Following November’s COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, more and more businesses are now starting to consider the impact that they are having on the environment on a daily basis.
PSL Datatrack is aware of customers that have started to take physical steps such as placing solar panels on factory roofs and fitting coolant/oil recycling aids, which is great, but it is also worth considering how the production control software in place at these businesses can help drive them forward on the road to sustainability.
One term becoming ever more popular is the ‘circular economy’, defined by Make UK as an economy “in which we keep resources in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from them while in use, then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of each service life.”
PSL Datatrack has many controls in place to prevent material wastage and promote maximum efficiency. For example, the Quotations module has a Material Calculation tab which allows users to calculate the minimum material usage for a batch of components, as well as a swarf reclaim value.
Quotations uses data defined in Material Stocks. Minimum and maximum quantities for each material code are set here, meaning customers do not end up holding stock that is not absolutely essential. In addition, leftover material can be restocked and labels can be generated at the push of a button so it is clear what physical stock remains available to be used up.
The CRM/Tasks module is a flexible management tool that enables users to maximise their own administration efficiency. Why not utilise this to manage your sustainability journey and steps? Tasks can be set up for things like reservicing machines, sending swarf for recycling or tools for regrinding. Automated reminders can be generated and even emailed to staff if desired.
More and more PSL Datatrack users are investing in dynamic Status Boards as they seek to reduce paper distribution. By displaying live production information around a factory that updates automatically (like an arrival/departure board at an airport), less office space is required for filing/paper storage and waste.
Some customers have even stopped generating entire job packs for the shop floor. Various modules in the system support document management and imaging, meaning files can be stored digitally for fast reference and lookup. Some may still wish to print the process layout/route card, but even this can be called up on the screen and scanned by shop floor operators using a barcode reader.
This functionality could allow a business to start encouraging PDF’s from their customers and suppliers as opposed to physical copies. These files can then be dragged straight from an email into the relevant folder. If a hard copy is still sent, this can be scanned into the system and then shredded.
The green/circular economy is something that we are all going to be hearing a lot more about in the coming days, months and years. By utilising some of the features outlined in this blog article you can ensure that YOUR business is prepared early.
Visit www.psldatatrack.com to learn more about becoming efficient with production control software.
