Practical Steps for Jumpstarting Your Digital Transformation Journey

In a rapidly digitizing world, the journey toward digital transformation in manufacturing can often seem daunting to businesses. At the Masters Summit held October 16-20 in Salt Lake City, industry leaders and MasterControl customers convened. Mansing Korde, VP of quality at Aspire Pharma, and Sridhar Iyengar, founder and chief innovation officer at Elemental Machines, provided an insightful roadmap in a panel on October 18. Their discussion centered on the potent fusion of Elemental Machines' Intelligent Operations Platform with Manufacturing Excellence, MasterControl’s modern manufacturing execution system (MES) solution. This duo is crucial for achieving manufacturing excellence and paving the way for a comprehensive and transformative digital shift in the manufacturing domain.

A Case in Point: Aspire Pharma's Integration Journey With EBR Software

Guided by Korde, Aspire Pharma began its transformative journey by integrating Elemental Machines' Intelligent Operations Platform with MasterControl’s electronic batch record (EBR) software to collect real-time operational data from balances. Mansing painted a vivid picture of the integration process, comparing it to a seamless plug-and-play experience.

The driving force behind this was to address challenges, especially those arising from operating balances across different locations. The Intelligent Operations Platform facilitates real-time data flow from balances to batch records maintained in the Manufacturing Excellence system, thereby enhancing system efficiency significantly.

From Paper to Pixels: The Shift to Digital

Korde and Iyengar focused on the critical transition from conventional paper-based systems to digitally integrated solutions, underscoring the benefits of digital transformation in manufacturing. Leveraging the capabilities of both Elemental Machines and MasterControl's EBR software, Aspire realized various advantages, like swifter production rates and fewer errors.

For instance, Korde highlighted an incident where the company faced a massive loss due to a batch rejection. Such costly mistakes, often stemming from manual processes, can be substantially reduced with an integrated digital platform. Directly integrating real-time measurements into batch records ensures transcription errors become obsolete.

The Intelligent Operations Platform takes digital transformation in manufacturing to the next level. The platform’s capability to capture environmental data, such as temperature and humidity, enhances the quality and accuracy of processes, thus minimizing error rates and associated risks.

Beginning the Digital Journey With Balance Integrations

Iyengar shared insights on kickstarting a digital transformation in manufacturing via a pragmatic strategy. Rather than attempting an overwhelming overhaul, he emphasized the significance of initiating with a tangible, easily demonstrable use case like balance integrations. This tactic allows organizations to gauge efficiency improvements and quality enhancements over time, guiding them methodically toward a connected digital future.

This method not only highlights the immediate value to stakeholders but also boosts confidence, aiding companies in progressively building their digital prowess. Iyengar pointed out that Elemental Machines' multi-sensor device could be an optimal next implementation step, capturing a wide range of real-time data. When integrated with MasterControl’s EBR software, this data can significantly augment operations.

Digital transformation in manufacturing isn’t merely a jump; it’s a series of calculated steps. As illustrated by Korde and Iyengar through their experiences at Aspire Pharma, embarking with individual use cases like balance integrations can provide immediate benefits, set the pace, and steer the broader transformative journey. Elemental Machines has even developed an ROI calculator to help businesses estimate the potential cost savings from such transitions.

With the synergistic combination of Elemental Machines and MasterControl, businesses are primed to navigate their digital transformation in manufacturing with unparalleled precision and confidence.