Mastering System Design: From Concept to Reality

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to ECO Ask why, a podcast that dives into industrial manufacturing topics and spotlights the heroes to keep America running. I'm your host, chris Granger, and on this podcast we do not cover the latest features and benefits on products that come to market. Instead, we focus on advice and insight from the top minds of industry, because people and ideas will be how America remains number one in manufacturing in the world. Welcome to ECO Ask why. I'm your host, chris Granger. Today we're going to be talking about mastering system design. We're going from concept to reality. So I'm excited to be here with you guys again for this episode. Again, new format here for ECO Ask why Really got a good lot of good feedback for our uninstalled asset analysis episode that we just released.

Speaker 1: 0:54

So looking forward to digging into this topic with you today. And it's a very important topic because when you're thinking about systems in an industrial setting, you really have to have a systematic approach to be effective, because in industrial manufacturing, that success is contingent on meticulous planning, seamless coordination and innovative thinking. So that approach that we're going to be reviewing today is going to really set you apart from those who struggle to those who are actually confidently advancing your objectives. So I know that's the boat that you want to be in, right. I know it can be so hard out there in industrial manufacturing to get some of these projects approved and then you have to get them implemented and you have to teach people how to use them. So we're gonna kind of walk through a process for you today that will hopefully make that that next project that you have, that system design, seamless. Okay. So this journey to success and system design commences with understanding the starting line, because we have to know where we're going to start at before we can even take off right. And we're going to really talk about two categories as we dig through this conversation today. We're talking about new installations and then also equipment upgrades, because both really present some really unique opportunities to introduce modernization into your overall process.

Speaker 1: 2:17

Just think about that, okay, the overall process you have right now. We know that you need to be modernizing, you need to be advancing, you need to be bringing new technologies, and when you do that, when you think through your upcoming projects, you should always be thinking, okay, what can I introduce now? What can I dive into next that's going to actually open up data or information that's going to help your process, improve and give you that competitive advantage. So we're going to be talking about categories, how we can do that. We're going to explore the importance of clear goals and strategies, and we'll also discuss some very practical tools that I think you're going to really find a lot of value out of and the technologies out there that are available to help you streamline this system design process, because I know it can be very daunting when you sit down and you're thinking about a new system.

Speaker 1: 3:04

It can be daunting. There's a lot of things that are going to be variables that are in play. There's a lot of things you need to consider. There's lots of stakeholders as well. Sometimes it can be money constraints and for budgets and things like that. So we're just going to take this one step at a time together as we move forward.

Speaker 1: 3:21

So, all right, we'll break this down into the two pillars. We have the new installations, then we have the equipment upgrades and let's start off just out the gate with our new installations. Okay, you can really consider a new installation. It's like a blank canvas, right? So, designing that new system, I know it can be exciting, it can be super exciting, but it can also be challenging, right? This can be so challenging because you know what you don't have anything to go off of. So, starting with a clean slate, that gives a lot of flexibility and gives you also creative freedom to where you can really start thinking about that system holistically to let it align with your desired outcomes. So many times we find that when you have a new system, the outcome is often predefined, right, and then it makes you as an engineer you have to match the available technologies with the specific output requirements and kind of do a lot of reverse engineering here, right? So you have to do a lot of evaluation, a lot of testing, a lot of establishing some new standards, because if you have a new system, a new design, maybe you need to have some new standards in place as well, and that's going to help put you on that cutting edge of innovation and technology, right.

Speaker 1: 4:34

But we understand, particularly here at Electric Equipment Company, the path to innovation that while it is daunting, it doesn't have to be overwhelming, okay. So we have things like, you know, distributors at their D-days these days. Like Electric Equipment Company, we have innovative labs where you can come in, you can test, you can get hands-on with the technology that you want to implement, right Before you ever bring it into your and introduce it into your facility. Just think about that for a second. Just like you go, before you buy a car, you go do a test ride, right, and you would test drive those cars. You go out there, you would. You would see how it accelerates, how it decelerates. You know all the features that doesn't have the cup holders where you want them and things like that all the important things, right? Well, this is the same thing here.

Speaker 1: 5:17

When you have a lab available, it's not just about theory, it's about practical, real-world application, and that's what labs offer you. So we believe particularly in our eco labs. By giving you that first-hand experience with that technology, we're going to empower you right there to make informed decisions during that process. And during that process you want to make sure you're informed because in that moment when you, when you make any decisions based off your experiences, your vision is going to start to become your reality, and that's where you connect the dots, right. So take advantage. If you're working with distributors right now, and wherever you're located, obviously, if you're in the eastern part of the US and you're working with the electric equipment company, we invite you to come into our labs.

Speaker 1: 6:03

Get hands-on, have the chance to really dive deep into the technologies that you're interested in, and look when you come in. Don't just look for the features and benefits. Let's get down to brass tacks of what you need in your system, because that's what matters most. Right? It's wonderful if you have a thousand data points that you have access to. That's great. But what five to ten are going to really move the ball down the field. Know that. Then come into a lab and test for it and see how it works, see how the integration works, how you maybe you want to go from from one controller to another system or from one communication system to the next. You need to understand how to do that, what the gateways are involved. This is where labs come into play. So when you have a new system, you have a blank canvas. Don't let that be such a daunting task. Look at it as an opportunity to explore.

