Provideam

Management Metrics for Lean Manufacturing Companies

Provideam is a comprehensive Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) monitoring solution.

By highlighting the causes of loss, Provideam helps you reduce losses, increase productivity, accelerate innovation and boost profits.

Provideam supports modern management philosophies such as Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing.

Seamless Real-time & Historical OEE Analysis

The Provideam Reporting Engine allows you to analyse historical and/or real-time productivity data at the touch of a button. Indeed you can easily combine real-time and historical data on the same report enabling you to track performance improvements over time.

Historical data is always available in the Provideam Database unless you choose to remove it. It is not uncommon to hold several years data in Provideam.

Seamless Real-time & Historical OEE Analysis provides the following functions:
  • Instant access: Real-time and Historical Reports are available at the touch of a button.
  • Report Wizard: It is easy to develop and share report templates.
  • Report Period Flexibility: You can chose to report on shifts, days, weeks, months or between any two dates.
  • Data Comparison: Comparing Machines or Periods is simple.

Integrated Automatic, Semi-Automatic and Manual Entry

Provideam offers a seamless solution for the analysis of data collected from a variety of sources, including manual entry. Provideam provides you with a standardised approach to analyse all of your production machines. This integrated solution will help you to apply a consistent analysis model across your plant. Thus all departments can be assessed using a single, cohesive framework.

Data can be captured directly from Machine Controllers using OPC (Open Process Communications) or ODBC (Open DataBase Connectivity) links. In addition the Provideam User Interface enables the Operator to add extra data manually. It is also possible to have a completely off-line system of manual data entry.

Integrated Automatic, Semi-automatic and Manual Entry provides the following functions:
  • Data Collection No difference between data captured automatically or entered manually.
  • Combined Dashboards: All manual and automatic data can be displayed in one dashboard.
  • Combined Reports: All manual and automatic data can be combined into one report.

Rapid Deployment

No programming is required to implement a standard Provideam system. Instead you simply enter configuration parameters via the Provideam Administration User Interface. It is not unusual to have the system running, producing useful productivity data, within a couple of hours.

Machine configuration details can be exported to CSV for manipulation in 3rd Party Applications such as MS Excel. The resulting files can then be re-imported to Provideam.

You can duplicate the configuration of a Machine to deploy the same configuration to a series of similar machines.

Rapid Deployment provides the following functions:
  • Installs in 15mins Real-time and Historical Reports are available at the touch of a button.
  • Simple Configuration: Rapid configuration by simply selecting the options you require.
  • Manual Entry in 15mins: Easily deploy a Manual Entry Machine in 15mins.
  • Automatic Data Capture in 30mins: Integrate automatic OPC/DB data capture in less than 30mins.

Web Based Application

Provideam has been developed as a web based application so that it can be available any time, any where, to any body in your Plant. There are no restrictions on the number of users that can access the system at any one time.

Any modern browser can be used, MS Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome or Apple Safari.

Provideam is integrated with SMTP email technology to enable you to issue OEE Reports directly to your users email as embedded HTML, PDF or CSV.

This Web Based approach simplifies the roll-out and maintenance of the solution as there is no requirement to install any software, other than a standard web browser, on a clients PC.

Web Based Application provides the following functions
  • Web-Based: Access anywhere using a standard web browser.
  • Easy to Use: Simple, intuitive interface. Easy to learn.
  • Server Installed: Installs on server. No client installation is necessary.
  • Scheduled Reporting: Reports automatically delivered to your inbox.

Highly Configurable

Provideam does not require any programming. The application is configured by entering the parameters which describe your production arrangements via easy-to-use Administration Pages.

Over time you can adjust the configuration as your knowledge of the equipment improves. For example you can add additional downtime reasons, or add new production counts. Similarly it is possible, as performance improves, to adjust the OEE Standard Times to produce various items. Thus as your productivity improves you can adjust Provideam to reflect these improvements.

Every piece of text used in the Provideam application is customisable in the Dictionary Module. If, for example, you would prefer to use the term 'WorkCell' instead of 'Machine', you simply need to update the Dictionary accordingly.

Also it is possible to customise the OEE Dashboard to include information other than the default KPIs. For example it would be possible to add Custom Views to the Dashboard to show Energy Usages along side Good Parts produced.

Highly Configurable provides the following functions:
  • Designed for Rapid Deployment: Clever design guides rapid deployment.
  • Form based Configuration: Click to choose your data collection and display preferences.
  • Dictionary: Edit text to suit your requirements. If you don't use 'Lot' change it to 'WorkOrder' etc.
  • Contact Lists: Reporting and Alarming is managed by creating user contact lists.
  • Views/Dashboards. User Interfaces can be configured to show your preferred KPIs.'

Highly Scalable

Provideam has been designed to be suitable for the analysis of one or hundreds of machines.

For a small deployment of less than 30 machines it is feasible to run the application on a single MS Windows 7/8 Workstation. For a larger system it is possible to distribute the application across a host of application servers. For example it is common to host the Database, WebServer and DataCollection Servers on separate hardware.

The application is hosted on an MS Internet Information Server web server and the data is stored in an MS SQL database server. The solution can be deployed in a virtual hardware environment if the virtual servers are adequately resourced.

There are no restrictions on the numbers of users that can access the system.

In addition you can connect to as many data sources (PLCs, Databases etc.) as you need to collect all the relevant productivity information.

Highly Scalable provides the following functions:
  • Easily expandable: From 1 to 100s of Machines.
  • Distributed processing: As the application grows distribute processing over a number of servers to maintain performance..
  • Unlimited Clients: No limitation on number of Clients.
  • Unlimited Connectivity: No limitation on number of PLCs, Databases or Tags you can connect to..
  • Unlimited Configuration Possibilities: No limit on numbers of Downtime Modes, Counts, Parts etc.

Secure and Reliable

Provideam is designed for intranet use within your plant domain. Access to the application is controlled by User Name and Password. An option to integrate Provideam with your Plant’s Active Directory is available.

User access is managed via the User Admin pages in the Administration section of Provideam. Users' access to Areas and Machines as well as Provideam Modules can be controlled at a User Group level.

Various Provideam tasks, such as data collection, automatic report generation etc. are carried out by Provideam Windows Services which are robust and reliable and run 24x7. If your servers are re-started these tasks will all restart automatically.

Secure and Reliable provides the following functions:
  • User Authentication: Manage the access rights of Groups of Users.
  • SSL Technology: Encrypted for increase security.
  • Robust: Rigorously tested for maximum reliability.
  • Change Log: User entries are recorded and traceable..