NEAR REAL-TIME DASHBOARDS DESIGNED BY LANCET SOFTWARE DRIVE EFFICIENCY, PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITS
ONE OF THE LARGEST GLASS MANUFACTURERS IN THE COUNTRY HAS TO STAY ON TOP OF ITS GAME Previously, by time each plant received their performance data, it was too late to take corrective action. To improve performance, the company introduced one of the latest Business Intelligence tools designed by Lancet Software. With Lancet's help, the glass maker deployed a high-tech dashboard system that delivers actionable data in near-real time. For a company that sells to glass dealers domestically and internationally, it's a critical advantage in a turbulent economy.
THE SITUATION
One of the largest glass manufacturers in the country, based in the Twin Cities, has to stay on top of its game. The diversified glass maker employs more than 5,500 employees located at 27 manufacturing locations around the United States, and serves the residential window and door glass market through its five subsidiaries. Previously each plant received their performance data at the end of the month - too late to take corrective action. To improve performance, the company recently introduced one of the latest Business Intelligence (BI) tools designed by Lancet Software. With Lancet's help, the glass maker deployed a high-tech dashboard system from BI tool vendor MicroStrategy™ that delivers actionable data in near-real time - right in the heart of the operations area on 50-inch flat screen displays. For a company that sells to glass dealers domestically and internationally, it's a critical advantage in a turbulent economy.
The company's Manager of Analytics, Database and Web Technologies, calls the BI play a game changer.
THE SOLUTION
This BI scorecard helps measure efficiency and productivity, showing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) with data that is updated hourly in each plant. From managers overseeing the work to the employees on the floor who are fusing two and three plates of glass by injecting gas between the panes, the scorecards show how well they're performing against other plants within the company. And that heats things up on the floor as glass workers compete with each other using data updated in near real time.
Before it used what most manufacturing companies had, spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel and SQL queries, but the scorecards are much faster and much easier to interpret. Adds the manager, "We know it's a real boon to our operation. It not only has changed the way we work, but the way we think. And it gives us a common language we can all use and understand, from the manufacturing guys to the C-level."
The advantages the company enjoys now using scorecards include:
- It helps the company set more realistic goals in each plant.
- It increases productivity by fostering competition among plants.
- It provides constant and consistent feedback.
- It identifies strengths and ferrets out weaknesses.
- It consolidates business reporting processes in one place.
- It catches rejected glass that may have been missed in a count.
- It allows for fewer staff to oversee operations.
- It helps the company learn faster to run a more efficient business.
THE RESULTS
Use of BI scorecards has been so successful that the glass manufacturer will roll it out to the rest of its plants in 2009. "Our competition is not anywhere near this yet, so we expect to far ahead of the curve going forward," the manager notes. "Lancet has done a great job facilitating this change. Scorecards can give a business total awareness on all fronts, from manufacturing and shipping to sales and marketing and other departments. They're simply great business instruments."
Lancet has done a great job facilitating this change. Scorecards can give a business total awareness on all fronts, from manufacturing and shipping to sales and marketing and other departments. They're simply great business instruments.