Effective Shop Floor Management: Key Issues and Solutions

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✨ Managing a shop floor effectively requires a focus on real-time visibility, operational efficiency, and product quality. These goals hinge on addressing critical performance metrics: production progress, machine utilization, and quality indicators. This article explores these metrics, the factors influencing them, and strategies to identify and address root causes for continuous improvement. ✨

Key Performance Metrics on the Shop Floor

1. Production Progress

⚡ Production progress measures how effectively manufacturing schedules are adhered to. Influencing factors include: ⚡

  • Workforce Efficiency: Operators’ skill levels, training, and motivation.
  • Process Bottlenecks: Inefficiencies that slow or block workflows.
  • Material Availability: Access to necessary raw materials and components.
  • Scheduling and Planning: Coordination of resources to meet timelines.
  • Downtime: Interruptions caused by maintenance, changeovers, or unforeseen issues.

2. Machine Utilization

⚙ Machine utilization reflects the effective use of equipment during production. Key factors are: ⚙

  • Maintenance Practices: Preventive and predictive maintenance routines.
  • Downtime: Unexpected failures or scheduled repair time.
  • Equipment Efficiency: Age, condition, and technological capabilities of machinery.
  • Changeover Times: The speed of transitioning between production runs.
  • Operator Skill: Proficiency in running and optimizing machine operations.

3. Quality Indicators

🔧 Quality indicators assess adherence to product specifications and standards. Major influences include: 🔧

  • Process Stability: Consistency of workflows and adherence to defined processes.
  • Inspection and Testing: Frequency and accuracy of quality checks.
  • Material Quality: Consistency and reliability of inputs.
  • Environment: External conditions like temperature, humidity, and cleanliness.
  • Root Cause Analysis: Identifying and correcting defects to avoid recurrence.

Grouping Root Causes for Resource Focus

🔄 To tackle these issues efficiently, contributing factors can be grouped into broader categories for targeted resource allocation: 🔄

1. Workforce and Skills

  • Factors Included: Workforce efficiency, operator skill.
  • Focus Area: Enhanced training, motivation, and operational discipline.
  • Criticality: High. Human error or inefficiency affects all other metrics.

2. Equipment and Maintenance

  • Factors Included: Maintenance practices, machine downtime, equipment efficiency.
  • Focus Area: Robust preventive and predictive maintenance systems.
  • Criticality: High. Unreliable equipment directly impacts productivity and quality.

3. Process Management

  • Factors Included: Bottlenecks, scheduling, changeover times, and process stability.
  • Focus Area: Workflow optimization and process consistency.
  • Criticality: Medium to high. Poor processes lead to delays and inefficiencies.

4. Material and Supply Chain

🌏 – Factors Included: Material availability, material quality.

  • Focus Area: Reliable suppliers, strong inventory control, and input inspections.
  • Criticality: Medium. Material problems disrupt both production and quality.

5. Quality Assurance

❤️ – Factors Included: Inspection, environment, root cause analysis.

  • Focus Area: Rigorous quality controls and environmental management.
  • Criticality: High. Poor quality undermines customer satisfaction and increases costs.

Prioritizing Critical Areas

✨ Among all categories, Equipment and Maintenance often take precedence. Equipment reliability directly impacts production flow, product quality, and workforce efficiency. By prioritizing improvements here, cascading benefits are realized across other metrics. ✨

Strategies for Continuous Improvement

☘ Effective strategies for addressing root causes include: ☘

  • Investing in Training: Ensuring operators possess the skills and confidence to perform effectively.
  • Adopting Predictive Maintenance: Leveraging data analytics to prevent machine failures proactively.
  • Streamlining Processes: Analyzing workflows to eliminate inefficiencies and bottlenecks.
  • Ensuring Material Reliability: Building strong supplier relationships and rigorous quality checks.
  • Enhancing Quality Assurance: Utilizing automated inspection systems and robust testing protocols.

Conclusion

🙌 Effective shop floor management depends on identifying and addressing the root causes of performance issues. By grouping factors into key areas—workforce, equipment, processes, materials, and quality—organizations can focus resources where they are most impactful. A strategic approach fosters efficiency, improves quality, and drives sustainable growth. 🙌

To support this process, robust data collection and analysis tools like MERLIN Tempus Enterprise Edition enable informed decision-making and rapid response to inefficiencies. Learn more at www.memexoee.com.

