Quantum helps Skanem achieve 10% improvement in productivity.
Quantum Efficiency Management System helps Skanem achieve 10% improvement in productivity. During the early development of the Quantum Efficiency Management System, Skanem Group took an interest in the concept and offered their label printing plant at Cardiff as a test facility. The results were quite remarkable.
The Quantum Efficiency Management System utilises a unique machine interface that quite simply replaces existing batch counting equipment on printing machines. The Efficiency Management Unit (EMU) interface performs the primary function of counting the good and waste product produced on the machine, but additionally it monitors the entire activity of the machine 24 hours a day, gathering highly accurate productivity data.
A network connection constantly streams back this data to the Print Managers’ desktop, providing real time visibility of machine operation and job progress. Additionally, a comprehensive set of productivity reports provides a wealth of valuable information regarding the operation and efficiency of the machines, operators and the jobs that they run.
Having been introduced to the Quantum concept, Skanem Cardiff were keen to trial the system. Having tried and rejected other shop floor data collection systems in the past they were still a little sceptical, but also impressed with the simplicity of the Quantum system, and therefore took it on board.
The system was installed on just one machine initially, but after achieving favourable results the system was quickly applied to a group of four Gallus flexo machines.
Over the first 9 months of working with the system, the Skanem Cardiff plant in South Wales produced some remarkable results. Colin Stafford, Managing Director at the Cardiff plant provides feedback on his experience:
“We have always tried to acquire data from the printing machine using timesheets with little success, but using the Quantum system we now have very accurate data when and where we need it, taking the frustration out of data collection. Monitoring the actual-to-estimate performance of every job now forms part of our daily practice, using the Quantum system to filter out the low performance jobs and identify why they are not performing as well as others. We also analyse our material waste and downtime on a daily basis, constantly looking for inefficiencies.
“In essence, we find the best working practices in the company and apply those practices across the board. As a result we are improving make ready times, wash up and strip down times and reducing lost time and material waste considerably.
“As an overall benefit to Skanem Cardiff the Quantum system has been invaluable. Being able to measure the performance of a job just minutes after it is complete is exceptional. At the one end of the scale we have eliminated written timesheets and saved at least one salary because we no longer need to decipher timesheet and enter that data into a computer, but at the sharp end, I can tell you that since we started using the Quantum system we have increased productivity by over 10 percent. That’s a massive improvement for us. Don’t get me wrong, you still have to think about the problems and work on ways to improve production, but if you can’t see what’s wrong then you can’t fix it, and that’s what Quantum does superbly, it shows you where you’re going wrong. From then on, to choose to ignore this information is completely negligent.”
The Quantum Efficiency Management System is now installed on seven printing machines at Skanem Cardiff, and plays a key role in the day-to-day production management of the company.