You’ve heard of the “Last Mile” metaphor used by telecommunications providers to highlight the high cost and complexity of overcoming the last connection from their local network hub your home.  In logistics, it is used to highlight the last leg in a complex supply chain, the leg that can take up as much as 28% of the total cost.  The “Last Mile” problem exists in many markets and the world of automation is no different.

In the quest for continuous improvement in automation, our “Last Mile” problem is better known as the final 18 inches, the distance from your computer screen to your eyes.  You can invest all you want in sophisticated analytic, simulation and predictive tools to drive reduced downtime, improved efficiency and higher quality, but if you’re not bridging that last gap, it is all for not.

How do you bridge that gap?

  • Deliver information proactively. Too many solutions require users to be active, to log in to computers in order to create views of their information, to drive subsequent decisions.  Make sure the information is formatted into dashboards automatically.  Deliver that information to them automatically, in ways they cannot ignore – email and alerts.  Deliver links back to resources that enable the user to dig deeper for insights and actions.
  • Deliver information widely. The more eyes on information, the better.  Don’t make continuous improvement the job of one person.  Make it a team effort.  You never know when one team member will have a unique insight that others have overlooked.  Their unique experience from years ago could be the clue to major improvements.  But that can’t happen unless information is shared widely.
  • Deliver information repetitively. There is value in delivering information on a regular basis.  The review of that data becomes part of the routine.  The user develops a familiarity and has expectations about the content.  That drives an understanding of the process and the ability to recognize an anomaly or opportunity for improvement.
  • Archive Results. Don’t rely on dashboards to recreate past results.  Archive all information that’s automatically delivered and make sure it is easy to retrieve.  The quick and easy retrieval of past results will enable comparisons and foster “One Version of the Truth” for the best consensus building.
  • Enable the Analysis of Results. You will have to drill into the results to understand a change.  This also needs to be done quickly and easily, ideally in more than one tool.  For example a Web Portal can provide additional views into your variables, but you’ll benefit from the ability to generate an Excel file of relevant information for direct analysis, or a CSV of your data to import into other analytic tools.
  • Allocate time for review. Put a Donut in front of the monitor.  In other words, give yourself an opportunity for clear thinking out of the hustle and bustle, with a cup of coffee, a Donut, or have a group meeting to build consensus and discuss the day’s action plan based on reported performance results that all have previously seen and are ready to comment on.

Information delivery is most easily accomplished through Automated Report Generation.  Further analysis of that data is best accomplished through a Web Portal, where that quick analysis can be performed in the office or on the go.

In the past, automatic report generation was relegated to the world of compliance reporting, the reports you had to have to be in business.  These are EPA reports, FDA reports, product quality reports, etc.  There is a whole new dimension of reports, called Performance Reports.  These are the reports you want, to drive visibility into the KPIs that will help you run your business with higher quality, greater agility and reduced costs.

Dream Report delivers a new paradigm in automated report generation for industry.  Reports so easy to create and interact with that you can have all the reports you want, when and where you want them.  Performance reports that will improve your business, and not just the compliance reports you need.  Dream Report delivers on all the key elements above (less the Donut).  Contact us for a Webinar and we’ll show you.