An approach to Cultural Change on the Shop Floor

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The topic is quite extensive, so, for this short article I will touch on an approach to and a high level action plan to effect successful cultural change.

Explanation and Action Steps

Explanation:

When attempting to initiate organizational change, it’s essential to recognize that both technical and psychological components are involved. The first two questions, What to Change? and What to Change Into? are primarily technical; they focus on identifying the specific issue that needs to be addressed and the desired outcome. These are the practical, data-driven questions that drive the problem-solving process. However, the third question, How to Cause the Change? is fundamentally psychological, as it involves managing emotional resistance within the organization.

Politics and established ways of doing things in many organizations create a natural resistance to change. The emotional pushback is a key obstacle, as individuals often perceive change as threatening their security. This perception can stem from fear of the unknown, fear of failure, or fear of losing control. As such, change is often met with emotional resistance, which, if not managed carefully, can derail even the best-planned initiatives. Understanding this psychological process is crucial to successfully navigating the change process and ensuring that the organization continues to improve sustainably.

Emotional Resistance to Change:

  • Any Improvement Is a Change: The improvement process is inherently a change, but not every change necessarily equates to an improvement. For a change to be successful, it must be seen as an improvement by those affected by it.
  • Change as a Threat to Security: Change, even when beneficial, is often perceived as a threat to personal or organizational security. This perception arises because individuals may fear that the new way of doing things will reduce their influence, position, or comfort within the organization.
  • Emotional Resistance: This threat to security triggers emotional resistance, which is a natural, protective reaction. However, this emotional resistance cannot be overcome with logic or reasoning alone. Instead, it requires a more powerful emotional response, such as a sense of urgency, excitement, or the feeling of ownership in the process.

The challenge here is to find a way to create a productive emotional response to change that outweighs the natural resistance. Traditional methods such as using fear or insecurity (e.g., “change or else we will fall behind”) may work initially but are not sustainable in the long term. They often create an environment of constant tension and insecurity, which leads to burnout, disengagement, and eventually stagnation.

The Power of the Emotion of the Inventor:

Rather than using fear or insecurity, a more positive and sustainable approach involves tapping into the emotion of the inventor—the powerful feeling of ownership and personal connection to a solution. This emotion arises when individuals come up with their own solutions to problems, as opposed to simply being told what to do.

The Socratic method, which encourages individuals to find their own answers by asking the right questions, can be an effective tool in inducing this emotion. It not only helps individuals feel ownership over the solution, but it also engages their creativity and problem-solving skills, leading to deeper commitment to the change process.

Action Steps:

  1. Identify Core Problems:
    • Action: Begin by identifying and clearly defining the core issues within the organization that need to be addressed. These problems should be specific, measurable, and impactful to the overall success of the organization.
    • Expected Result: This step ensures that the change efforts are targeted and aligned with the most pressing issues, preventing wasted time and resources. By clearly identifying the problems, you create a sense of urgency and focus, which helps drive the rest of the process.
  2. Construct Practical Solutions:
    • Action: Once the problems are identified, work with key stakeholders to design simple, practical, and actionable solutions. These solutions should be straightforward and focused on achieving clear outcomes, rather than overcomplicating the process with unnecessary complexity.
    • Expected Result: By developing clear, realistic solutions, you reduce ambiguity and increase the likelihood of successful implementation. Employees will feel more confident about the changes, as they will have a clear understanding of what is expected of them.
  3. Induce Invention of Solutions (Using the Socratic Method):
    • Action: Apply the Socratic method to guide individuals or teams in developing their own solutions. Instead of providing answers, ask thoughtful, open-ended questions that challenge them to think critically and come up with their own ideas. The goal is for individuals to feel like they are the creators of the solution, which increases their commitment to the change process.
      • For example, instead of saying, “Here’s how we will improve this process,” ask, “What do you think is the most critical challenge in this process? How could we overcome it?”
    • Expected Result: This approach helps to trigger the “emotion of the inventor,” fostering a sense of ownership and pride in the solution. People are more likely to follow through with changes when they have been part of creating them. This leads to greater engagement, more innovative ideas, and a deeper buy-in to the change process.
  4. Avoid Relying on Fear or Insecurity:
    • Action: While fear can sometimes motivate short-term action, avoid using fear-based tactics to induce change. Instead of focusing on the potential negative consequences of not changing (e.g., “We’ll fall behind our competitors”), focus on the positive aspects of change, such as growth, innovation, and improvement.
    • Expected Result: This helps to create a more positive, motivating environment for change. People are more likely to embrace change when they see it as an opportunity for growth rather than a threat. It also prevents the development of an unhealthy work environment dominated by fear, which can lead to disengagement and burnout over time.
  5. Revisit and Iterate the Change Process:
    • Action: Change is not a one-time event but an ongoing process. Regularly revisit and evaluate the progress of the change initiatives to ensure that they are achieving the desired results. Be open to adjusting the approach based on feedback and new insights.
    • Expected Result: This creates a culture of continuous improvement, where change is seen as a natural and ongoing part of the organization’s evolution. It prevents stagnation and helps the organization stay agile and responsive to new challenges. It also reinforces the idea that change is not something to be feared, but a constant driver of success.
  6. Cultivate a Culture of Ownership and Innovation:
    • Action: Foster an environment where employees feel empowered to innovate and contribute to the change process. Encourage creativity, celebrate small wins, and provide opportunities for individuals to take ownership of projects and solutions.
    • Expected Result: Promoting a culture of ownership and innovation increases employee engagement and reduces resistance to change. Employees will feel more connected to the organization’s success and more likely to proactively contribute to ongoing improvements.

