Tag: operational technologies

  • Synchrono Releases SyncManufacturing Version 8

    Synchrono Releases SyncManufacturing Version 8

    More Visibility, More Power, More Control for Even the Most Complex Manufacturing Environments

    Synchrono® is excited to share what’s new in SyncManufacturing® Version 8, a release shaped by the real-world challenges and ideas of manufacturers like you. With improved operational visibility, smarter controls, streamlined production planning, a modernized technology platform, and several user-driven enhancements, Version 8 delivers a powerful, more intuitive experience across even the most complex manufacturing environments. 

    Focus on the Metrics that Matter

    Version 8 introduces built-in Business Intelligence (BI) Dashboards that turn production data into actionable insights for continuous improvement on the shop floor. Five standard dashboards—Cycle Time Variance, Order Release Adherence, CONLOAD Adherence, On Time to Due Date, and Schedule Adherence—provide an at-a-glance view of how well your operations are performing against plan.​  

    • Cycle Time Variance highlights whether demonstrated cycle times align with planned routings, making it easier to spot inaccurate cycle-time assessments.
    • Order Release Adherence shows how closely execution follows system-generated release dates, a key driver of flow and schedule stability.​ 
    • CONLOAD™ Adherence focuses on constraint resources, comparing average released load hours to modeled maximum load to show when critical resources are consistently over- or under-released.  
    • On Time to Due Date segments orders into early, on-time, or late buckets, and can be viewed either as a forward-looking projection on open orders or a retrospective view of demonstrated performance.​ 
    • Schedule Adherence tracks how well actual production follows the planned schedule, making it easier to spot batching, cherry picking, and chronic variability that undermine flow and delivery performance. 

    These dashboards help teams understand not just what is happening, but why it is happening, and because they are built directly into SyncManufacturing, users no longer need to open a separate tool to view, export, or analyze this data. 

    On Time to Due Date KPI Dashboard
    SyncManufacturing® BI Dashboards share a modern, highly visual design with interactive grids and charts, making it easy to drill into problem orders or resources directly from the same screen.

    Gain Greater Workflow Control

    SyncManufacturing® Version 8 allows users to orchestrate complex workflows as production realities evolve without resorting to offline spreadsheets or manual workarounds.

    Achieve End-to-End Visibility

    Multi-level orders can display rolled-up status along with related precedence edges, which is especially valuable in environments with multi-stage assemblies or nested routings. Information on inputs to each operation is accessible through a bottom drawer that opens on demand, giving users the detail they need on material availability and inputs without leaving the main plan view.​ 

    The broadened Network Order Lines capabilities further enhance end-to-end insight by making it easier to understand and manage which orders are tied to which network. From the Network Maintenance screen, the new Network Order Lines view shows existing order lines and lets users add or remove additional ones, tightening control over how complex project or network-based orders flow through the system.​ 

    Supply allocation and detailed sequencing logic benefit from underlying improvements in performance and data handling, including enhanced algorithms and fixes to support pegging in diverse environments. These changes help ensure that when planners evaluate capacity, material, and due dates, the system can respond more quickly and reliably, even under heavy data volumes.  

    Production plan end to end visibility
    Production Plan enhancements give planners a single, interactive view of multi-level orders, networks, and precedents so they can assess inputs, status, and downstream impacts at a glance. 

    Keep Complex Builds in Sync with Supply Allocation

    SyncManufacturing Version 8 introduces Supply Allocation, a new capability that keeps complex, multi-level builds synchronized by directly linking every supply order to the specific demand it serves across all BOM levels. Instead of treating each work order as an isolated record with manually maintained dates, Supply Allocation models the entire build as a single, flowing system so upstream and downstream operations move together. 

    With these direct linkages in place, every child order “knows” which parent order it supports and how its timing affects the overall build, allowing the scheduling engine to orchestrate the whole structure as one extended process. When conditions change—late material, shifting priorities, or capacity constraints—the impact on the entire order structure is visible in a single, coherent view, and dates are automatically recalculated from the true supply–demand relationships rather than ad hoc due-date resets. 

