higher level compound metrics,” Abildgren explains. “If your systems are truly modular, you can add further functional components to the existing plant model. It won’t matter where you start or where you want to end.”

Infor’s McKeon points out that implementer profiles can be key. “You need people who know technology, processes and above all, people,” she says. “Details on the skill sets are specific to the needs of specific companies, but the overarching need is for a team that can focus on the business objectives and understand the processes well enough to spot both best practices and unwanted duplication. People skills are mandatory from the earliest stages, to allay fears about micromanagement and champion the positives of knowing what you’re doing.”

The benefits of installing manufacturing intelligence almost always repay the work involved. And the benefits extend beyond the manufacturing suite. One consumer packaged goods manufacturer worked with Infor to gain intelligence on the financial side of manufacturing. The company was taking weeks to finalize budgets in a chaotic scene where hundreds of people each worked with their own spreadsheets. By installing a system to keep tabs on projected and actual costs, the company was able to reduce its time to close yearly budgets by 50 percent—making forecasts far more timely, and near-term objectives far more grounded in reality.

For more information, search keywords “manufacturing intelligence” and “performance management” at www.automationworld.com.