Following these steps can create a more sustainable and positive change process. The key is to focus on emotional engagement, foster ownership, and avoid relying on fear or insecurity. This approach will help you implement successful changes and ensure that your organization remains adaptable, resilient, and continuously improving over time.

 

by Tim Smith

 

  The Current State of Manufacturing in the USA

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Manufacturing in the United States is at a pivotal juncture. Over the past decade, efforts to bolster domestic manufacturing have intensified due to geopolitical shifts, trade imbalances, and the economic repercussions of over-reliance on global supply chains. Key drivers of this renewed focus include the strategic application of tariffs, incentives to re-shore production, and a national commitment to revitalizing the manufacturing sector. This approach aims to mitigate vulnerabilities exposed during global disruptions while creating jobs and fostering economic growth.

Despite these efforts, the global manufacturing landscape remains highly competitive. U.S. manufacturers face significant challenges, including higher labor costs, stringent regulatory requirements, and the increasing demand for customization and rapid delivery. To address these issues and remain competitive, the industry is adopting cutting-edge technologies to maximize efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance visibility into manufacturing processes.

  Focus on Smart Manufacturing and Efficiency

Efficiency has become the cornerstone of modern manufacturing. Smart manufacturing technologies empower companies to optimize processes, reduce downtime, and increase productivity. Central to this transformation is the implementation of advanced tools like   MERLIN Tempus Enterprise Edition (EE)  , which brings a new level of visibility, connectivity, and performance tracking to the factory floor.

MERLIN Tempus EE offers a robust solution for integrating manufacturing operations management with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, enabling seamless data exchange and actionable insights. With these tools, manufacturers can effectively compete by leveraging real-time data to make informed decisions, meet customer demands, and reduce overhead costs.

 The Role of MERLIN Tempus EE in Modern Manufacturing

ERP Integration and Transparency

MERLIN Tempus EE extends traditional ERP systems by feeding them real-time data from the shop floor. For example, if a customer inquires about the status of an order, MERLIN provides instant visibility into where the work order is in the production process, eliminating the need for manual inquiries and delays. This connectivity allows manufacturers to meet deadlines with greater accuracy and foster trust with customers.

Enhanced Features

The MERLIN Tempus EE software is designed to enhance efficiency and productivity through a comprehensive set of features:

–   Dynamic Job Scheduling:   Allows real-time adjustments to operation steps and prioritization of tasks.

–   Performance Tracking:   Measures jobs against product standards, providing insights into labor and machine performance.

–   Labor and Machine Management:   Tracks multiple operators and machines, optimizing resource allocation.

–   Data Exchange:   Facilitates integration with other applications, supporting APIs and JSON for dynamic connectivity.

Driving Continuous Improvement

MERLIN Tempus EE supports lean initiatives by uncovering hidden production capacity, identifying constraints, and validating process improvements. It enables manufacturers to:

– Reduce downtime.

