January 2008 Edition

SHOP CONTROL SOFTWARE

Software Makes the Front Office as Efficient as the Shop Floor

Valuable IT time was being used for report generation. A shop's IT manager found a better way to automate both input and retrieval processes.

Running reports each day was eating up Dick Lockey's precious time at Iowa Laser Technology, Inc., Cedar Falls, IA. The company is a laser processing facility for the automotive, agricultural, mining, construction, and fitness industries. Lockey needed an easier – and faster – way to generate reports without learning a programming language.

Lockey, the company's information systems manager, had to run several dozen reports each morning. The process tied up both him and his computer for hours each day. He needed a report-writing software application that could read, reformat, and recreate text files.

Lockey evaluated both Java and Visual Basic. However, both of the languages required development skills not readily available at ILT. Also, the cost involved in acquiring either Java or Visual Basic skills – either from training, hiring, or outsourcing development – was both too high and too time-consuming.

With further investigation, Lockey found Macro Express from Insight Software Solutions, Kaysville, UT, might be the solution he and the company needed.

It had the basics of what the company was seeking without learning programming languages. It also had other features the company could use. ILT implemented Macro Express on a one-year trial basis. Upon further investigation, Lockey found Macro Scheduler from MJT Net Ltd., London, UK, better met the company's needs. Macro Scheduler had the same ease-of-use as Macro Express, but with more robust functionality and a more-extensive feature set.

Advantages of the System

The function that convinced Lockey to switch from the trial of Macro Express to the purchase of Macro Scheduler was the latter software's ability to compile macros into an executable file. This function let Lockey write a macro that he could distribute to any or all of the 100 other computers he administered.

"Macro Scheduler's capabilities out-performed its competitors," he said. "In addition to normal macro functions, like moving the mouse cursor or entering text or opening application windows, Macro Scheduler also offers embedded Visual Basic Script."

Macro Scheduler-generated executables run on every ILT computer. Users experienced efficiency enhancements such as auto log-ons and image manipulation. Seven employees use Macro Scheduler as a utility on their computers for its robust functionality and extended feature set.

"The Libfunc function lets users manipulate Windows APIs directly within a script while image manipulation lets them capture and display images," Lockey said.

"Images can also be embedded within a script for display or for screen image recognition, making possible the automation of some otherwise unfriendly applications," he said. "And, there is that important ability to compile any script into a standalone program that can be run on any Windows computer."

Macro Scheduler's low learning curve is its biggest strength, according to Lockey.

At an average department charge-out cost of $40 per hour, that's a savings of $320 per day

"It is possible to write usable macros in less than a day, and in only a few minutes a new user can record a macro. But flexibility is also its key – I can do just about any computer-related task with it, from manipulating data within files, and managing those files, to automating any application, or even creating my own applications," he said.

The Rewards are Sweet

Macro Scheduler processes now save the company an estimated eight hours per day that were previously carried out manually. ILT is able to run reports overnight rather than wasting the first few hours of the day running reports manually. At an average department charge-out cost of $40 per hour, that's a savings of $320 per day, which translates to more than $75,000 per year, and allows more efficient use of human resources.

The software let ILT automate much of its annual inventory examination, eliminating the need for five people working four days each. Inventory automation removed the need for one staff member, making the staffer available for more productive work. Manual daily report production that took three hours per day was automated.

ILT has numerous electronic forms written using Macro Scheduler dialogs that replace paper forms. The advantage offered by the electronic forms is not in data input but rather in retrieval time.

"I'm working on an electronic form for storing information about revision levels of customer-supplied drawings," Lockey said. "Currently, there is a piece of paper that provides specifics of any drawing changes supplied by our customers, stuffed in a folder, kept in a drawer of a file cabinet, within a room full of file cabinets.

"We have 700,000 routers in our system so there are potentially 700,000 drawings each with multiple revision level forms. Now, to retrieve one requires a person go to the file cabinets, find the customer files and pull the data sheet. Soon we'll start saving these via a Macro Scheduler dialog to text files rather than paper forms.

"We will be able to retrieve the text file data by entering a customer number and a part number in the Macro Scheduler dialog," he said.

ILT's enterprise resource planning – ERP – software lets a customer or vendor send lists of parts and quantities to ILT in Microsoft Excel files. ILT uses Macro Scheduler to migrate the data from the spreadsheet and open the appropriate screens in the ERP application to place the data into the correct fields.

One example is a list of about 100 items from one of ILT's vendors. Lockey uses the vendor's list to generate ILT's purchase order. Formerly, it would take two hours to key-in the information. Now, it takes two minutes using Macro Scheduler. Since the data doesn't get rekeyed, it also reduces human-induced errors.

Further efficiencies have been made by streamlining system administration. A network backup system was improved using Macro Scheduler, saving an estimated one hour per day and ensuring the backups are completed in a shorter timeframe," he said.

These improved efficiencies translate into benefits for ILT's customers too, by reducing lead times and freeing up resources to work on what really matters – providing services to the manufacturing industry. MJT Net Ltd.

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