SUBCONTRACTING <
Controlling factors
PSL DataTrack production management and business administration software has many applications specifically within the subcontract engineering sector.
Its capabilities, however, make it suitable for many other batch production assembly applications in other markets. Indeed DataTrack has been an important factor in the growth and success of ANR, a specialist subcontractor for both the electronics and engineering industries. With ISO 9001:2008 accreditation, ANR has relied upon DataTrack software for over 10 years to ensure careful monitoring and control of every project that goes through its factory in Bourne End, Bucks. ANR provides its subcontract services to a wide base of OEM and blue chip customers. It moved to its current headquarters in 2008 with a larger split-level facility featuring four distinct electronics divisions on the first floor where DataTrack individually
controls PCB assembly, cable assemblies and harnessing, box build and turnkey operations. The company’s engineering division offers two services – direct to clients for their CNC milling and turning requirements and also supporting the electronics division for turnkey manufacturing. On the ground floor, a modern machine shop equipped with high precision CNC multi-axis machines from Mazak, Hurco and Mori Seiki amongst others offers precision milling and turning capabilities. ANR handles a wide variety of work in its machine shop – from low volume manufacturing through to prototyping and tooling.
The challenge for ANR has been to provide a continuous high level of product quality, service and on-time deliveries to its customers from sectors as diverse as the broadcasting industry, aerospace, CCTV, medical, marine, defence and design houses.
ANR’s initial investment in DataTrack
came
as the result of recognition that it needed to address the burden of manual administration associated with the purchase of materials and components needed for the manufacture of its fast growing range of assembly types.
After examination of business administration software packages available, ANR selected the PSL DataTrack package primarily because of its suitability and proven track record in the engineering subcontractor sector. “First and foremost, we are a product manufacturer and DataTrack was already proven as a highly efficient system, being used extensively in a number of complex engineering businesses and batch assembly operations similar to our own,” says ANR director Nick Wilson. The DataTrack software system was tailored specifically to suit ANR’s widely diversified requirements. Since its installation, DataTrack has controlled ANR’s product manufacture and associated administration processes in a seamless implementation ensuring familiarity with previous working practice and procedures. DataTrack orders the materials, verifies delivery dates and allocates shopfloor
production time. It has given the company the ability to monitor and control any project right from the start, maintaining engineering process records and traceable details of over 13,000 individual materials.
54 Production Engineering Solutions • January 2012
Information covering bills of materials and the generation of goods received notes, works orders, process layout, inspection report data, barcode identification, despatch notes and invoices are all managed by DataTrack. Assembly build and process layouts are recorded for future and similar build requirements. According to Feyaz Sheikh, procurement manager at ANR: “The DataTrack system works around us and ensures we manage the business effectively. There are so many different product types which are manufactured repeatedly and DataTrack enables us to manage this level of production effectively.” DataTrack has enabled ANR
to offer customers flexible stock control, through free issue onsite and procured materials inventories. DataTrack also ensures that materials, components, manufactured or purchased and batch/project traceability are maintained in absolute detail and readily accessible
for stringent quality checks. For ANR, the additional benefit of DataTrack is the facility to monitor and report supplier performance and highlight late deliveries. It can also be used to generate a range of other reports such as value of sales to stock and other critical management accounting information.
The value of DataTrack to ANR is now also being visibly demonstrated throughout the company’s production and management offices with the phased roll out of the Status Board display system. The displays provide real time status information for all outstanding jobs highlighting work to lists, bills of materials acquisition and allocation progress, an estimate of assembly completion dates and an early warning alert of any jobs that may run beyond promised delivery dates.
> ANR
www.anrltd.com
> PSL DATATRACK
www.psldatatrack.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60