The Problem
A Tier 2 automotive component manufacturer supplying machined parts to Tier 1 suppliers was running production tracking on a combination of Excel spreadsheets and end-of-shift manual reports. OEE was calculated weekly from compiled shift data. Machine downtime was recorded by supervisors who had been covering multiple lines — reasons were approximate and often simply listed as "breakdown" without root cause detail. Customer delivery performance was 87%, below the 95% target in their customer SLA. The quality team was spending two to three days before every customer audit compiling production traceability records from paper batch records, operator logs, and machine maintenance records — a manual investigation that still produced incomplete traceability chains.
The Implementation
Micraft MES deployed across 4 production lines in 45 days. Operator terminals installed at each machining station. Machine interface via OPC-KepServer for automated cycle time capture from CNC machines. Quality inspection checkpoints configured at three stages for critical characteristics.
The Outcomes
- 30% improvement in production visibility — live work order status and machine OEE visible from the first day of go-live
- Machine downtime reduced by 20% — root cause analysis became possible when downtime reasons were recorded at source by operators, enabling targeted maintenance intervention
- 100% dispatch accuracy — barcode-validated packing through Micraft Dispatch Packing System integrated with MES production records
- Customer audit preparation reduced from 3 days to 4 hours — traceability records generated from MES data in minutes rather than assembled from manual records
- Delivery performance improved from 87% to 96% — exceeded the 95% customer SLA within the first quarter after go-live
"The shift from manual reports to live production data changed how our supervisors manage the line. They act during the shift now — not the next morning."
— Production Manager, Automotive Components Manufacturer, Pune
