Spirit AeroSystems, a tier 1 manufacturer in Aerospace industry, faced the challenges in upgrading an 80-year-old facility. Instead of building anew, Spirit chose to invest in smart factory solutions.
I was leading the design efforts for two modules called AutoCells and Supervisor portal. These modules were a part of the bigger deliverable which is called Opticrew scheduling.
We had 3D Designers, Product Managers, Research team and Subject Matter Experts from Spirit Aero Systems.
This project had a high impact in improving the factory experience for Spirit Aero Systems.
We saw a hike in the below metrics:
The factory of Spirit Aero systems comprised of thousands of manufacturing machine worth more than $10M. Due to inefficient management, sometimes these machinery would sit idle all day long. Apart from that, due to lack of a digital machine management platform, workers were not able to operate efficiently.
IIoT offers strong potential for future value.
Combining live machine status with RFID-tracked inventory can go one step further and serve as the baseline for dynamic routing algorithms.
If production supervisors know when machine capacity is coming available, where critical material is physically located in real time, and what jobs are open, they can optimize machine utilization by proactively staging material where it can best be consumed.
Problem: The front line officers needed a clear way to see what are the available machines, materials assigned to them and options to claim a machine.
Solution: A dashboard which provides the metrics about the Schedule Variance, Span, Throughput and WIP, and a clear tabular view of the machines schedule and an interactive 3d model of the floor.
I collaborated very closely with the Engineering as well as the 3D team on this project, as there were 3d Assets involved along with 2D. We faced many challenges during the implementation phase especially with the heavy 3d and 2d elements.
I brainstormed along with the 3d team to make the dashboard minimal and also the assets less heavy.
The flows were complex and the data to be shown was very dense. The challenge was to come up with a modern UI and flows which progressively reveal complexity.
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The supervisors needed a portal to monitor the machines and their statuses. This was a little different from the above flow, as it is catered to a different user.
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The design team closely worked with the development team to understand how it all worked together. This enabled us to understand the technology we were using, and the bigger picture about our work.
Human-Centric Design
I focused on creating tools that resonate with users at all levels, ensuring ease of use and relevance to their roles. Early user involvement was key for meaningful design solutions.
Agility in Process
I learned the importance of flexibility, both in workflow design and team dynamics, adapting quickly to evolving needs and technological advancements.
User & Business-First Approach
Our strategy as a team was to prioritize user needs and business objectives over technology, using digital solutions to meet specific goals like cost efficiency or adapting to workforce changes.
Beyond Technology
I recognized that successful digital transformation isn't just about technology; it involves integrating human and operational changes for a holistic approach.