May 5, 2025 • 22 mins
The path to smart manufacturing excellence is paved with strategy, not just technology. As manufacturing facilities face increasing pressure to modernize, many struggle with where to begin. The answer lies not in rushing to install the newest devices, but in gaining clarity about your current state.
We unpack three essential steps that form the foundation of any successful smart manufacturing journey. First, the installed asset analysis—a comprehensive evaluation of your facility's electrical and control infrastructure that delivers objective truth rather than assumptions. This critical assessment reveals obsolete equipment, identifies gaps in critical spares, and highlights potential safety hazards that could derail your operations. When you understand what you truly have, you can make informed decisions about what needs to change.
The second step involves exploring possibilities through a smart tech review. This immersive, hands-on approach demonstrates how modern technologies can improve diagnostics, connectivity, and performance in your specific environment. By bringing together diverse stakeholders—from maintenance technicians to IT personnel—these reviews transform into creative workshops where your team can imagine future possibilities.
Finally, progression planning bridges your current state with your desired future through a strategic roadmap. This multi-year plan ensures every replacement moves you forward, standardizing on smarter, connected devices while establishing data collection priorities aligned with your operational goals. The key is collaborative development across departments to turn upgrade necessities into innovation opportunities.
Manufacturing excellence doesn't require perfect conditions to begin transformation. Start small with targeted assessments, build momentum through incremental improvements, and partner with experts who understand both the technology and the practical challenges of implementation. Your smart manufacturing journey begins with understanding where you are—then deciding where you want to go.
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Host: Chris Grainger
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Eco Ask why, a podcast that dives into
industrial manufacturing topicsand spotlights the heroes that
keep America running.
I'm your host, chris Granger,and on this podcast we do not
cover the latest features andbenefits on products that come
to market.
Instead, we focus on advice andinsight from the top minds of
industry, because people andideas will be how America
(00:24):
remains number one inmanufacturing in the world.
Welcome to EECO Asks why.
I'm your host, chris Granger.
I'm looking forward to spendingsome time with you today, and
we've been working lately onEECO Asks why about the topic of
smart manufacturing.
It's a fun topic to talk about.
(00:44):
It's a fun topic to write about.
We do it all at an electricalequipment company and we've been
really working through why nowis the time to lean in hard to
smart manufacturing, how so muchhas evolved over time in the
modern manufacturing plant, howthe power of Ethernet has
(01:06):
changed so much fromconnectivity standpoint.
It's absolutely unreal when yougo into manufacturing plants
these days and the level oftechnology that's just on the
plant floor blows you away.
And to do that, though,sometimes, if you're in older
manufacturing, there has to be aprogression you have to really
think through.
If you're in oldermanufacturing.
There has to be a progression.
You have to really thinkthrough how you're going to get
(01:29):
if you want to get from A to Bthe steps to get there
effectively.
So we talked about smartdevices in our last episode if
you go back and listen to thatone.
But today what we want to do isreally give you three practical
ways to begin your smartmanufacturing journey and you're
going to see you'll want to dothese steps in consecutive order
(01:52):
.
Okay, we're going to really walkwith you.
Why?
Because the whole journey ofsmart manufacturing starts long
before the first device isreplaced or a new panel is
installed.
As exciting as those momentsare, right, it really begins
with clarity and understandingwhere you are.
You can't go anywhere until youknow where you are currently
(02:15):
right and where you're at rightnow.
You also need to address thecurrent condition and where
there are.
Gaps are between where you areand where you need to be.
Once you know what they reallytruly are and hard data, then
you can take steps.
So at an electrical equipmentcompany, we believe the smart
investment to help you getstarted is what we call an
(02:36):
installed asset analysis, andwe're going to really walk with
you on why that's important tohelp get your plant future ready
.
So you may be in a facilitythat has aging infrastructure,
with you on why that's importantto help get your plant future
ready.
So you may be in a facilitythat has aging infrastructure,
or you could just be respondingto growth opportunities
Phenomenal problem to have right.
Or maybe you're just trying toalign to the corporate
(02:58):
sustainability and digitaltransformation goals, whatever
they may be.
These types of processes we'regoing to walk through today are
going to really give you someinsight to visibility, as well
as a roadmap to move forwardconfidently, because that's what
it's all about moving forwardwith confidence.
Ok, so now first thing we needto do is define the truth.
We need to understand what istrue inside your plan, and if
(03:23):
you build your whole strategy onassumptions, you're behind, and
I know there's something to besaid about.
You know tribal knowledge and Itotally get there's power in
that, but you can't build theentire strategy around that,
because one of the most valuabletools that you have is that
your fingertips but many peopleforget it is a detailed, honest
(03:45):
assessment of your installedelectrical and control assets.
