Manufacturing intelligence software helps manufacturers gather, manage, and analyze production data from multiple sources to improve operations. Consolidated from software systems and production equipment alike, manufacturing data can be analyzed in real time within manufacturing intelligence tools to detect quality issues and identify opportunities to both reduce manufacturing costs and increase productivity. This type of software is used mainly by production managers and supervisors to monitor operations across multiple locations, but can also be used by employees to find the information they need to perform manufacturing tasks.
Manufacturing intelligence software can be delivered as a standalone system or combined with manufacturing execution systems. This type of software needs to integrate with ERP systems to exchange production information and with quality management software (QMS) to help companies address quality issues. For optimal capture of shop floor data, manufacturing intelligence solutions should integrate with Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software.
To qualify for inclusion in the Manufacturing Intelligence category, a product must:
Gather manufacturing data from all systems and locations involved in production
Provide features to clean and structure manufacturing data to make easier to use
Deliver relevant information to the employees and managers involved in production
Analyze production data in real time and alert users based on predefined rules
Monitor KPIs and metrics for quality management, productivity, and cost control
