Activplant Patents its Universal Factory Data Model
Flexible standard for data collection enables manufacturers to deploy Activplant for up to 30 per cent less than the cost of competitor solutions
LONDON, ON –
September 21, 2005 –
Activplant, the
standard in performance management solutions for the world’s leading
manufacturers, today announced it has been awarded a U.S. Patent for its
Universal Factory Data Model (UFDM), the core enabler of the Activplant
manufacturing intelligence platform. The UFDM is a flexible standard
data model which serves as a repository for data collected from the
plant floor.
Activplant’s 10 years
of industry experience indicated that the manufacturing sector lacked a
standard data model to simplify data collection across different types of
plants. As plant environments are constantly changing, manufacturers
required a method for not only collecting and analyzing information in
multiple ways but also making that data relevant to plant managers looking
to improve operational efficiencies.
Determined to find a
solution, Activplant discovered how to pinpoint similarities among the reams
of complex data across different plant environments and industries, and
group all information into specific categories, which form the basis of the
company’s Universal Factory Data Model. The UFDM eliminates implementation
and maintenance issues that are typical of competitive Manufacturing
Intelligence (MI) solutions by providing seamless correlation between
different data formats. Activplant’s unique MI solution empowers
manufacturers to anticipate and counter issues before they happen, by
providing unparalleled visibility into plant problems. This enables
manufacturers to operate more efficiently, helping them reduce plant
maintenance issues and costs.
By standardizing data
collection, the UFDM can be applied widely across industries without the
need for exhaustive user requirements or analysis. With the UFDM, Activplant
customers can categorize and collect information in a standard format,
regardless of the type of plant they operate.
"For the past five
years we have been successfully using the UFDM across multiple industries
and verticals that are radically different in what they produce, how they
produce it, and the types of equipment they use," said Dennis Cocco,
Activplant president and chief executive officer. "The UFDM answers the
problem of complex data reporting through simplification, and we feel
confident that our flexible standard model gives us a significant cost
advantage over our competitors."
Scalable enough to
handle everything from a single plant with a few dozen assets to large
operations with multiple plants that have thousands of assets, hundreds of
users and millions of data points, the UFDM enables manufacturers to
implement the Activplant solution for up to 30 per cent less than the cost
of competitor deployments.
"The UFDM distinguishes
itself in its simplicity and power. In our case the UFDM’s data categories
allow us to implement powerful solutions across the aerospace, automotive
and consumer goods markets," said Mike James, group managing director, ATS,
The Netherlands. "All of our customers have been impressed with the speed of
implementation, leading to better than expected returns on investment. In
fact, our last implementation was our fastest yet – we had Activplant up and
running in just eight days."
"Activplant allows
Tower Automotive to put manufacturing performance information in the hands
of those who need it most,” says Brad Ward, director of IT, North America,
Tower Automotive. “New product launch teams can quickly analyze bottlenecks
in real time due to the robust nature of the UFDM and its flexible data
structure. This allows plant teams to use real-time information to quickly
see areas for performance improvements on the shop floor, which has helped
Tower Automotive increase productivity, reduce downtime and accelerate new
product launches."
About Activplant
An enterprise manufacturing intelligence market leader, Activplant’s Performance Management System has set the standard in operational excellence within the world’s largest and most admired manufacturers. Aimed at high-volume, high-automation plants, Activplant’s solution consolidates plant floor data into relevant real-time and historical information, enabling productivity gains by optimizing product, people, equipment and processes. With Activplant solutions, plant managers and manufacturing executives can focus on the key issues in their facilities that ultimately improve product quality, accelerate new product launches and drive performance gains. Activplant is a privately held company based in London, Ontario. For more information please visit www.activplant.com.
For more information, contact:
Donna Araujo
High Road Communications
T: 416.644.2283
E: daraujo@highroad.com
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