That's where it starts, so theinstalled asset analysis.
That's where that getsdelivered right there with that.
So it's a structured, objectiveview Okay, that's the big key
word an objective view of yourfacilities, electrical and
control infrastructure.
Now we're talking from anywhere, from your storerooms to
(04:08):
control panels, to motor controlcenters, to PLC cabinets, panel
boards you get it Across theboard.
And the interesting part I'vebeen involved with several of
these throughout the years isthe revelation that is found
when you go through and you dothis.
I've heard people say I didn'teven know that was there.
Like, wait, those drives shouldhave been placed years ago.
(04:31):
Well, we really need to getthat replacement MCC on the next
capital plan right.
All these things start coming upwhen you take the time to look
at it and it makes sense.
Let's think about it.
People retire, they just do.
Production lines arereconfigured, new equipment is
brought into the manufacturingfacility and if you don't have
(04:54):
consistent documentation ordoing some periodic assessments,
you're going to fall.
These systems could fall intodisrepair or become dangerously
outdated.
This is where this processreally jumps in and helps you,
and it gives you a necessarytruth, one that allows you to
(05:14):
clearly prioritize what needs tobe done and then that can help
you with your strategic planningmoving forward, because aging
equipment increases the risk ofunplanned downtime as well as
safety hazards, and we know, atthe end of the day, it's all
about getting our people homesafely and if that equipment
(05:34):
gets older, it's not going tooperate as efficiently as you
hope.
So, if all these things areplaying together, what it really
is doing it's limiting yourability to collect, interpret
and to act on real-time data,and that's essential for any
smart manufacturing journey.
Okay, so this is again peace ofmind.
(05:55):
We're not talking aboutinventory.
Let's clear the air.
This is not inventoryassessment.
This is a blueprint forprogress.
So now you will want to, okay,chris.
Well, what's included ininstall asset analysis?
Why I'm so glad you asked?
Okay, because the depth andscope of your analysis really
depends on your objectives andthat's the beauty of this, as
(06:17):
someone who's worked throughseveral of these because some
manufacturers were going tofocus narrowly on control panels
or PLCs, or others choose to bemore broadly, electrically
focused.
Right, but regardless of theobjectives, here's where you
want to get to.
You want to get to a riskanalysis?
(06:38):
Okay, identifying the devicesthat are near, or maybe getting
close, to the end of life, andthen start evaluating what the
potential failure is Like ifthis piece of equipment goes
down, what does that impact tome?
How is that going from dollarcents and time?
Okay, then condition assessmentyou want to be looking at items
(06:59):
like thermal issues orenvironmental protection,
ceiling, physical integrity.
You know, does the door getready to fall off if you open it
right?
You need to understand thesethings in performance.
Then protection in thatassessment, when you're dealing
with all things electrical, youneed to understand the short
circuit potential, the overloadpotential, the coordination
(07:20):
capabilities, everythingcoordinated to operate correctly
, because that's what it's about.
Then criticality Not every assethave the same level of
essential operations for yourplan, and you know that.
But do you have them defined ona list where you can clearly
(07:42):
help you make decisions?
And then, how about yourinventory analysis?
Do you understand with yourinventory right now what's
obsolete, what's surplus?
And here's the one that getsmissed often what are the gaps
in the critical spares?
If you know the gaps in thecritical spares, hey, then at
that point at least you're incontrol of potentially what
(08:04):
could happen.
The problem is very often, ifthings fail and you don't have
it spare on the shelf and youdidn't know that you don't have
it, what happens, temperature inthe room just goes up, and all
of these things also.
When you do installed assetanalysis, it helps you work to
capital planning and gets youreally prioritized on upgrades.
(08:26):
It helps you have those budgetconversations that you know
you're going to be into Rightand you can have a budget
conversation based on urgencyand strategic value, not opinion
.
And when you come into ameeting with that, with that
type of information, you'resetting yourself up for success,
because it's not.
We need to recognize, too, thatnot all installed asset
(08:49):
analysis are the same.
Installed asset analysis arethe same.
Again, some vendors that we'veworked with have very detailed
component level reviews andothers offer in-depth
assessments of automationcomponents and power systems.
The key is choosing a partner,like an electrical equipment
(09:09):
company, who can come in andalign the type of service
directly to your most specificneeds and get very, very
granular.
Okay, we want to understandyour risk talents.
We want to help you with yourmodernization goals.
All that Because, again, at theend of the day, it's more than
just a spreadsheet with a listof equipment.
(09:32):
That's not a ton of value, butthe deliverables of what you
should expect need to be clear.
They also need to be verycustom and they need to be
structured around how your plantoperates.
So maybe you want to thinkabout it I always talked about
maybe we need to focus on amachine or a control panel
(09:53):
itself, or a production line orany grouping, a control set, if
you will.
