In a bid to increase productivity and reduce operational inefficiencies, Australian label manufacturer Insignia has implemented the ‘Quantum’ print efficiency management system, developed by Kingston Data Systems (KDS), a Melbourne-based technology company.
This strategic move has resulted in a 20 per cent boost in Insignia’s overall productivity, showcasing the transformative potential of leveraging innovative software solutions in the manufacturing sector.
With manufacturing facilities in Melbourne and Brisbane, and an array of flexographic presses and print finishing equipment, Insignia is a company that is well-versed in meeting diverse customer demands.
Yet, despite its production capabilities, Insignia encountered a critical challenge – a need for real-time data to maximise productivity and minimise waste.
Evan Powell, head of operations at Insignia, identified this problem as the core issue undermining efficiency.
“We started to implement improvement plans to better manage our processes,” said Powell.
“This included reviewing operator timesheets more regularly throughout the day and ensuring that supervisors were working across the shop floor to increase awareness of job status.”
However, these changes yielded only modest improvements for Insignia and failed to address the fundamental issue of real-time visibility.
“It became obvious to us that we needed real-time data from the shop floor,” added Powell.
“All our paperwork and production reports were being done manually. They were not just time consuming, but we couldn’t see the status of individual presses or jobs easily and this severely impacted our back costing process.
“However, it was clear that we had gaps and opportunities to improve the performance of our production facility, so we turned to look at software solutions to help with this.”
Determined to overcome these obstacles, Insignia evaluated several software solutions, ranging from new MIS systems with integrated shop floor management modules to standalone systems, and after a comprehensive review, the KDS Quantum system emerged as the clear choice.
“We needed a solution that was first of all, simple for our operators to use,” explained Powell.
“Additionally, we wanted something that would offer them valuable insights into the actual manufacturing performance compared to the planning estimates on each individual job, and to achieve that, the product would also need to interface with our existing MIS system.”
According to Powell, the standout feature for the business in choosing the KDS system was that it was centred and focused on label and print production, and this offered the best fit and increased insight for our business.
“We also saw that there were opportunities to further integrate Quantum with our MIS software,” he continued.
“KDS explained that they had created fully integrated data exchange with MIS systems at their existing customers, and we saw this as an opportunity which could further enhance and streamline our operations. “
The rollout of the KDS Quantum system was executed with minimal disruption. Within approximately two hours per machine, each unit at Insignia’s Melbourne and Brisbane plants was equipped with the Quantum ‘Efficiency Management Unit’ hardware.
This unit tracks critical manufacturing metrics including machine speed, material consumption, and other machine activity, all while providing real-time visibility of job progress to managers around the plants.
Additionally, job estimates and operating parameters were being downloaded from Insignia’s MIS system, into the EMUs, allowing actuals to estimate job performance to be tracked every minute of the day.
The KDS Quantum system has proven to be a transformative force for Insignia, providing essential insights that have catalysed a substantial leap in its productivity.
This success story underscores the profound impact that innovative software solutions can have on optimising manufacturing processes.
Insignia’s experience with KDS Quantum highlights the critical role of technology in driving operational excellence. Embracing such advancements enables companies to not only enhance efficiency and gain a competitive edge, but also to continually evolve in a dynamic industry landscape.
