Hello everyone! I’m Shohei.
This column is about what I felt and experienced at a plant factory in Japan.
When you’ve been in the field for over 10 years, a lot of things happen. I write freely about what I remember.
Please feel free to read it while thinking, “Wow, that’s how Japanese plant factories work.”
To what extent should internal systemization be done?
Have you ever seen an Excel file filled with macros and complicated functions?
Most of these files were probably created by the company’s several Excel experts due to the company’s desire to systemize it at a low cost.
Actually, I am one of those Excel experts, and have created many Excel files over the years.
In an effort to make factory operations as efficient as possible, we have listened to the opinions of people on the ground and reflected them in our functions.
But honestly, there are many problems with such files.
First, it is difficult to maintain for anyone other than the person who created it.
What’s more, the files can be changed freely according to on-site changes and individual requests. As time passes, even the person who created it becomes unable to grasp the overall picture.
The solution is to create an in-house system.
If you have an in-house system with complete specifications, you will have fewer problems with maintenance. By creating a system that matches your facilities and equipment, you can also improve the efficiency of your work.
However, systematization does not solve all problems.
It is less flexible than Excel when it comes to changes on site.
The key to whether a system is excellent or not is whether it meshes well with the working structure of the site. The system must respond to the ever-improving field work.
For example, even if you want to make some changes to the system when the work process at the site changes, the system staff may not be able to respond immediately.
On the other hand, if you say, “Because you can’t change the system, you can’t make improvements at the site,” you’re putting the cart before the horse.
It would be ideal if a perfect system could be created in one go. However, designing such a system takes time and money.
Then, in order to fill in the blank period until then, Excel is also necessary.
Everyone on the team feels there is some kind of problem, but they have no other choice but to use it.
It would be nice if a general-purpose plant factory system existed and I could select it at a low cost, but there is no such thing. This will be difficult because the equipment specifications vary depending on the factory.
However, automation technology has progressed recently, and although we are still far from “complete automation,” more and more things can be done automatically.
The unmanned plant factory we dream of, where such fully automated factories and core systems work together, may someday be born.
This column was published in a collection of know-how to improve on-site skills.
This column is included in the Plant Factory Know-How Collection below.
This know-how collection is packed with useful tips to help you increase profitability, regardless of the specifications or equipment on-site.
This is a must-read for those operating plant factories or indoor farms. Implement the know-how to increase profitability.
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