    The result is a more reliable and efficient operation: supply is tightly aligned with demand so parts always have a clear destination, orders are released to the floor only when they are truly buildable, and planners no longer spend hours stitching together pegging logic across multiple screens and spreadsheets. Organizations gain clearer insight into critical and late paths, reduce stalled work and WIP, and improve on-time delivery by spotting emerging delays early, making Supply Allocation a foundational capability for manufacturers managing deep, multi-level builds in volatile environments. 

    Be Fast & Future Ready

    Under the hood, SyncManufacturing Version 8 delivers significant platform updates that position customers for long-term agility and performance, including upgraded screens for Calendar Maintenance, Group Maintenance, User Maintenance, and other key planning and administration pages.  

    By rebuilding these screens with new UI components, Version 8 provides a more responsive, fluid experience for planners working with complex order structures, calendars, and networks, with faster loading, smoother interactions, and layouts that adapt cleanly to different window sizes and devices so critical information is visible without excessive scrolling or refreshes. For IT and operations teams, the modern component-based architecture is easier to maintain and extend, enabling new visualization, filtering, and workflow features to be introduced more quickly as business needs evolve. 

    The new App Settings page consolidates configuration options and provides centralization that streamlines administration for system owners and implementation teams, reducing the time required to manage settings and improving consistency across environments.​ 

    Performance and stability enhancements appear throughout the application. CONLOAD™ has been optimized, improving performance for constrained-resource planning scenarios, and the Resource Load Report has been reworked to pre-summarize grouped data, align chart and grid values, and better support analysis of completed operations. Numerous refinements—ranging from grid sorting and scrollbar behavior to improved error messages—help deliver a smoother, more predictable experience for end users.​ 

    Key infrastructure components have also been refreshed, including an upgrade for Calendars functionality and new API endpoints to provide clearer status feedback for background jobs. Enhancements to login compatibility messages and new fields like compatible host in plan units ensure users are alerted if attempting to log into incompatible sites, increasing reliability and reducing support overhead.  

    See the New SyncManufacturing® in Action

    SyncManufacturing Version 8 reflects our ongoing commitment to helping manufacturers orchestrate demand, capacity, and flow across increasingly complex operations. From BI Dashboards that spotlight true performance drivers, to advanced precedence management, redesigned production planning, and a faster, more future-ready platform, this release delivers meaningful value for planners, schedulers, supervisors, and executives alike.​ 

    To see how these capabilities can support your specific environment, Synchrono offers live demonstrations that walk through real-world scenarios using the new Version 8 features. Already a customer using SyncManufacturing? Reach out to your Synchrono Consultant to learn more about upgrading.

  • IT/OT Convergence in the Factory of the Future

    IT/OT Convergence in the Factory of the Future

    The convergence of IT/OT

    Since the advent of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), experts and enthusiasts have been talking about the coming together of IT (information technology) and OT (operational technologies). Some call it an integration, while others call it a convergence. I call it a good thing.

    In this post, I’ll talk a bit about the convergence/integration of IT and OT, why it matters, and what it will look like in the Factory of the Future.

     

    What is IT/OT Convergence?

    WhatIs.com gives a pretty simple, yet solid definition of IT/OT convergence:

    IT/OT convergence is the integration of information technology (IT) systems used for data-centric computing with operational technology (OT) systems used to monitor events, processes and devices and make adjustments in enterprise and industrial operations.

    Other definitions offer variations on the theme. More detailed definitions, for example, might focus specifically on operational technologies such as the billions of connected devices that make up the IIoT.

     

    What the Definition of IT/OT Convergence is Missing

    Machines talking to each other, seamlessly improving operations without any human intervention. Maybe. Someday.