– Identify operational bottlenecks and inefficiencies.

– Improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

– Foster a culture of collaboration and data-driven decision-making.

Modular Design for Future Readiness

The modular architecture of MERLIN Tempus EE ensures compatibility with emerging technologies, empowering factories to integrate future advancements in smart manufacturing. This adaptability is crucial as the industry evolves toward greater automation, predictive analytics, and machine learning.

The Path Forward for U.S. Manufacturing

U.S. manufacturers must embrace smart technologies like MERLIN Tempus EE to remain competitive. These tools provide a pathway to achieving world-class efficiency and meeting the demands of modern manufacturing. By integrating advanced software solutions with strategic initiatives, manufacturers can bring production back to the U.S. while maintaining the cost-effectiveness needed to thrive in a global marketplace.

Investments in technology, workforce training, and process optimization will ensure that U.S. manufacturing remains a cornerstone of economic growth and innovation. MERLIN Tempus EE exemplifies how digital transformation can drive the industry toward a more sustainable and prosperous future.

 

by: Tim Smith, Director of Technology Adoption

Revolutionizing Manufacturing: Embracing Efficiency and Innovation

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The cost of manufacturing is a complex equation that integrates the labor burdened rate and inventory burdened rate. For every dollar spent on wages, an additional twenty-five cents or 25% is incurred as the burdened cost. This figure reflects the comprehensive expenses of employing workers, encompassing not only their wages but also benefits, taxes, and other related costs.

The Hidden Costs of Unproductive Time

Every minute of unproductive time during scheduled shifts accumulates costs, representing wasted resources and lost potential. Idle time can result from various factors such as machine breakdowns, lack of materials, or inefficient workflows. This unproductive time directly impacts the bottom line, inflating operational expenses without contributing to output.

The Dangers of Excessive WIP Inventory

Unsold inventory is unrealized revenue, but Work In Progress (WIP) inventory is particularly detrimental. Extensive WIP ties up capital and incurs ongoing expenses. When items linger in various production stages without progressing to finished goods, it indicates inefficiencies that slow down the overall workflow. This bottleneck leads to delays and resource wastage, further exacerbating the cost problem.

The Need for a Paradigm Shift

Manufacturers must recognize that incremental improvements can lead to substantial gains in sellable goods, delivery times, and overall cost reduction. This requires a shift from traditional cost accounting to throughput accounting. Throughput accounting focuses on maximizing the rate at which the system generates money through sales, thus highlighting the importance of efficient production processes.

Championing Efficiency and Innovation

Management must consciously embrace this paradigm shift and assign a champion to identify and correct micro stoppages and process inefficiencies. By evaluating value streams and correcting unbalanced allocations, manufacturers can streamline operations and enhance productivity. Engaging operators and educating them on efficient processes, tools, and regimens is crucial for sustaining these improvements.

 Learning from the Leaders

Over the past 70 years, continuous improvement strategies have been championed by global manufacturing leaders like Toyota. However, many North American manufacturers chose to outsource operations overseas, seeking lower labor costs. Now, the trend of reshoring manufacturing back to America underscores the critical importance of being lean and efficient.

The Promise of Smart Systems

Modern smart systems like MERLIN offer a platform to integrate traditional ERP, MES, QC, and maintenance systems. These flexible and adaptable systems can respond to changing conditions, capturing and identifying complex scenarios for corrective action. Unlike simple monitoring systems that can lead to inflexible and limited improvements, smart systems provide actionable information for comprehensive and sustainable advancements.

Addressing the Skills Gap

Manufacturers often face challenges in finding skilled personnel and engineers. Forward-thinking companies are engaging continuous improvement engineering firms on short-term contracts to help select and marshal internal resource teams. These teams address issues and implement changes, resulting in rapid and long-lasting payback through demonstrated new strategies based on accurate, actionable information from smart systems.

The Future of American Manufacturing

Over the next decade, we will witness a transformation as old, inefficient companies are replaced by lean, efficient, and profitable manufacturers. The era of outsourcing production is drawing to a close. The future of American manufacturing hinges on today’s executive management, who must empower their teams and embrace technological advancements.

