Maximizing automation benefits: Key learnings from Swisslog system operations teams

Adept problem-solving skills are an essential part of any system operations team, and the flip side of this equation is ensuring an intelligent preventative maintenance programme is in place.

Preventative maintenance means equipment is serviced before any faults or issues occur. Data gathered by sensors and analysed through an intelligent software programme, such as Swisslog’s modular SynQ Warehouse Management System (WMS), can provide highly accurate recommendations on the best times to perform preventative maintenance.

“Constantly reviewing our preventative maintenance program is key,” says one Swisslog system operations team leader. “Ensuring we identify patterns of wear and tear or failure, and adjusting the preventative maintenance plans accordingly goes a long way in preventing equipment failure. Finding permanent solutions to reoccurring problems increases equipment uptime and assists in preventing unnecessary equipment damage or failure.”

Another experienced system operations team leader says that identifying equipment obsolesce or part life expectancy before it becomes an issue is crucially important to maximizing uptime “Some examples of this are checks like crane rope inspections, the condition ropes are monitored and identified for wear and strand breakage and replaced via lifecycle maintenance before ropes have the chance to break. Another example is obsolete variable speed drive inverters in the trolleys. In this case, a new inverter must be established and installed, then its parameters need to be set up and the trolley should be tested in operation – all prior to the system failing.”

That’s a fair question. If everything is running smoothly and ‘as expected’ at an automated plant, it may feel like there isn’t much need for a system operations team (sometimes led by a site manager). But look below the surface.

 

In most cases, achieving a state where everything is running smoothly is due to the hard work of not just the system operations team, but also teams of technicians and maintenance staff, from both the automation provider, and the client.

 

Having an advanced automated system delivery maximum benefits is a bit like a high performance engine – it will give you top performance, but you have to keep it tuned, and you have to jump on any problem and fix it ASAP.

 

A system operations team’s role in maximizing automation benefits comes in two main forms: problem solving, and preventative maintenance. This blog post will look at both, using real-world examples to show how a close relationship with the customer and an intimate knowledge of their automation system can save downtime and costs, and keep systems operating as efficiently as possible.

Swisslog system operations teams are working hard every day to solve problems and optimize preventative maintenance programmes to prevent future issues from occurring. Below are some key learnings from experienced system operations teams across the globe:

• Communication and a robust maintenance program are major contributors to a successful site.
  Having an engaged maintenance team that is in tune with the customer is vital. Building team morale to begin with is a priority, because a happy team is a productive team.

• Put safety first, and ensure your entire team, plus all contractors, embody a safety-first attitude at all times.
  Gaining the customer’s complete faith and trust goes a long way to establishing open and honest dialogue. Listening to the customer is always important, but it’s equally important that they trust you to find the best solution.

• Feedback on how the automation solution is performing should be documented and communicated out on a regular basis. Any issues should be brought to the customer’s attention immediately to ensure all parties are aware of any problems and what solutions are in place or are being actioned.

• Celebrate all wins, no matter how small. The customer needs to know that what is happening in the background is having an influence on the way their business runs. Positive commentary gains confidence from the customer, especially when we find a solution to a problem they have presented to us.
  Always be on the lookout for improvement opportunities in both processes or equipment performance.
  
  So, while a system operations team for an automated warehousing or logistics site may fly under the radar when things are running smoothly, they are actually working hard to keep things that way!
  
  And, at the end of the day, there is no greater satisfaction than a happy client. Receiving positive feedback from the client (we sometimes get this directly, and sometimes it comes from the local Managing Director, who has heard it from the client’s senior management team) is the ultimate recognition for a job well done.

“The ability to replace obsolete or outdated parts with a newer version has been a key to continued high level service to our customer. The new parts are not always a direct ‘like for like’ swap. On many occasions, we have had to either make an electrical, mechanical or programming change to support the installation of a new replacement part. The ability to do this in-house and in a timely manner is a major bonus to our customer.”