There are, by some counts, thousands of automation providers and contract manufacturers just in the U.S. All of them are capable of providing brilliantly designed solutions to complex automation challenges.
But brilliant design means nothing when projects run late, go over budget, or don’t meet your requirements. Project management is a critical, but often overlooked, part of any successful automation project. Great project management goes beyond just delivering on time and on spec, though. The right systems integrator or contract manufacturer will provide project management that seeks every opportunity to gain efficiency or optimize processes.
The 5 Elements
When you’re evaluating a provider – whether you’re looking for a contract manufacturing partner or someone to design and deploy automation solutions to your facilities – look beyond technical capabilities. Just like different providers have different technical strengths, they’ll have differing levels in the maturity of their development process.
Especially when your needs are particularly complex, you should seek out collaborative partner with established project management expertise. Look for these five elements from any automation provider:
- A documented lifecycle process – Clear documentation that captures every stage of the project lifecycle should be shared in advance of project start. You should know, even before you sign a PO, what to expect at every moment. Remember, you’re going to have plenty to do as part of the process over the following months or years. It should be clear what your provider is going to do, and what your obligations are. Clearly documented process also allows you to identify possible points of failure in advance, and negotiate modifications to the process if you feel the requirements of your project demand them.
- Clear requirements and acceptance test planning – Requirements verification and test planning should be an ongoing part of the process. Doing so does more than merely ensure that the project remains on spec and passes acceptance testing milestones. It also helps integrate scope changes without negatively impacting timelines, and ensures continuity in the event of team changes.
- Risk avoidance and mitigation reviews (RAM) – RAM review is a critical point of design review, helping to ensure even before production starts that the final design will be functionally sound and deployment ready by the time acceptance testing begins. RAM reviews help your provider (and you!) avoid costly surprises later in the process.
- Transparent, frequent communication – You should reasonably expect at least weekly communication, in the form of check in meetings and status reports. Regular communication should focus not just on budget progress and what work has been done; they should surface potential roadblocks or schedule issues. The objective of frequent communication should never be an update for the sake of an update – it should be part of a pattern of transparency and communication that lasts even beyond final testing and deployment.
- Senior-level governance and resource planning – Your provider should include internal governance as part of its process. The senior leadership at your provider are, ideally, both your allies and your accountability partners in ensuring that the project remains on time, on spec, and on budget.
Automation projects are time-consuming and costly. Great project management ensures not only that the risks associated with any major capital project are mitigated, but that you feel confident throughout the process that your provider is operating efficiently and thoughtfully to provide the best possible outcomes.
Tailored Processes
There’s no one-size fits all approach to automation project management. The process should vary based on the service and the solution.
For Advanced Manufacturing (AMS) or contract manufacturing projects, the project management of the development process lasts only through the start of service. At that point, process management is typically turned over to facility management, who ensures that the production line continues to operate as expected.
For Engineer-To-Order (ETO) solutions, the project management process is far more in-depth, as it must include multiple acceptance testing stages, as well as the shipping, delivery, installation, and integration of the system; plus often training operators, providing documentation, and ongoing service and support.
Even within those two broad categories of service, effective processes are adaptable to your unique needs. Look for a development partner who displays flexibility and imagination in process design.
Our Approach
At DWFritz, we do all of the above, and more. Our expertise lies in precision, and that’s a term we take seriously in every aspect of our business. We provide exceptional precision in the outcomes delivered by both our ETO and our AMS services; but we are also meticulous about our process, and conscientious about our communications with our customers.
We view project management as being about more than just delivering high-precision manufacturing, automation, and inspection solutions quickly and on-budget. To us, it’s about seeking efficiencies in every aspect of our solutions. We support our customers with supply chain and process optimization recommendations that will make the solutions we design even more effective.
Conclusion
Mature project management processes save you money, time, and worry not just through delivery as expected, but through seeking optimization and efficiency at every step. Seek a partner, like DWFritz, that prioritizes the reduction of risk alongside the maximization of efficiency.