These executives, familiar with technology from their upbringing, can no longer cite lack of adoption due to resistance to change. The new management must embrace the spirit of the industrial revolution, driving their companies toward innovation and efficiency. Playing it safe will only result in being left behind, trailing in the competitive landscape.

In conclusion, the path to revitalizing American manufacturing lies in committing to revolutionary change, leveraging smart systems, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. By doing so, US companies can reclaim their position as global leaders in manufacturing, driving economic growth and industrial prowess into the future.

References
– Womack, J.P., Jones, D.T., & Roos, D. (1990). *The Machine That Changed the World: The Story of Lean Production*. Harper Perennial.
– Liker, J.K. (2004). *The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World’s Greatest Manufacturer*. McGraw-Hill.
– Goldratt, E.M., & Cox, J. (1984). *The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement*. North River Press.

by

Tim Smith

The Importance of Micro Stoppages over Utilization downtime

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Most monitoring systems ignore micro stoppages. These Utilization-Only systems do not provide the flexibility to identify and capture micro stoppages. “The Goal,” by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox, is a business novel that emphasizes the importance of optimizing the production process as a whole instead of focusing on individual parts or events.

In the manufacturing industry, maximizing efficiency and productivity is paramount. Traditionally, the focus has been capturing utilization downtime — when machines are entirely idle. This fallacy is heavily endorsed and indoctrinated by “Utilization-Only” solution providers. Since these systems have no efficient method to capture micro-stoppages, they just ignore them altogether.  However, evidence proves that recording micro-stoppages is even more critical for achieving optimal performance. Here’s why:

Understanding Utilization Downtime

Utilization downtime refers to significant periods when equipment is not operating, typically due to scheduled maintenance, major breakdowns, or other interruptions. The granularity of such downtime events can be as low as five minutes. This metric has been a cornerstone of manufacturing performance analysis because:

– **Visibility**: Large downtimes are easily noticeable and often clearly impact production schedules.

– **Measurability**: Measuring and quantifying substantial idle times is straightforward.

– **Focus**: Addressing major downtimes can lead to significant immediate improvements in production capacity.

Despite its importance, focusing solely on utilization downtime can overlook numerous smaller interruptions that significantly impact productivity. These micro-stoppages, although seemingly insignificant, can add up to a substantial loss in production time.

The Role of Micro-Stoppages

Micro-stoppages are brief, often frequent interruptions that occur during the manufacturing process. They can last from a few seconds to a few minutes and are caused by minor issues such as:

– **Small equipment jams**: Temporary blockages that require quick adjustments.

– **Tool adjustments**: Minor tweaks are needed to maintain quality or precision.

– **Material replenishments**: Short pauses to load new materials or components.

– **Operator interventions**: Quick stops for operators to resolve minor issues or reset machines.

 

While each micro-stoppage might seem insignificant on its own, their cumulative effect can be substantial. As manufacturing managers, engineers, and analysts, your role in capturing and addressing these micro-stoppages is crucial for several reasons:

Detailed Insight into Performance:

Granular Data: Micro-stoppages provide a detailed view of machine performance and reveal inefficiencies that major downtimes might obscure. Speak to a manufacturing engineer and he is trying to address process inefficiencies, whereas production staff are focused on downtime events causing disruption on the shop floor. Both are important, but only process improvements will provide long-lasting benefits.

Root Cause Analysis: Identifying micro-stoppage patterns can help uncover the root causes of larger inefficiencies. All major downtime events can be tied to their micro-stoppage cousins. A downtime event just doesn’t occur; it is usually the result of unnoticed micro-stoppages that indicate a pending failure.

 

Improved Predictive Maintenance:

Trend Analysis: Regularly occurring micro-stoppages can signal impending equipment failures or the need for maintenance before a major breakdown occurs.

Preventative Actions: Early detection allows for timely interventions, reducing the likelihood of unexpected major downtimes.

 

Enhanced Operational Efficiency:

Process Optimization: Analyzing micro-stoppages helps fine-tune manufacturing processes, leading to smoother operations and reduced waste.

Operator Training: Understanding the frequency and causes of micro-stoppages can inform targeted training programs for operators to quickly handle and prevent minor issues.

 

Cost Reduction:

Minimized Disruptions: Reducing the frequency and duration of micro-stoppages can lead to a more consistent and reliable production flow, lowering operational costs.

