As the pace of business continues to accelerate, there is a greater need for manufacturers to understand plant floor operations in order to make faster and more informed decisions. Yet, getting relevant information from the myriad of disparate, data-generating systems that make up the manufacturing plant in a timely manner can be quite challenging. This is because there is valuable data locked inside these siloed systems that don’t integrate without a lot of work. Consequently, machine operators and other employees across the plant can’t readily access the information they need to address issues such as quality lapses, inventory losses, equipment availability, and supply chain coordination. The prominent need is an effective manufacturing intelligence software application that can seamlessly integrate the seemingly disparate manufacturing environment and deliver real-time active controls to the equipment, product, materials and people.

Ujigami, a smart, accessible, and extensive plant floor software provided by Tutelar Technologies—a software company specializing in OEM and tier-1 manufacturing—is one such solution, which leverages manufacturing intelligence to drive the highest levels of manufacturing performance. Ujigami makes it easier to control, monitor, manage, and improve every aspect of production and warehousing facilities while significantly reducing the reliance on direct human interactions. The software administers and handles all aspects of the operations and processes, including each machine and the movement of individual parts throughout a manufacturing plant or warehouse. In other words, Ujigami ensures that every part is produced to specification and reaches the customer on time.

“The key differentiator is that Ujigami has built-in intelligence that enables the software to make the right decisions. The software knows the process flow and control plan for each part, so it is able to manage each machine, device, and operation intelligently,” says Edward Dickson, President, Tutelar Technologies. In contrast to traditional shop floor systems that limit themselves to simple data collection and reporting functions, Ujigami’s active real-time controls ensure accurate process execution and prevent machines and operators from making incorrect decisions during production. Furthermore, its advanced mistake-proofing capability controls the quality of each serialized assembly through the entire production process to ensure each product is manufactured correctly with zero defects prior to shipping.

The software goes well beyond traditional MES to create an intelligent manufacturing environment that helps manufacturers and plant operators enhance quality, reduce costs, and decrease time to market.

Another notable aspect of Ujigami is that it is highly flexible and can be quickly configured to achieve the desired results with rapid and sustainable ROI. The integrated software comes with built-in industry 4.0 capabilities, automated alerts, and integrated IIoT, which ensure rapid deployment and guaranteed results. “Having Ujigami is like having your best supervisor overseeing and monitoring the work of every single operator 24 hours a day and guiding them in real time on what to do next,” informs Dickson.

Having Ujigami Is Like Having Your Best Supervisor Overseeing and Monitoring the Work of Every Single Operator 24 Hours a Day and Guiding Them in Real Time On What to Do Next

To give a better understanding of the benefits Ujigami brings to the table, Dickson draws the analogy of maps. “Not that long ago, before smartphones with navigation apps, there were traditional paper maps that served as the primary means of navigation. With contours and landmarks, the paper road maps enabled people to understand scale and distance visually, and plan their routes accordingly,” he adds. Then came GPS; with its fantastic attention to detail, modern touch-screen technology, and disembodied voice (“Turn left in one mile”), it changed navigation for the better. GPS not only helps compute the best and fastest possible route from source to destination but also coaches the user through each step of the journey by offering real-time directions. Modern GPS technology also recalculates the route according to weather changes, high-density traffic, crashes, or any other kind of roadblock. “That is the level of capability Ujigami offers when producing parts. The software manages real-time data from all sources to improve operations, detect quality issues, and identify opportunities to both reduce manufacturing costs and increase productivity,” states Dickson. In short, Ujigami drives plant-floor control and collaboration, and ensures the manufacturing plant always operates at peak performance.

Recently, the company launched an online electronic screening tool, Ujigami SAFE (secure access for employees), which provides rapid data entry for company “screeners” to certify eligible/ ineligible employees to work based on the company’s screening protocol. Employers can access the Ujigami SAFE historical records to monitor employee health status for traceability and compliance. “The COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s direction to maintain social distance has thrown a wrench into manufacturing. But Ujigami’s architecture and framework permits operation managers and supervisors to work from home and seamlessly control and oversee plant floor operations remotely,” affirms Dickson.

Tutelar Technologies’ primary purpose is to help its clients improve the competitiveness of their production floor, and to that end, the firm will continue to add new capabilities to Ujigami to help manufacturers quickly solve problems and accelerate their plant quality, productivity, and responsiveness. “Our mission is we want to use our technology and industry know-how to drive positive change and work with our clients to usher in the next generation of manufacturing,” concludes Dickson.