faster from repairs for optimized stocking.

Manufacturing leaders leverage these actionable insights in ioMoVo to take preventative steps, keeping lines running optimally.  

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Future Trends in DAM for Manufacturing

The manufacturing industry is rapidly evolving to stay ahead of the competition through emerging technologies. Digital asset management (DAM) solutions are progressing to support these new-age capabilities.

Key trends include tighter integration of DAM platforms with IoT/IIoT systems. It allows real-time updating and exchange of asset metadata between devices and processes on the shopfloor.

Augmented and virtual reality applications for viewing 3D designs and manuals or conducting remote assistance will rely more on content delivered through versatile DAM APIs.

The adoption of artificial intelligence as a service is growing. Computer vision combined with centralized asset repositories enables the automated extraction of attributes from documentation for advanced search and analytics.

Blockchain technology can bring trust and transparency to document management by tamper-proof validating revisions and intellectual property records on distributed ledgers.

Edge and fog computing models mean production assets must synchronize seamlessly across the dispersed infrastructure. Reliable solutions like ioMoVo’s DAM system are well-poised to support these emerging requirements.

Adaptable platforms reducing time-to-value will dominate the future DAM landscape for manufacturers. Out-of-the-box configurations and no-code customization capabilities can help companies explore new use cases faster.  

Read also : Streamlining Apparel Design Processes with DAM Software

Conclusion

As the discussion outlined, the production environment presents unique DAM needs around safety, quality, and continuous improvement. IoMoVo addresses these with flexible solutions that fit seamlessly into any plant's technical and business processes.

Optimizing line uptime and efficiency, streamlining training, driving compliance, and empowering continuous growth are just some of the benefits reported by manufacturers leveraging one source of truth for assets guiding critical plant activities. Overall, equipment effectiveness increases while operational costs decrease.

Manufacturers seeking a competitive advantage through productivity enhancement or adopting Industry 4.0 principles should evaluate a DAM system's potential for optimizing production workflows, communications, and decision-making. The platform pays for itself many times over through measurable impacts like increased throughput, reduced waste, and institutionalized best practices.