Theoretically, “Manufacturing Intelligence (MI)” refers to software systems that can integrate multiple sources of operational data for the purpose of deeper analytics and reporting. This is beneficial as it allows facilities to optimize processes across the plant-floor- and at the enterprise-level. Given today’s post-pandemic business environment, such systems can make production processes more flexible and allow factories to repurpose their workflow based on market conditions and accurate forecasts. From concept development to production cycle times, MI can help manufacturers improve quality and safety while also controlling cost. Yet, in reality, such tools do not exist, as most either overpromise or under-deliver on their capability. There is still no single platform to help companies control and coordinate all aspects of manufacturing from a single point. As a result, what was once a world driven by manual labor and time-consuming, repetitive processes has remained the same—the only additions are advanced technologies that are fragmented, purpose-fit, expensive, and non-user friendly; often referred to as “islands of automation”.

The team at Tutelar Technologies anticipated this grim reality long before MI was even a term and worked to make manufacturing a “technology-driven” process. The manufacturing solutions specialists have interfaced computers to plant floor devices for over 35 years. Their journey has uncovered the gaps in capability, knowledge, and intelligence within these machines at a plant floor level. And what they did thereafter built their legacy. They pioneered a new breed of intelligent plant floor solutions to control, monitor, manage, and improve the productivity and quality of a manufacturing facility.

“Since our inception, we have been on a mission to enable our customers to create new intelligent production environments by providing knowledge-based, time-critical, active management of manufacturing and warehouse processes, delivered by a creative, dedicated and cross-functional team of professionals,” says Edward Dickson, President, Tutelar Technologies.

Built from the ground up, Tutelar Technologies’ Ujigami is a comprehensive software system that drives immediate results to the bottom line, quickly reducing costs associated with inefficient production, poor quality, and missed deliveries. The company was undoubtedly ahead of its time. Their range of solutions is powered by Artificial Intelligence, with built-in Industry 4.0 capabilities and integrated IIoT—which is ideal for the present-day manufacturing landscape.

In Focus: Ujigami!

At its core, Ujigami is an easy-to-use, universally accessible, comprehensive plant floor software that delivers the highest levels of quality and productivity, resulting in the best performance for manufacturing and distribution. The software solution includes the Ujigami Product Directed Manufacturing System (PDMS), Ujigami Warehouse Management System (WMS), and the Ujiboard World Class Manufacturing (WCM).

Similar to a manufacturing execution system (MES), the Ujigami PDMS helps manage the manufacturing of parts. It takes active control of the people, process, and technologies (PPT) that go into physically making a product. It is the fastest, most flexible plant floor software that achieves the highest quality at the lowest cost and can resolve the toughest real-time manufacturing challenges.

The Ujigami PDMS is a comprehensive, fully-loaded MES, encompassing operator, inspection, automation, test, and repair stations with interactive graphical work instructions, operator certification, quality alerts, scheduling, labeling, inbound and outbound sequencing, etc. To help ensure quality, the Ujigami PDMS’s active Product and Process Mistake-Proofing technology controls and tracks the quality of each serialized assembly through the entire production process to ensure the product is properly manufactured with zero defects before shipping. Also, their advanced, browser-based production and quality reporting tools provide up-to-the-second status information highlighting production and quality concerns before they affect shipping schedules.

We have been on a mission to enable our customers to create new intelligent production environments by providing knowledge-based, time-critical, active management of manufacturing and warehouse processes, delivered by a creative, dedicated, cross-functional team of professionals

In addition, Ujigami can easily Integrate with all plant floor hardware, supporting every type of real-time sensors and equipment, including pick-to-light, part presence, color detection, scanners, printers, fastening controllers, presses, PLCs, conveyors, robots, and measurement devices. This ability means that the system prevents most errors in material/people/process from occurring, and if they do occur, Ujigami immediately controls the corrective actions to ensure the proper containment and repair. Ujigami’s PDMS also includes Scheduling and Material Control functions with advanced features to enhance the traditional MES functionality (e.g., automatic line-side material replenishment).

“Ujigami performs in your plant like the intelligence running a self-driving car. You just need to get in, tell it where you want to go, and the car does the rest. Similarly, Ujigami is configured with the business rules and intelligence of how to build a product and the system does the rest. It leverages AI and IIOT to deliver a next generation manufacturing environment that continuously produces parts that meet or exceed specification,” says Dickson.

