Today, it often seems that time is a luxury (and one in short supply). The world is moving faster than ever before, new technology is constantly created, everyone is busy– and, as a result, there never seems to be enough time in a day.
The right innovation, though, bestows the gift of time.
This has always been the case – and Meridian electronic document management system (EDMS) is the latest innovation providing the gift of time.
Looking Back: Industrial Developments Have Always Freed Up Time
The first Industrial Revolution began in the 18th century with the development of steam power and mechanization of production. Rather than producing threads on a simple spinning wheel, people were suddenly able to achieve eight times the volume at the same time. Similarly, while steam power was already known, its use for industrial purposes was the greatest breakthrough for increasing human productivity.
The second revolution came 100 years later with the discovery of electricity. Suddenly, companies could start mass producing their products and textiles. The automotive industry also took a massive leap forward: it could start producing vehicles in partial steps on a conveyor belt, which was faster and lower cost. Then, in the 1970s, the world saw the third Industrial Revolution with the appearance of the first computers and memory-programmed controls. Since the introduction of these technologies, the entire production process has undergone a massive change and an acceleration of technology processes without human intervention.
Today, We’re in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Today, we are in Industry 4.0, a digitalization of manufacturing— powered by AI, machine learning and the Internet of Things— that will transform the way goods and services are produced and distributed.
And it’s already taking hold. According to McKinsey, “In the immediate response to the [COVID-19] crisis [...] Industry leaders are leveraging Industry 4.0 solutions, with 39% having implemented a nerve-center, or control-tower, approach to increase end-to-end supply-chain transparency, and around a quarter fast-tracking automation programs to stem worker shortages arising from COVID-19.”
This will replace long outdated communication processes and tools, including paper-based work order and never-ending Excel spreadsheets – and the shift is long overdue.
Digitization is the Next Step for Manufacturing Organizations Manufacturing organizations are now under pressure to increase labour efficiency, improve personnel safety, eliminate siloes and save money and time.
And comprehensive digitization might be the answer.
It goes without saying that manufacturing companies equipped with the right tools are more resilient and capable of working smarter. And this can bring major business value. “The better and more efficiently an enterprise runs, the more money it saves – enabling it to deliver on its project goals and timelines,” shares Robert Fontein, Sales Executive at Accruent.
An Engineering Document Management System Can Help
An engineering document management system like Meridian can be the answer that manufacturers need to adjust to the new demanding times. Meridian enterprise information management solution transforms engineering data into actionable plant information, keeping users in control, compliant, aligned and informed throughout the asset lifecycle.
Some of the benefits include:
Creating a single source of truth
Collecting all technical documents, images and drawing in one single place.
Configurable workflows to streamline information and improve communication within all internal departments.
Standard systems to ensure every document change is versioned and audited to demonstrate regulatory compliance.
Meridian Can Replace Your ECMS
Additionally, thanks to its range of features and configurability, Meridian can also serve as an asset information management solution for owner-operators and an ECMS solution for contractors and equipment suppliers that can replace underperforming ECMS systems Specifically, Meridian provides users with the following features, which a standard ECMS cannot provide:
- Connectivity: Departments are connected through the integration of maintenance management, facilities management or ERP systems.
- Compliance: Work and display drawings in PDF renditions that are compliant with the regulatory requirements applicable to your organization
- Integrations: Robust integration with authoring engineering applications – such as AutoCAD, Revit, MicroStation, Inventor and Solidworks – and office applications that synchronize data between documents and the Meridian database to keep data accurate, reduce errors and improve accuracy
- Data structure: Manage references and assembly structures correctly within the application. Most ECMS solutions are not built to truly manage the multiple file types and relationships required with these highly complex filetypes
- Workflows: Ad hoc workflow requirements in an engineering environment to support work processes, including concurrent engineering practices, batch plotting, created work packages and hybrid files
Final Thoughts
Meridian is designed to support, manage and enable engineering changes. It has been purpose-built to facilitate productivity when working with critical documents through the use of complicated and exacting workflows. In a world where time is a gift, wasting time searching for the right documents across multiple systems can be the difference between bottom-line success and business failure. A single software solution to house and share all critical engineering documentation, can help organizations dramatically improve cross-team communication and transform cross-functional efficiency. Don’t lose any more time. Consider Meridian EDMS.
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