That makes sense to your team.
And then again those reportsshould come back to you with a
very detailed inventory of thoseassets, broken down by the
current condition, the end oflife.
What does that look like?
What's the functional risk forthose items?
(10:14):
Are they obsolescence?
Are they no longer supported?
If they're no longer supported,what does that even mean?
Okay, where do I need to go ifthis item is no longer supported
?
What does that cross look like?
So we can do an upgrade.
And then also, you want to begetting some recommendations to
help me prioritize upgrades,because it can be overwhelming.
(10:36):
When you get all this data,where do you start?
Again, electrical equipmentcompany, we can step in and we
can help you with this.
And we want to help give you asummary of risk and improvement
opportunities, as well as thatcritical spares gap.
You need to know what those are.
So we want to give you thatanalysis, just so you can be
aware.
Hey, based off of what we foundin the plant, based off what we
(11:01):
were able to identify in yourstorage, here are your gaps.
Now, some of the gaps you maybe comfortable with.
Let it roll, buddy, because ifthat goes down, we got plenty of
time, those are plentyavailable, we can get them
anytime, but some of those items, if they go down, it's a big
deal.
It's a major disruptor, andwhat we want to help you
(11:24):
identify are what are thosepotential major disruptors, so
that you can manage it insteadof having to react to it.
Okay, now, all this stuff needsalso to come around a post
debrief.
Don't want to just give you aspreadsheet.
Hey, thank you for yourbusiness.
No, that's not how we roll.
We want to help you becausethis is your launch pad, not
(11:45):
just for modernization, but forstrategic decision-making,
particularly around maintenance,your capital investments and
overall system reliability.
Okay, so think about that asstep one, getting started with
that asset analysis.
Then what we're going to do iswe're going to explore some
possibilities with what we liketo call a smart tech review,
(12:10):
because once that assessment iscomplete, the next step is start
evaluating technologies,because we want to see what
technologies align with youroverall needs and objectives.
And this smart tech review doesjust that.
It helps you visualize thefuture and see how smart devices
(12:30):
can improve diagnostics,connectivity, performance,
maintainability.
This is really where yourvendor, your installed asset
(12:52):
analysis and invite potentialmanufacturers that can
demonstrate real, applicablesolutions for your environment
and bring that together to letyou see this right.
This needs to be immersive.
This needs to be hands-on.
You need to be able todemonstrate directly how
technology is going to improvefunctional performance, first
(13:12):
and foremost okay.
Then you need to understand todemonstrate directly how
technology is going to improvefunctional performance, first
and foremost, ok.
Then you need to understand, ok, what diagnostics and
operational data is availablebased off of that, and then,
ultimately, how.
How is all this going toconnect and control to your
control system?
You need to be able to do that,because having data for data
sakes and you can't actually doanything with that data you know
that's madness.
(13:32):
And then, really, when rubbermeets the road, how is the
solution that we're going to tryto provide you and help you
with?
How does it get set up, how isit programmed and what is the
ongoing maintenanceresponsibility for that?
And this is where smart techreviews come into play and again
, this is an often overlookedarea, because this is a great
(13:53):
way to broaden your perspectiveand broaden your team as well.
Involved.
Start bringing in controlengineers and maintenance
technicians and IT techs allthese things, because these are
different skill sets that we'regoing to need in the smart
manufacturing facility.
Right, but with the rightpreparation, a technology demo
(14:15):
could be a creative workshop foryou.
See how that works and it helpsyour team start to imagine all
the possibilities that are outthere now and how to get there.
All right.
So the smart tech review is socrucial.
Now, third step, told you, we'regoing to give you three steps
One, two, three.
That's the way we roll.
Progression planning OK, we'regoing to be building that path
(14:37):
to the future.
Now that you know what you have, you need to know, okay, what
could you have.
Okay, you need to build thatprogression plan and what we're
going to do.
We're going to bridge thesethings together, because
progression planning outlineshow your facility will modernize
over time, both through the bigcapital projects Big capital
(14:59):
projects, don't get me wrong,they're immensely important,
absolutely critical but alsothrough incremental upgrades,
because what you're going to bedoing, if you take this approach
.
It's going to ensure that everyreplacement is a step forward,
because what you don't want todo or try to minimize let's say
(15:19):
that's probably better said thatway are take lateral moves.
Sometimes you do have to takelateral moves, totally get it,
but ideally, on a smartmanufacturing journey, you're
moving the ball down the field.
You're moving the ball down thefield.
Now, if you have to move to theside a little bit just so that
you can go down later, that'spart of it.
But it's really about planningwith purpose, because this is
(15:42):
not progression plans.
It's not just about replacinghardware.