Resource Allocation: A better understanding of micro-stoppages can lead to a more effective allocation of maintenance resources, optimizing labor and part usage.

 

Case Studies and Examples

  1. Automotive Manufacturing:

Challenge: An automotive plant experienced frequent but brief stops on its assembly line due to minor tool recalibrations.

– Solution: The plant identified that certain tools required more frequent calibration by recording and analyzing these micro-stoppages. Implementing a predictive maintenance schedule reduced these interruptions by 30%, increasing overall line efficiency.

 

  1. Food and Beverage Industry:

– Challenge: A beverage bottling company faced frequent micro-stoppages due to small clogs in the bottling line.

– Solution: Detailed recording and analysis revealed that certain bottle shapes were more prone to causing jams. Switching to a different design reduced micro-stoppages, improving throughput by 15%.

 

Implementation Strategies

To effectively record and analyze micro-stoppages, manufacturers should:

Invest in Technology: Use advanced monitoring systems and IoT sensors to capture real-time data on machine performance. Most monitoring systems rely on IDLE events; however, most micro stoppages are camouflaged as part of the part-to-part time. A system such as MERLIN can be configured to interpret such in-line events and capture the extension of such events beyond what the time study attributes to them. It’s easy for a system to identify acute downtime events such as IDLE, but only smart systems like MERLIN can differentiate logically with inferred material movement events.

Train Staff: Ensure operators are trained to recognize and report micro-stoppages accurately.

Integrate Data Analysis: Use data analytics tools such as MERLIN to process and interpret the collected data, turning it into actionable insights.

Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of continuous improvement where insights from micro-stoppage data lead to ongoing process refinements.

Illustration of the Value of Identifying Micro-Stoppages Compared to Recording Accumulated Downtime

Scenario: Micro-Stoppages

Consider a scenario where a manufacturing line experiences a one-minute micro-stoppage every twenty minutes. Let’s break down the impact of these micro-stoppages over a 30-day period:

– **Micro-Stoppage Duration**: 1 minute

– **Interval**: Every 20 minutes

– **Operational Time**: 24 hours/day

– **Days in Month**: 30

**Calculations**:

  1. **Micro-Stoppages per Day**:

24 hours x 60 minutes / 20 minutes= 72 micro-stoppages per day

  1. **Total Micro-Stoppage Time per Day**:

72 micro-stoppages x 1 minute = 72 minutes (1.2 hours)

  1. **Total Micro-Stoppage Time per Month**:

1.2 hours/day x 30 days = 36 hours/month

 

  1. **Cost of Micro-Stoppages per Month**:

36 hours x $100 (hourly cost of production) = $3600

 

Scenario: Accumulated Downtime

Consider an alternative scenario where the manufacturing line accumulates 15 hours of downtime over the same period.

 

Calculations:

  1. **Accumulated Downtime**: Accumulation of IDLE (downtime) throughout the month of 15 hours
  2. **Cost of Accumulated Downtime**:

15 hours x 100 per hour = $1500

Comparison

– **Micro-Stoppages**:

– Total Downtime: 36 hours/month

– Total Cost: \$3600/month

– **Accumulated Downtime**:

– Total Downtime: 15 hours/month

– Total Cost: \$1500/month

Conclusion

Identifying and addressing micro-stoppages is significantly more valuable than merely recording accumulated downtime. Over a 30-day period, frequent one-minute micro-stoppages can result in a total downtime of 36 hours, costing \$3600. In contrast, recording an accumulated downtime of 15 hours costs only $1500. Accumulated downtime is the low hanging fruit, which, after operational adjustments, they are all but gone. Manufacturers can uncover hidden inefficiencies by focusing on micro-stoppages and significantly reducing operational costs. The focus on capturing and correcting process inefficiencies goes far beyond any utilization fixes. Ask any manufacturing engineer worth his salt and he’ll tell you.

While capturing utilization downtime remains important, recording micro-stoppage offers a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of manufacturing efficiency. By focusing on these small but significant interruptions, manufacturers can enhance predictive maintenance, improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and ultimately achieve higher productivity and reliability in their operations. Embracing this detailed approach supported by smart systems such as MERLIN ensures that no minor inefficiency goes unnoticed or unaddressed.

by Tim Smith