If you can’t see it, you can’t measure it, and if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it! This is the simple mantra of successful manufacturers the world over. Manufacturing excellence can only come from manufacturing visibility.
Visibility is key, and that visibility needs to be clear, precise and timely. The best manufacturers have simple, instant visibility to product, process, quality, test, and materials information factorywide. The benefits of such visibility are well known to the manufacturing community, and yet achieving it has proven elusive for many. This article identifies the primary elements of information visibility and explores the different technical approaches towards achieving it. Finally, it compares the commercial ramifications of the different approaches.