It's about standardizing onsmarter, collected devices that
will help you achieve thisoperational excellence.
Now, these plans are typicallymulti-year capital investment
plans.
They're going to have some timethere.
You're going to have standardsfor device selection and
(16:03):
integration, and these standardsneed to be some time there.
You're going to have standardsfor device selection and
integration, and these standardsneed to be adhered to.
So those standards, whatthey're said, you need to make
sure they're being followedthrough by all the people
involved, based from procurementto quotes, to installation.
They also need to establishdata and information
requirements based off yourgoals.
That needs to be part of thecriteria process and to get that
(16:25):
, you got to involve more peopleacross different departments to
ensure that alignment, becausenothing's going to throw it down
faster than oh, they didn't askme.
No, go ahead, be collaborativehere.
Okay.
And if you do this, upgradeopportunities are going to be
starting to turn into innovativeopportunities, and that's when
(16:48):
it gets fun.
So it really starts by askingthe right questions what
knowledge do we need to operatemore effectively?
What do we not know that if wedid know, we'd change everything
.
And then what insights fromthat could improve your uptime
and energy usage or productquality?
And how can you capture andleverage that information?
(17:10):
All these important areas, ok.
So there are going to be hurdles?
Ok, because there arechallenges in any project like
this.
You don't have challengesaround equipment access, like
how can you physically get tothe equipment sometimes, or how
can you safely open theequipment when it's operating.
These are challenges Production, downtime or resource
(17:31):
availability.
It's just if every plant hadall the resources it needs, it'd
be a utopia.
We know that doesn't exist, butif you had the right team and
you had the right structure andmethodology, these things can be
managed.
And that's where experts likethese things can be managed, and
(17:51):
that's where experts likeElectrical Equipment Company can
step in and help with a blendedteam of your plant personnel
and our professionals.
And if you do that, with theright, proper planning which we
do this all the time man, thiscan be done with minimal
disruption and maximum impact.
Man, this can be done withminimal disruption and maximum
impact.
Okay, so again, don't letperfection I would encourage you
here Don't let that perfectionbe the enemy of progress.
A complete analysis of yourassets doesn't have to happen
(18:15):
all at once.
Start small Again, I was reallybig.
One of the things that impactedme on EcoSY, if you guys
remember, one of the guests onetime said think big and act
small.
So start small.
Maybe it's a simple stormreview or specific control
panels or just your highest riskarea and you just want to have
(18:35):
a sleep a little bit better atnight, knowing what's in that
high risk area.
Start there, build somemomentum and then expand as you
go, because this is not a singleproject.
Again, this is a progression,but it does start with
understanding where you arepresently and at ECO we're here
(18:56):
to help you really get clear onwhat that starting point is and
walk with you through the entirejourney From asset analysis to
the smart tech review to theprogression planning.
You don't have to do thisblindly, you don't.
You can modernize smart withpurpose, with strategy and with
(19:16):
clarity, and we want to help you.
So, again, if you found thisencouraging, if it's something
that you think you would like tolearn more about specifically
with our services at ElectricalEquipment Company, go check out
the links in this particularepisode.
We'll have links directly whereyou can contact us.
We'd love to come in and justhave a conversation, understand
(19:39):
where you're at, maybe even helpyou get clarity on where you
should start where you're at,maybe even help you get clarity
on where you should start.
Sometimes just a simple walkthrough a plant and listening
and hearing your areas ofconcern will be enough for us to
identify.
Hey, based off of what you toldus, why don't we look at this
type of analysis over here foryou and you know what those
(20:01):
little small steps are greatways to get started in a truly
meaningful way.
So go check out the show notes.
We'll have all that.
We'd love to connect with you.
These types of services we doacross the country.
If you're listening to me andyou're in electrical equipment
companies service area.
(20:22):
We can help you with this.
Ok, from the small to the big,we are ready to jump in and
serve and help get you startedon your own smart manufacturing
journey.
So thank you for listening.
Hey, I would also encourage youto share this stuff out Eco SY
when the episodes come out,share it out with your team,
share it out with other teams,encourage them to check it out.
(20:43):
Show notes have.
We'll have all the links wehave the ways you can connect
with us on LinkedIn, the way youcan get started with an
installed asset analysis, theway you can get started with
your EcoOnline online account.
We want to get you started withyour own account so that you
can go in and start evaluatingsome of these products and
(21:03):
things like that that we haveonline for you.
So, again, ecoonlinecom iswhere you get started with that.
Okay, if you don't mind, give usa rating and review for the
podcast.
That does help promote thepodcast.
That would be great.
But the main thing, theabsolute most important thing,
is connect with us.
