"Production Control Made Simple"

A five-strong group of SMEs from across manufacturing industry has unveiled an innovative production control system. Described as having been “written by manufacturers for manufacturers”, the new software, known as RedAnt, simplifies the process by using straightforward terms rather than computer jargon.

A spokesperson for the group says that competing systems on the market are too complicated, too difficult to implement and maintain, and too expensive. The group’s alternative, on the other hand, has been designed to be easy to install, readily accessible to all users, flexible in its application and cost-effective.

RedAnt has already been installed on several sites, although the intention is for the system to continue to evolve, with both existing and new users initiating the development of additional features that can then be installed retrospectively. Above all, the group claims development will continue on the basis of a flexible approach to every aspect of production control.

In essence, the system allows, for example, a machine operator to see what work is scheduled, what needs to be done, what operations are required and how long these will take, while providing the flexibility to amend, say, the actual machining sequence – except where this is prohibited as part of a sealed layout for critical paths. This knowledge is retained within the system, and is instantly available to whoever next gets that particular job. In fact, the system provides virtually instant access for anyone, subject to the appropriate security clearance, seeking progress information.

However, users may need more than that, especially when it comes to prototypes and pre-production work. They may, for example, want to know what the cycle time is likely to be should a part go into production, because this may decide whether a design is financially feasible or whether design/process changes are required. This feature, according to the group, is becoming more and more important “because margins are under ever-increasing pressure and mistakes can be extremely expensive”. 

Any user is free to select any data field, whether it is an employee record, a machine record or a job record – which may be selected by date or drawing number – and the required information is quickly and easily assembled into report form. If, for instance, information logged into the system indicates that a machine is not performing to expectations, the user can check whether it is a problem with the machine or with the operator, and whether to replace one or both. The best option for any given circumstance can then be calculated: how much is that machine going to earn if it is retained? Would it be better to sub-contract the work and sell the machine? Does the operator need further training? Or replacing?

It is claimed that the system will uncover situations that the user might not otherwise know about or seek to investigate. “With Red Ant everything a user needs to know in order to control every aspect of a business is here,” says the group’s spokesperson. “It identifies what is happening within a business and provides the wherewithal to eliminate weaknesses wherever they may be occurring in the manufacturing process.