As the digital transformation marches onward, the question of how to succeed in the changing world is on the agenda of every company. The answer standing out from a plethora of opinions is Connected Business – as well described in the HBR. Companies are enhancing cross-team collaboration, focusing on user experience, taking advantage of new technology and breaking down organization silos to reap the full benefits of connectivity. Connected Business is an effective combination of business and IT driving transformation together.
For an industrial company this means interconnected machines, high fidelity automation of all possible processes, and most importantly: pivoting the business to meet the new world. For a manufacturing company doing welding as a part of their process it means taking advantage of a welding management software.
What is digital welding management?
Welding management has areas that have traditionally been very labor intensive when performed manually. Welding procedure management, qualification control, project management, inspection and documentation include repetitive tasks that need focus and accuracy. These are important issues related to quality, safety and productivity, but also very prone to human error. Digitalization takes the load off the human factor and utilizes digital welding management software to complete tasks quickly and accurately. And when welding is considered in context – as a part of a larger manufacturing process, it is easy to see how the benefits of digitizing welding management reach new levels.
Connected businesses need smart welding production
Let’s take a closer look on how digitally driven smart welding creates value for a connected business: we can break down the effects on several value drivers, such as revenue growth, operating margin and asset efficiency. Digital welding management affects all of these.
- Revenue growth actualizes on improved performance, as smart welding speeds up the overall manufacturing process. It also reduces price leakage by cutting unnecessary labor costs.
- Operating margin increases by reduced repair rates and production costs.
- Asset efficiency also receives a boost – ready items are delivered faster (and billed earlier), as post-manufacturing phases such as documentation take less time and are automated to the brink.
We found that in numbers this means:
Let those numbers sink in.
It is clear that a connected manufacturing business feels the urgency to leverage these and similar benefits throughout their process. For welding, a comprehensive WMS provides that competitive margin.
However, modernizing existing processes is not the final destination: digitalization is about turning technology into business transformation. Integration of welding management software, welding equipment and the cloud brings out completely new possibilities and ecosystems – new business.
Tuomas Kivisaari, Software Product Manager at Kemppi Oy