We are here to serve, we'rehere to help and if you think
(21:24):
that you're ready to start yourown smart manufacturing journey,
we're ready to come alongside,kind of as your guide, if you
will, to give you thatconfidence to step forth and be
the hero that we know that youare All right.
Thank you so much for listening, for hanging out today.
Again, all your feedback'sgreat.
Look forward to seeing you nexttime and remember to keep
(22:04):
asking why.
Thank you for listening to.
Eeco Asks why this show issupported ad-free by Electrical
Equipment Company.
Eeco is redefining theexpectations of an electrical
distributor by placing peopleand ideas before products.
Please subscribe and share withyour colleagues and friends.
Also leave comments, feedbackand any new topics that you
(22:24):
would like to hear.
To learn more or to share yourinsights, visit EECOASYcom.
That's E-E-C-O-A-S-K-S-W-H-Ycom.
Welcome to Eco Ask why, a podcast that dives into
industrial manufacturing topicsand spotlights the heroes that
keep America running.
I'm your host, chris Granger,and on this podcast we do not
cover the latest features andbenefits on products that come
to market.
Instead, we focus on advice andinsight from the top minds of
industry, because people andideas will be how America
(00:24):
remains number one inmanufacturing in the world.
Welcome to EECO Asks why.
I'm your host, chris Granger.
I'm looking forward to spendingsome time with you today, and
we've been working lately onEECO Asks why about the topic of
smart manufacturing.
It's a fun topic to talk about.
(00:44):
It's a fun topic to write about.
We do it all at an electricalequipment company and we've been
really working through why nowis the time to lean in hard to
smart manufacturing, how so muchhas evolved over time in the
modern manufacturing plant, howthe power of Ethernet has
(01:06):
changed so much fromconnectivity standpoint.
It's absolutely unreal when yougo into manufacturing plants
these days and the level oftechnology that's just on the
plant floor blows you away.
And to do that, though,sometimes, if you're in older
manufacturing, there has to be aprogression you have to really
think through.
If you're in oldermanufacturing.
There has to be a progression.
You have to really thinkthrough how you're going to get
(01:29):
if you want to get from A to Bthe steps to get there
effectively.
So we talked about smartdevices in our last episode if
you go back and listen to thatone.
But today what we want to do isreally give you three practical
ways to begin your smartmanufacturing journey and you're
going to see you'll want to dothese steps in consecutive order
(01:52):
.
Okay, we're going to really walkwith you.
Why?
Because the whole journey ofsmart manufacturing starts long
before the first device isreplaced or a new panel is
installed.
As exciting as those momentsare, right, it really begins
with clarity and understandingwhere you are.
You can't go anywhere until youknow where you are currently
(02:15):
right and where you're at rightnow.
You also need to address thecurrent condition and where
there are.
Gaps are between where you areand where you need to be.
Once you know what they reallytruly are and hard data, then
you can take steps.
So at an electrical equipmentcompany, we believe the smart
investment to help you getstarted is what we call an
(02:36):
installed asset analysis, andwe're going to really walk with
you on why that's important tohelp get your plant future ready
.
So you may be in a facilitythat has aging infrastructure,
with you on why that's importantto help get your plant future
ready.
So you may be in a facilitythat has aging infrastructure,
or you could just be respondingto growth opportunities
Phenomenal problem to have right.
Or maybe you're just trying toalign to the corporate
(02:58):
sustainability and digitaltransformation goals, whatever
they may be.
These types of processes we'regoing to walk through today are
going to really give you someinsight to visibility, as well
as a roadmap to move forwardconfidently, because that's what
it's all about moving forwardwith confidence.
Ok, so now first thing we needto do is define the truth.
We need to understand what istrue inside your plan, and if
(03:23):
you build your whole strategy onassumptions, you're behind, and
I know there's something to besaid about.
You know tribal knowledge and Itotally get there's power in
that, but you can't build theentire strategy around that,
because one of the most valuabletools that you have is that
your fingertips but many peopleforget it is a detailed, honest
(03:45):
assessment of your installedelectrical and control assets.
That's where it starts, so theinstalled asset analysis.
That's where that getsdelivered right there with that.
So it's a structured, objectiveview Okay, that's the big key
word an objective view of yourfacilities, electrical and
control infrastructure.
Now we're talking from anywhere, from your storerooms to
(04:08):
control panels, to motor controlcenters, to PLC cabinets, panel
boards you get it Across theboard.
And the interesting part I'vebeen involved with several of
these throughout the years isthe revelation that is found
when you go through and you dothis.
I've heard people say I didn'teven know that was there.
Like, wait, those drives shouldhave been placed years ago.
(04:31):
Well, we really need to getthat replacement MCC on the next
capital plan right.
All these things start coming upwhen you take the time to look
at it and it makes sense.
Let's think about it.
People retire, they just do.