With the Ujigami PDMS, customers can easily make changes and enhance the system for line balancing and continuous product, process and quality improvement. Production issues can be identified and quickly corrected anywhere a browser-enabled device is available. Ujigami operates continuously with minimal computing resources without requiring ongoing maintenance or programming. “Making changes should be as easy as modifying data on a web page. With Ujigami it is! No programming changes or special training required. Make the changes yourself, or get assistance from our team. Continuous Improvement can now be continuous,” prides Dickson.

As speed is a critical factor in ensuring real-time integration with machines and automation, Ujigami’s latency to respond to plant floor activities are measured in milliseconds – fast enough to keep pace with the most advanced PLC and equipment. In addition, operators and machines don’t have to waste time waiting for the system to store data or determine the next requirement. Lastly, the Ujigami user interface works on any web browser (IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera) on any device (computer, notebook, thin-client, tablet, smartphone), so you can select the hardware that is best for you. This also means that you can be connected to your plant floor from anywhere. Truly, at a time when manufacturers struggle to manage on-site resources

— given the increasing concern around contracting a virus — Ujigami makes a world of difference by enabling clients to not only do more with less but ensure overall success. In Dickson’s words, “It is a full featured system that exceeds your requirements today and in the future.”

The Next Generation WMS and More!

Augmenting the PDMS’s capabilities from a support standpoint is the Ujigami Warehouse Management System. This robust software helps control and manage the supplied and produced components in the warehouse before they are required for production, and finished goods before they are shipped out.

In the Ujigami WMS, business rules are quickly configured to ensure inventory is managed according to the client’s specific requirements. To deliver the highest inventory accuracy, complete traceability of all material transactions is built into the software. Ujigami’s configurable interface engine provides a two-way exchange of information with any ERP/MRP or other host systems.

It can be integrated with the Ujigami Material Control System (MCS) to improve the functionality and reduce the cost of all warehouse automation, including conveyors, pick-to-light systems, sorters, carousels, automatic guided vehicles (AGVs), automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), and more!

The Ujiboard World Class Manufacturing system is the third component of Ujigami that focuses on the behavioral parts of manufacturing. This typically includes management reporting, layered audits, quality gate checks, engineering change control, among other processes. It helps manage all the processes that are not directly related to but are supportive of the manufacturing environment. Ujiboard WCM delivers core Lean Six Sigma tools to eliminate paper, engage your workforce, and drive Continuous Improvement. The system eliminates manual data entry, collation, creation, and sharing of reports by creating and automatically sharing work instructions, quality alerts, schedules, action plans, and more. It integrates with MRP/ERP and offers instant email/SMS messages or overhead scoreboards to display alerts and warnings as production issues occur. The system is completely user-configurable to capture and report OEE, productivity, and quality information. Not to mention, it can easily be scaled with no per-user fees. Needless to say, Ujiboar integrates seamlessly with Ujigami PDMS for comprehensive Zero Defect Manufacturing control.

When manufacturing companies combine the three offerings, the ROI is truly limitless. “Other systems may work, but they cannot create a truly flexible manufacturing environment that gives the peace of mind that the Ujigami solution delivers,” says Dickson. Customer Success Speaks for Itself!

To put things into perspective, Briggs & Stratton, an American Fortune 1000 manufacturer of gasoline engines, decided to reshore the manufacturing of their most successful commercial engine back to the United States. They needed to implement an assembly system that works in U.S. plants with the specific requirements of local labor–high turnover with minimal experience. The system needed to ensure maximum quality while minimizing labor. In addition, the company required a rapid launch curve to meet customer demand. The transition to U.S. manufacturing with Ujigami was smooth and successful. Utilizing Ujigami, they addressed their specific manufacturing requirements and exceeded the expected ramp-up volumes. To repeat the success, Briggs & Stratton subsequently launched another engine line in another plant with Ujigami.

For over three decades, Tutelar Technologies has been at the forefront of manufacturing innovation, helping many such clients re-orchestrate their plant floor operations. Technology aside, their success mostly stems from their customer-centric approach. As Dickson puts it, “we listen to our customers for the capabilities they require and deliver a flexible solution to those needs.” Backed by a team of expert manufacturing personnel who have an unbridled passion for taking the industry forward, Tutelar Technologies constantly strives to up the ante and introduce solutions that make manufacturing in the post-pandemic area a task of ease. “We find ourselves particularly well suited and poised for the current manufacturing environment. Ujigami’s native browser framework is suited to being able to review, support, and share information in a distributed nature. Remote access is now favorable as people are still cautious about face-to-face meetings. Going forward, we will continue to listen to our customers and implement solutions that ensure they are the best in their industries,” concludes Dickson.