    In the meantime, the most vital convergence that needs to happen is the coming together of your IT and OT people. To be clear, I’m not talking about the next big trend in organizational restructuring that merges IT and OT teams into one. I doubt most of you would want your IT technicians managing production schedules any more than you’d want your plant managers configuring your network. The skills and knowledge required are vastly different.IT and OT convergence

    What you want to see is the two teams working together to solve problems. In the convergence of IT and OT, each side has something valuable to offer.

    If you’re in operations, you need the folks in IT to make your ideas work. For example, let’s say you want to implement predictive maintenance in your organization to reduce unplanned downtime. You either purchase or retrofit your equipment with intelligence, and you invest in applications like SyncView® to improve shop floor visibility.

    At a minimum, you’ll need to collaborate with your IT team to make sure that your connected devices (both the shop floor equipment and the handhelds you use to access the real-time information) are secured, so they don’t increase your organization’s cybersecurity risk profile.

    Connecting devices also increases the traffic on your network. IT can be instrumental in ensuring the IT infrastructure is architected to provide the level of performance you require.

    While I don’t imagine there are a lot of IT professionals reading our blog, understanding the benefits of IT/OT convergence from the perspective of the IT professional can help you foster willing collaboration between the two teams.

    CIOs and other high-ranking IT professionals are under increasing pressure to add value to the business through digital transformation. In the 2018 Gartner CIO Agenda Report, 17% of respondents said digital transformation was their number one priority. While 17% may not seem like a large percentage, keep in mind that this 17% ranked digital transformation over other important priorities like profit improvement (10%), innovation (10%), and customer focus (9%). The only priority that topped digital transformation was growth/market share at 26%.

    The challenge for many IT professionals lies in defining exactly what digital transformation means to the organization. It is NOT simply putting more mobile devices in the hands of factory floor employees. For digital transformation to be effective, it must add value to the business.

    manufacturing digitization

    Digital Transformation with a Purpose

    OT professionals can help their colleagues in IT by providing a reason and a method behind their digital transformation initiatives. Take pull-based replenishment as an example.

    In pull-based replenishment, production is tied to customer demand, and materials are only replenished once they are consumed.  While pull can help eliminate many of the eight types of waste identified by Lean Manufacturing, it provides two important bottom line benefits as well: Decreased cycle times and decreased inventory levels. Pull is a vital principle in Demand-Driven Manufacturing.

    8 forms of wasteKanban systems are undoubtedly the most common method for implementing pull-based replenishment. However, manual Kanban systems are fraught with challenges such as human error and lost cards. They can also introduce the waste of excess motion into the system as workers move Kanban cards around the factory floor.

    eKanban replaces manual Kanban with connected devices that send electronic demand signals. No more unexpected stock outs due to a lost or misplaced Kanban card. As an example of how much more efficient eKanban is, consider that one of our customers replaced a manual Kanban process consisting of 66 steps with an eKanban process with only six steps. At the same time, they reduced replenishment inventory by 40% and their lead time from 12 weeks to two.

    Related article: How Demand-Driven Manufacturing Can Help You Cost-Justify Your Next IIoT Project

     

    IT/OT Convergence IS the Factory of the Future

    In the Factory of the Future, I envision IT/OT planning meetings to be every bit as common as the weekly S&OP meeting is today. That’s because, without the convergence of IT and OT – and the people behind these technologies – the Factory of the Future doesn’t exist.

    Here are a few additional resources that may help as you create your vision for the Factory of the Future and explore how you can bring together your IT and OT teams. (Remember to share these with your colleagues in IT!)

    White papers:

     How Technology will Connect Your Enterprise and Create the Demand-Driven Factory of the Future — Today

     E2E Supply Chain Visibility Technology is Here

    Videos: 

    How Orbital ATK Enabled the IIoT and a Visual Factory 

    Visualizing Metrics in the Factory of the Future 

    Visual Factory Software Overview

    If you have comments or questions on this article or any of the concepts we’ve discussed, please add them below or reach out to me directly.

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