Production lines arereconfigured, new equipment is
brought into the manufacturingfacility and if you don't have
(04:54):
consistent documentation ordoing some periodic assessments,
you're going to fall.
These systems could fall intodisrepair or become dangerously
outdated.
This is where this processreally jumps in and helps you,
and it gives you a necessarytruth, one that allows you to
(05:14):
clearly prioritize what needs tobe done and then that can help
you with your strategic planningmoving forward, because aging
equipment increases the risk ofunplanned downtime as well as
safety hazards, and we know, atthe end of the day, it's all
about getting our people homesafely and if that equipment
(05:34):
gets older, it's not going tooperate as efficiently as you
hope.
So, if all these things areplaying together, what it really
is doing it's limiting yourability to collect, interpret
and to act on real-time data,and that's essential for any
smart manufacturing journey.
Okay, so this is again peace ofmind.
(05:55):
We're not talking aboutinventory.
Let's clear the air.
This is not inventoryassessment.
This is a blueprint forprogress.
So now you will want to, okay,chris.
Well, what's included ininstall asset analysis?
Why I'm so glad you asked?
Okay, because the depth andscope of your analysis really
depends on your objectives andthat's the beauty of this, as
(06:17):
someone who's worked throughseveral of these because some
manufacturers were going tofocus narrowly on control panels
or PLCs, or others choose to bemore broadly, electrically
focused.
Right, but regardless of theobjectives, here's where you
want to get to.
You want to get to a riskanalysis?
(06:38):
Okay, identifying the devicesthat are near, or maybe getting
close, to the end of life, andthen start evaluating what the
potential failure is Like ifthis piece of equipment goes
down, what does that impact tome?
How is that going from dollarcents and time?
Okay, then condition assessmentyou want to be looking at items
(06:59):
like thermal issues orenvironmental protection,
ceiling, physical integrity.
You know, does the door getready to fall off if you open it
right?
You need to understand thesethings in performance.
Then protection in thatassessment, when you're dealing
with all things electrical, youneed to understand the short
circuit potential, the overloadpotential, the coordination
(07:20):
capabilities, everythingcoordinated to operate correctly
, because that's what it's about.
Then criticality Not every assethave the same level of
essential operations for yourplan, and you know that.
But do you have them defined ona list where you can clearly
(07:42):
help you make decisions?
And then, how about yourinventory analysis?
Do you understand with yourinventory right now what's
obsolete, what's surplus?
And here's the one that getsmissed often what are the gaps
in the critical spares?
If you know the gaps in thecritical spares, hey, then at
that point at least you're incontrol of potentially what
(08:04):
could happen.
The problem is very often, ifthings fail and you don't have
it spare on the shelf and youdidn't know that you don't have
it, what happens, temperature inthe room just goes up, and all
of these things also.
When you do installed assetanalysis, it helps you work to
capital planning and gets youreally prioritized on upgrades.
(08:26):
It helps you have those budgetconversations that you know
you're going to be into Rightand you can have a budget
conversation based on urgencyand strategic value, not opinion
.
And when you come into ameeting with that, with that
type of information, you'resetting yourself up for success,
because it's not.
We need to recognize, too, thatnot all installed asset
(08:49):
analysis are the same.
Installed asset analysis arethe same.
Again, some vendors that we'veworked with have very detailed
component level reviews andothers offer in-depth
assessments of automationcomponents and power systems.
The key is choosing a partner,like an electrical equipment
(09:09):
company, who can come in andalign the type of service
directly to your most specificneeds and get very, very
granular.
Okay, we want to understandyour risk talents.
We want to help you with yourmodernization goals.
All that Because, again, at theend of the day, it's more than
just a spreadsheet with a listof equipment.
(09:32):
That's not a ton of value, butthe deliverables of what you
should expect need to be clear.
They also need to be verycustom and they need to be
structured around how your plantoperates.
So maybe you want to thinkabout it I always talked about
maybe we need to focus on amachine or a control panel
(09:53):
itself, or a production line orany grouping, a control set, if
you will.
That makes sense to your team.
And then again those reportsshould come back to you with a
very detailed inventory of thoseassets, broken down by the
current condition, the end oflife.
What does that look like?
What's the functional risk forthose items?
(10:14):
Are they obsolescence?
Are they no longer supported?
If they're no longer supported,what does that even mean?
Okay, where do I need to go ifthis item is no longer supported
?
What does that cross look like?
So we can do an upgrade.
And then also, you want to begetting some recommendations to
help me prioritize upgrades,because it can be overwhelming.
(10:36):
When you get all this data,where do you start?
Again, electrical equipmentcompany, we can step in and we
can help you with this.
And we want to help give you asummary of risk and improvement
opportunities, as well as thatcritical spares gap.
