Overview
As manufacturing facilities grow, their requirements for equipment, processes, procedures, and output can evolve and grow. These facilities can easily outgrow their operational systems, resulting in reduced productivity as the facility struggles to adapt. Cimtec Automation has developed the Process Analysis and Review (PAR) program that can provide significant value to production facilities of any size. The PAR program includes a comprehensive review of existing systems and processes and provides an assessment of improvements and optimizations that will allow the manufacturing facility to reach their productivity potential. Cimtec has been working with manufacturing companies for over 25 years, and has the experience to identify areas of improvement quickly. Cimtec develops an individualized plan for each company to meet short and long term goals.

The PAR process focuses on several key metrics of the manufacturing process:

• Production, productivity, and efficiency levels
• Quality assurance costs and efficiency
• Compliance with regulations and standards
• Quantification of performance metrics
• Integration of manufacturing equipment and IT networks

Cimtec’s PAR Process
Cimtec works with manufacturing facility management and stakeholders to ensure agreement on the results of the PAR process. The Cimtec manufacturing analysts have extensive operational and systems experience, and use this experience to develop comprehensive findings.

The review begins with a discovery process (1-2 days), where the Cimtec analysts review the current state of the facility, and to provide metrics that are used as a baseline for the remainder of the review process.

The process continues with a 1-2 week review period after the initial discovery, where the Cimtec engineering team uses the data collected during these two PAR process elements to create several deliverables for the manufacturing facility. Cimtec personnel work with the facility management to develop a series of business goals. These opportunities are examined in terms of the resources needed to achieve those goals, as well as timelines and overall company goals. This allows Cimtec to assign priorities to different opportunities.

Cimtec engineers develop a detailed process improvement plan, which outlines the proposed opportunities, how the implementation of these opportunities will impact the manufacturing process and the overall bottom line of the company. This improvement plan also includes a roadmap for implementation of the suggested solutions. Cimtec presents these findings to facility management and stakeholders. These presentations help to clarify the findings of the Cimtec engineers and to reconcile potential opportunities with the overall company goals.

Cimtec’s Commitment to its Customers
Cimtec’s PAR process is designed to maximize the potential success of a manufacturing operation. In order to achieve this goal, Cimtec has outlined a list of resources that are required before the PAR process can begin:

• A dedicated point of contact within the manufacturing operation who can coordinate all Cimtec activities
• A sponsor within executive management to act as a liaison between Cimtec and management
• A commitment to Cimtec to provide information as needed to maximize the success of the discovery process
• An in-house work area for 2-3 Cimtec personnel, including an external phone line, internet connectivity, and printer access
• A listing of names and contact information for points of contact within each area within the manufacturing facility to be reviewed

Cimtec will coordinate review and meeting times for each area within the facility, including operations, QA, facility engineering, IT, and finance.

PAR Process Costs
Each company and manufacturing facility is different, and the costs for the review process will vary depending on the size and complexity of the project.

Summary
Cimtec’s PAR process will provide far more than a list of suggested facility improvements. The assessments provided by Cimtec engineers will outline relevant business issues, show how these opportunities will impact business operations and productivity, and outline potential barriers and risks that could be encountered during the improvement process. Because the PAR process involves personnel within all levels of management, the process results in consensus between all stakeholders, resulting in quality, successful improvements.