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Throughput Analyzer™
Activplant's Throughput Analyzer gives plant managers a clear path to dramatic increases in productivity
By interpreting proven manufacturing theories in a new way, the Throughput Analyzer automates the identification of true constraints and – most importantly – gives you the means to use this data to make significant improvements in plant performance.
As a pre-configured, pre-validated solution, Throughput Analyzer is designed for efficient roll-out and rapid ROI. This solution greatly reduces risk and speeds time-to-results over custom-built tools. Plus it has been developed for repeatable and consistent roll out for multi-plant enterprises.
Activplant has the right solution for your manufacturing environment
Renowned for its success in high volume discrete manufacturing environments, Activplant’s Throughput Analyzer is now available for the rate based world. Now manufacturers of both discrete products and packaged or bottled products can harness the power that Throughput Analyzer delivers.
Throughput Analyzer - Rate Based Edition
A proven performance management application that simplifies the complexities of high volume packaging, bottling and other continuous flow manufacturing environments, by identifying and prioritizing the chronic disruptors to product flow (the constraints). This edition was specifically designed for high volume, continuous flow manufacturers in Food & Beverage, Packaging, Pharmaceutical and Consumer Packaged Goods industries.
Throughput Analyzer - Cycle Based Edition
The Throughput Analyzer performance management application automates the identification of true chronic constraints and provides the information to improve production throughput in high volume discrete manufacturing facilities. This edition was specifically designed for manufacturers whose products are produced in a one-piece flow environment and are measured to takt time such as engines, powertrains, component parts and vehicles.
Activplant customers have experienced increases in throughput of 10% to 25%
Achieving optimal manufacturing performance sounds relatively uncomplicated: plant management and operators must simply improve actual production rates and quality of output to meet production targets. But sorting through the complexity of data that explains the gap between reality and the goal can be anything but simple.
As the first ActivApplication in the Activplant Performance Management System (APMS), the Throughput Analyzer is the solution to improving manufacturing productivity through a focus on constraints. By identifying and prioritizing your true constraints, it empowers plant personnel to attack the issues that will result in the largest gains in throughput – and enables management to make informed decisions that will positively impact the bottom line.
Defining True Constraints
Constraints come in varying degrees. By prioritizing the constraints which – when eliminated or reduced – will provide the greatest return on productivity, Activplant's Throughput Analyzer clearly identifies your true and chronic constraints. And just as importantly, it gives you the tools to correct them.
Conversely, the elimination of a non-constraint – any low-priority issue which is not affecting actual throughput – does not result in quantifiable gains.
What is the Cost of a True Constraint?
Because correcting them will positively impact throughput, identifying true constraints is crucial to improving manufacturing performance.
Consider this - your operating costs are the same, regardless of fluctuations in throughput (and therefore your profits). So every minute of production lost due to a true constraint is equal to the cost of a minute of running the entire line or plant. And every minute gained is a true contribution to your bottom line.
The Value of improving production throughput
The value of improving production throughput is astounding. For example, in a plant with 100 employees, a 5% improvement in production efficiency equals 2,100 minutes in recovered labor over the entire plant or a savings of $437,500 a year. And that’s just one of your facilities. Applying the same logic over the entire enterprise unlocks an unimaginable amount of lost time. Imagine multiple facilities totaling 20,000 employees. By recovering that 5% or 21 minutes per shift, you would realize a recovered labor total of 420,000 minutes per shift or a savings of $87,500,000 a year. Now, the question is where to invest this new found productivity.
- Labor Reduction?
- Cap-ex Reduction?
- More CI Projects?
- Overtime Cost Reduction?
- Increased Revenue (Product Launch)?
- Improved Quality (In-line Quality Projects)?
Striving for the ideal, applying proven theory
Activplant starts with an ideal vision of the manufacturing enterprise: plants running one-piece flow at takt time for 100% throughput and ultimate productivity. To bring that vision as close to reality as possible, we apply established theories as well as advanced technology and years of relevant experience.
First, when associated with manufacturing, the Theory of Constraints (The Goldratt Institute) suggests that the throughput of an assembly process is constrained by its slowest asset. The challenge, then, is to isolate that constraint.
To do it, Activplant also applies the lean tenets of the Toyota Production System (TPS), including the measurement of every asset in the operation against one-piece flow to takt time.
The result is the identification of constraints through our patented Throughput Capability Metric. The movement of every material through each asset in the plant is automatically tracked and processed by the Activplant logic engine to reveal the true and chronic constraints of the operation.
With this powerful information, the Throughput Analyzer provides a clear indication of your plant processes and a new way to analyze and improve throughput.
Visual presentation of data promotes focus
The Activplant Throughput Analyzer produces views and reports that assist in the management of production improvements. It clearly displays constraints in real time, including positive and negative trends, to keep plant teams focused on productivity goals.
Metrics for a particular area, department or the entire plant are displayed on a dashboard called the Throughput Capability and Balance Map. The map expresses the operating capacity for each piece of production equipment with a percentage. A simple color-coding system identifies the most significant constraints. And the percent of output lost due to blocked, starved or backed-up conditions is also easy to see. Finally, the map shows buffer states in both historical average percent-full and current states.
Throughput Capability and Balance Map
Each constraint has a unique effect on the line, and recognizing which ones are creating the most negative impact is the key to improving results. The Throughput Analyzer Top 10 Constraints report allows you to focus your resources and continuous improvement efforts on the most significant constraints.
Throughput Capability Top 10 Constraints Report
After constraints are identified and prioritized, the Throughput Analyzer gives you the ability to perform deeper analysis and get additional critical information so you can fix the constraints. These include the Root Cause Assignment (RCA) tool and the Real-Time Logic Engine (RTLE) that provide reports in Insight for Excel and VPWeb.
Providing efficiency and control
Because the Throughput Analyzer is a pre-configured module, it meets your needs for quick deployment and more rapid results as compared to custom-built, proprietary software. Compared with months or even years for those other options, the Activplant solution can be operational within approximately fourteen weeks.
And because the Throughput Analyzer isolates the information that is needed to identify constraints, less data is collected, resulting in less PLC programming and validation. Which allows you to focus further only on the problems that really matter.
The Throughput Analyzer also enables you to control capital expenditures. Equipment decisions can be based on actual machine performance; you can prioritize and reduce spending that will not contribute to enhanced production and financial results. Additionally, capital improvements that increase efficiency may also allow you to trim overtime or labor costs.
Get clarity on constraints, get improved performance
For high-volume, discrete manufacturers, throughput issues are far from simple. Prioritizing fixes, eliminating fire fighting and improving the overall quality of your operation’s output are essential. Whether you produce components, heavy equipment or other complex products, the challenge remains the same: How can we enhance productivity to meet our targets?
The Activplant Throughput Analyzer provides the software solution. With its focus on true constraints, it clearly identifies priorities for making corrections that will result in measurable returns. Its easy-to-interpret reports and interfaces allow you to see historical and real-time data to facilitate analysis. And it’s built on the Activplant Performance Management System, a proven platform that delivers critical manufacturing intelligence for many of the world’s leading manufacturers. In the never-ending process of striving for optimal manufacturing performance, it can improve management of the process and result in increased success.
See what Throughput Analyzer can do for you.
Watch a product demo now or request additional information.
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