You need to know what those are.
So we want to give you thatanalysis, just so you can be
aware.
Hey, based off of what we foundin the plant, based off what we
(11:01):
were able to identify in yourstorage, here are your gaps.
Now, some of the gaps you maybe comfortable with.
Let it roll, buddy, because ifthat goes down, we got plenty of
time, those are plentyavailable, we can get them
anytime, but some of those items, if they go down, it's a big
deal.
It's a major disruptor, andwhat we want to help you
(11:24):
identify are what are thosepotential major disruptors, so
that you can manage it insteadof having to react to it.
Okay, now, all this stuff needsalso to come around a post
debrief.
Don't want to just give you aspreadsheet.
Hey, thank you for yourbusiness.
No, that's not how we roll.
We want to help you becausethis is your launch pad, not
(11:45):
just for modernization, but forstrategic decision-making,
particularly around maintenance,your capital investments and
overall system reliability.
Okay, so think about that asstep one, getting started with
that asset analysis.
Then what we're going to do iswe're going to explore some
possibilities with what we liketo call a smart tech review,
(12:10):
because once that assessment iscomplete, the next step is start
evaluating technologies,because we want to see what
technologies align with youroverall needs and objectives.
And this smart tech review doesjust that.
It helps you visualize thefuture and see how smart devices
(12:30):
can improve diagnostics,connectivity, performance,
maintainability.
This is really where yourvendor, your installed asset
(12:52):
analysis and invite potentialmanufacturers that can
demonstrate real, applicablesolutions for your environment
and bring that together to letyou see this right.
This needs to be immersive.
This needs to be hands-on.
You need to be able todemonstrate directly how
technology is going to improvefunctional performance, first
(13:12):
and foremost okay.
Then you need to understand todemonstrate directly how
technology is going to improvefunctional performance, first
and foremost, ok.
Then you need to understand, ok, what diagnostics and
operational data is availablebased off of that, and then,
ultimately, how.
How is all this going toconnect and control to your
control system?
You need to be able to do that,because having data for data
sakes and you can't actually doanything with that data you know
that's madness.
(13:32):
And then, really, when rubbermeets the road, how is the
solution that we're going to tryto provide you and help you
with?
How does it get set up, how isit programmed and what is the
ongoing maintenanceresponsibility for that?
And this is where smart techreviews come into play and again
, this is an often overlookedarea, because this is a great
(13:53):
way to broaden your perspectiveand broaden your team as well.
Involved.
Start bringing in controlengineers and maintenance
technicians and IT techs allthese things, because these are
different skill sets that we'regoing to need in the smart
manufacturing facility.
Right, but with the rightpreparation, a technology demo
(14:15):
could be a creative workshop foryou.
See how that works and it helpsyour team start to imagine all
the possibilities that are outthere now and how to get there.
All right.
So the smart tech review is socrucial.
Now, third step, told you, we'regoing to give you three steps
One, two, three.
That's the way we roll.
Progression planning OK, we'regoing to be building that path
(14:37):
to the future.
Now that you know what you have, you need to know, okay, what
could you have.
Okay, you need to build thatprogression plan and what we're
going to do.
We're going to bridge thesethings together, because
progression planning outlineshow your facility will modernize
over time, both through the bigcapital projects Big capital
(14:59):
projects, don't get me wrong,they're immensely important,
absolutely critical but alsothrough incremental upgrades,
because what you're going to bedoing, if you take this approach
.
It's going to ensure that everyreplacement is a step forward,
because what you don't want todo or try to minimize let's say
(15:19):
that's probably better said thatway are take lateral moves.
Sometimes you do have to takelateral moves, totally get it,
but ideally, on a smartmanufacturing journey, you're
moving the ball down the field.
You're moving the ball down thefield.
Now, if you have to move to theside a little bit just so that
you can go down later, that'spart of it.
But it's really about planningwith purpose, because this is
(15:42):
not progression plans.
It's not just about replacinghardware.
It's about standardizing onsmarter, collected devices that
will help you achieve thisoperational excellence.
Now, these plans are typicallymulti-year capital investment
plans.
They're going to have some timethere.
You're going to have standardsfor device selection and
(16:03):
integration, and these standardsneed to be some time there.
You're going to have standardsfor device selection and
integration, and these standardsneed to be adhered to.
So those standards, whatthey're said, you need to make
sure they're being followedthrough by all the people
involved, based from procurementto quotes, to installation.
They also need to establishdata and information
requirements based off yourgoals.
That needs to be part of thecriteria process and to get that
(16:25):
, you got to involve more peopleacross different departments to
ensure that alignment, becausenothing's going to throw it down
faster than oh, they didn't askme.
No, go ahead, be collaborativehere.
