Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) today have been watered down from being a dynamic software solution for process improvement to a system that does little more than data collection. As a result, most MES tools on the market today churn out poorly processed, unrefined, and ultimately unusable big data. Such a system adds little value if it requires a human to sift through the data to determine its application and real-world application.

Having created a legacy spanning over three decades, Tutelar Technologies delivers Ujigami, a market-leading product directed manufacturing solution that lifts MES out of the primitive digital dark age and propels it into 21st-century intelligence. “In the past we relied upon paper maps to get us to our destination. Now we have GPS devices that automatically determine the best route and automatically calculate a new route when a wrong turn is made. And self driving cars are no longer an item of fiction. We offer the same for MES in a manufacturing environment,” says Edward Dickson, President and CEO of Tutelar Technologies. With Ujigami’s Industry 4.0 connectivity and Artificial Intelligence capabilities, Tutelar offers next-generation manufacturing execution and product-directed manufacturing capabilities that focuses on controlling processes and individual part requirements.

With Ujigami, manufacturers and operators can reduce their reliance on human resources to analyze data, make decisions, and control equipment. With its unique data collection, analytics, and real-time machine interface capabilities, Ujigami can take over the heavy lifting, saving human minds to focus on anomalies or fringe situations instead of the day-to-day business. Supervisors should be looking at resolving human resource constraints and implementing new processes rather than overseeing routine tasks. Ujigami knows the specific steps and specifications required to produce every product, and constant monitors and controls all equipment and operators to ensure proper results. Thus, Ujigami can deliver the highest quality, productivity, and uptime for any manufacturing operation.

Powerful Features that Pack a Punch

Manufacturers often find themselves in a position of having to integrate many disparate MES sub-solutions to develop one solution that can work proactively for them on their plant floor. One heavy equipment manufacturer relies on 28 different MES-type systems on their plant floor. These separate systems do not talk to each other, and as a result, none of them offered the expected benefits to the organization.

When Ujigami was installed, many of the sub-systems were replaced and the remaining systems were moved out from their silos to a fully connected MES ecosystem. With complete dock-to-dock capabilities, Ujigami fully integrates with the entire manufacturing workflow, from warehouse management all the way through production processes, packaging, and shipping, to empower teams and equipment to operate more effectively.

The solution communicates with every machine and device on the plant floor with an intelligent software interface, eliminating the need for skilled operators who must otherwise deal with the intricacies of optimization and simultaneously overseeing manufacturing execution with minimal room for error. As a result, the components could now be transformed and assembled into finished goods with a high degree of precision and accountability. The system even manages the processing of the finished goods and controls its packaging, labeling, containerization, and shipping.

Ujigami not only integrates the machines, devices, and operators, but also other complementary systems, such as MRP/ERP systems to deliver requirements down to the plant floor and report production results. With advanced mistake-proofing, dock-to-dock management, a flexible manufacturing environment, and the fastest device level interfaces, Ujigami frees up even more time and effort by maximizing a manufacturer’s human, machine, and data assets. In contrast, a poorly connected MES system cannot be smart enough to verify if it is receiving good parts from another machine, forcing machines to stop mid-process that creates a cascading failure across the floor. This puts a lot of pressure on operators to duplicate their efforts verifying and validating every step of the process to make sure that manufacturing is uninterrupted.

Today, MES systems, like Ujigami, have the ability to physically manage and control what happens on the plant floor. We don’t have to rely solely upon people to be doing that

It is important to go beyond simple data collection and use a system that can coordinate and control the process to deliver higher-level results—this is precisely what Ujigami offers. With Ujigami, management can now see what is happening on their plant floor, identify changes, and then impact those changes instead of spending time focusing on daily and hourly routines. “Today, MES systems, like Ujigami, have the ability to physically manage and control what happens on the plant floor. We don’t have to rely solely upon people to be doing that,” says Dickson. With an intelligent system like Ujigami working with the machines, operators, and supervisors, one can ensure that the plant performs at a level that humans alone cannot. Schedulers can simply load the day’s requirements into Ujigami, and Ujigami responds with results, ensuring material is where it is needed and all processes are producing good parts to the demand. Production results are automatically sent to MRP/ERP systems to accurately report financials and determine supply base orders. Instead of worrying about current production, supervisors can focus on human resource and new process concerns.

A Penchant For Innovation, Driven By Passion

Tutelar Technologies’ passion for intelligent solutions is driven by a desire to simplify the life of their customers and improve process efficiency. Most recently, the company developed a zero-defect, manufacturing vision camera solution that works via a standard webcam.

The webcam capability goes a long way in reducing operator errors, highlighting the advanced mistake-proofing that is possible by adding Ujigami to any device. This is extremely valuable as it improves human efficiency with a relatively inexpensive addition. Part mix ups and process mistakes can be eliminated. As a result, Ujigami not only eliminates the need for skilled operators but drives benefits along the lines of increased transparency of production operations, quality enhancement, minimal changeover time, and reduced time to production, lowering costs. Furthermore, Ujigami’s flexible management-level reporting system ensures that KPIs and alerts can be defined locally to provide comparative reporting of production performances across multiple plants to senior management.
By acting as the lead translator, communicator, coordinator, and intelligent decision-maker for all machines, Ujigami ensures accuracy in production work, improving overall productivity and reducing the waste caused due to rework and repair. In effect, Ujigami offers a cost-effective and time-saving initiative that delivers a marked improvement in productivity and quality, and a significant reduction in the quantity of on-hand safety stock, previously required to accommodate potential failure.

Tutelar is well versed in creating successful outcomes for their clients and has demonstrated this through their numerous engagements in clients’ various manufacturing and distribution locations. Each implementation is rapidly deployed, with initial deployment followed by a handover to the clients. Once implemented, clients can modify Ujigami’s capabilities by themselves, enabling them to ensure Continuous Improvement is actually continuous. With Ujigami, Tutelar Technologies has transformed the manufacturing space and completely cut-off the need for paper-based operations and manual processes. Tutelar has paved the way for controlling and rectifying significant production and distribution problems in a reliable and consistent manner. The company is also looking ahead to continuing to expand globally, helping companies achieve the highest level of manufacturing worldwide. As Tutelar continues to observe high penetration rates in manufacturing and distribution, the company is helping their customers implement a marked advancement and make a significant leap forward into driving the highest performance for now and well into the future.