Okay.
And if you do this, upgradeopportunities are going to be
starting to turn into innovativeopportunities, and that's when
(16:48):
it gets fun.
So it really starts by askingthe right questions what
knowledge do we need to operatemore effectively?
What do we not know that if wedid know, we'd change everything
.
And then what insights fromthat could improve your uptime
and energy usage or productquality?
And how can you capture andleverage that information?
(17:10):
All these important areas, ok.
So there are going to be hurdles?
Ok, because there arechallenges in any project like
this.
You don't have challengesaround equipment access, like
how can you physically get tothe equipment sometimes, or how
can you safely open theequipment when it's operating.
These are challenges Production, downtime or resource
(17:31):
availability.
It's just if every plant hadall the resources it needs, it'd
be a utopia.
We know that doesn't exist, butif you had the right team and
you had the right structure andmethodology, these things can be
managed.
And that's where experts likethese things can be managed, and
(17:51):
that's where experts likeElectrical Equipment Company can
step in and help with a blendedteam of your plant personnel
and our professionals.
And if you do that, with theright, proper planning which we
do this all the time man, thiscan be done with minimal
disruption and maximum impact.
Man, this can be done withminimal disruption and maximum
impact.
Okay, so again, don't letperfection I would encourage you
here Don't let that perfectionbe the enemy of progress.
A complete analysis of yourassets doesn't have to happen
(18:15):
all at once.
Start small Again, I was reallybig.
One of the things that impactedme on EcoSY, if you guys
remember, one of the guests onetime said think big and act
small.
So start small.
Maybe it's a simple stormreview or specific control
panels or just your highest riskarea and you just want to have
(18:35):
a sleep a little bit better atnight, knowing what's in that
high risk area.
Start there, build somemomentum and then expand as you
go, because this is not a singleproject.
Again, this is a progression,but it does start with
understanding where you arepresently and at ECO we're here
(18:56):
to help you really get clear onwhat that starting point is and
walk with you through the entirejourney From asset analysis to
the smart tech review to theprogression planning.
You don't have to do thisblindly, you don't.
You can modernize smart withpurpose, with strategy and with
(19:16):
clarity, and we want to help you.
So, again, if you found thisencouraging, if it's something
that you think you would like tolearn more about specifically
with our services at ElectricalEquipment Company, go check out
the links in this particularepisode.
We'll have links directly whereyou can contact us.
We'd love to come in and justhave a conversation, understand
(19:39):
where you're at, maybe even helpyou get clarity on where you
should start where you're at,maybe even help you get clarity
on where you should start.
Sometimes just a simple walkthrough a plant and listening
and hearing your areas ofconcern will be enough for us to
identify.
Hey, based off of what you toldus, why don't we look at this
type of analysis over here foryou and you know what those
(20:01):
little small steps are greatways to get started in a truly
meaningful way.
So go check out the show notes.
We'll have all that.
We'd love to connect with you.
These types of services we doacross the country.
If you're listening to me andyou're in electrical equipment
companies service area.
(20:22):
We can help you with this.
Ok, from the small to the big,we are ready to jump in and
serve and help get you startedon your own smart manufacturing
journey.
So thank you for listening.
Hey, I would also encourage youto share this stuff out Eco SY
when the episodes come out,share it out with your team,
share it out with other teams,encourage them to check it out.
(20:43):
Show notes have.
We'll have all the links wehave the ways you can connect
with us on LinkedIn, the way youcan get started with an
installed asset analysis, theway you can get started with
your EcoOnline online account.
We want to get you started withyour own account so that you
can go in and start evaluatingsome of these products and
(21:03):
things like that that we haveonline for you.
So, again, ecoonlinecom iswhere you get started with that.
Okay, if you don't mind, give usa rating and review for the
podcast.
That does help promote thepodcast.
That would be great.
But the main thing, theabsolute most important thing,
is connect with us.
We are here to serve, we'rehere to help and if you think
(21:24):
that you're ready to start yourown smart manufacturing journey,
we're ready to come alongside,kind of as your guide, if you
will, to give you thatconfidence to step forth and be
the hero that we know that youare All right.
Thank you so much for listening, for hanging out today.
Again, all your feedback'sgreat.
Look forward to seeing you nexttime and remember to keep
(22:04):
asking why.
Thank you for listening to.
Eeco Asks why this show issupported ad-free by Electrical
Equipment Company.
Eeco is redefining theexpectations of an electrical
distributor by placing peopleand ideas before products.
Please subscribe and share withyour colleagues and friends.
Also leave comments, feedbackand any new topics that you
(22:24):
would like to hear.
To learn more or to share yourinsights, visit EECOASYcom.
That's E-E-C-O-A-S-K-S-W-H-Ycom.
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