Speaker 1: 6:55

Now let's say, let's move to the second pillar. You have an equipment upgrade and you're looking. You have an opportunity right here to modernize that aging infrastructure. That's great. That's a great position to be in. Okay, because that's time clicks on down the road. Equipment is going to approach the end of this operational lifespan. It just is right. No equipment is designed to run forever, and this reality confronts so many of our manufacturers that we that we serve out there. It raises a lot of critical questions. So think about this how do you identify areas in your existing infrastructure that need attention? You know how do you even go about that process? Now, once you do, where should the improvements begin?

Speaker 1: 7:39

Now, I know this I'm kind of taking back to our last episode on on ECO ASY, but the answer truly lies in getting that baseline, and you get that baseline through an installed asset analysis. Now, go back, if you didn't listen to the previous episode. Go listen to the installed asset analysis. We have lots of resources to help you with that as well. But that provides you that accurate inventory of the assets and it transforms that decision making from some from subjective to data driven, because we all know how subjective arguments go right. It really depends on who has the last say. But when you take it from subjective and you move it to a data driven conversation, the game changes. The game truly changes because that that, that installed asset analysis, not only identifies your current assets, but it really unveils the items that are no longer supported, right, or maybe you're seeing items that are nearing their lifespans in and this is good information to know and along with that that's going to you'll have recommendations for replacement upgrades and it's going to take that guesswork out of everything that you have to go on and we know you have so much going on inside of manufacturing facility so you can start that installed asset analysis right now. Connect with us If you, if you want to get started, if you want more information on that, we'll make sure that we put some recent, some links in the show notes here to go back and check that out. And if you're again in the service area for electrical equipment company, let us know. We'd love to come in and have a conversations with you to see how we can get you started with an installed asset analysis. All right.

Speaker 1: 9:12

Now, once you let's say you, we got those two pillars, let's just start at the beginning. That foundation of success. It starts with vision. It really starts with vision. So I I'm a big Stephen Covey fan. I love the seven habits of how they affected people, and you go back to one of his habits he talks about pretty regularly. I know most people recognize this one, but begin with the end in mind. Okay, begin with the end in mind.

Speaker 1: 9:38

So, before you start diving into equipment specifics, take the time to define your ideal system outcome. Think about that for a second. What do you really need this, this system, to do? Consider some key data points and then start thinking about the data that you need to make better decisions, and you need to understand that those, those data points. They need to be able to influence your business decisions as well. Then start thinking about your communication platforms. Begin. I mean you need to understand, okay, how can we best move the data? What speed do we need? What types of processes are we going to be working with to really figure out? Okay, which communication protocol is going to actually give us the results that are desired, right? Well, you're spending a lot of time designing a system. The last thing you want to do is get a system that's lagging behind and can't keep up with your demand.

Speaker 1: 10:28

Now, if you achieve clarity in these areas, you're going to lay a really solid foundation that's going to just guide you a path through the whole process, and it starts with the vision. So, begin with that end in mind. Sit down and draw on a big blank canvas or some type of whiteboard, whatever you have there and just lay out, okay, here's the ideal outcome and then start thinking about it Though the all it would be nice items on the table and start evaluating. It'd be great if we could measure this. What if we could do? Move the equipment over here and actually improve our process flow. Start thinking about those things from a holistic standpoint and then reverse engineer, start thinking back there and that vision. Once you had a vision set, don't vary from it. Be consistent with the vision.

Speaker 1: 11:21

Now I want to give you a few tools as we start thinking about technology. There's so much technology out there when you're designing a new system. I'm going to give you some tools and some resources that you can have right now that you can start utilizing that I guarantee are going to make an impact. Okay, so now you have this criteria to find and you need to start thinking about these tools. I'm going to tell you right out the gate we have a lot of these resources here at the Lester Equipment Company. So if you need support in getting these resources, just reach out to us. Okay, because these decisions that you're making, they are important to the future of your facility and you need to make sure you're installing the best available technology each and every time. So I'm going to give you, right out the gate here, four resources that I guarantee will make an impact. So the first two come from Rockwell Automation.

Speaker 1: 12:07

Now, the first one's called Integrated Architecture Builder. Okay, so that's IAB Integrated Architecture Builder, and this platform combines innovative automation components to really help you make that robust control system. So what it's going to do, guys, it's going to walk you through how you select your hardware. It really is. It's going to say, okay, you have this controller, you want these IO points? Hey, don't forget, you need to have these cables and things like that to connect the controller together. If you want an HMI, here's how you make that work and it brings it all together. If you want to add a few drives, you can add drives to the system. It brings it all together and helps you build it. And the cool part about it it generates a bill of materials for you and you can be sure. But when this comes out, integrated Architecture Builder, everything has compliance, it has standards, you have the latest and greatest technology. You don't have to worry about things that are not supported any longer, because if it's coming directly from IAB. You can rest assured that this technology is the latest. It's going to give you the results that you desire. So we'll have some links in the show notes for this one. For Integrated Architecture Builder Again, that's a plugin that you can directly download. It has an entire backlog of catalog items that you can have access to directly and then you can start constructing and building out your systems and start playing with it and try different platforms. Try it out when you're in IAB. It has so much flexibility and gives you a lot of autonomy you can just really you can get creative and see what's out there. Okay, so go check out that.

Speaker 1: 13:44

Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture Builder. Now also the second tool from Rockwell Automation is Proposal Works. I have used Proposal Works for years. When I first started at a lecture equipment company over 22 years ago and I remember Proposal Works was just coming out I just thought it was such a great tool and I used it every day when I was selling Rockwell in Virginia and it was just something that I think is such a great tool. That's been added on, it's been obviously improved and enhanced over the years and it's designed directly for you, the end user, engineers, integrators, all the people out there who are working with Rockwell Automation Components and the software.

Speaker 1: 14:24

Really, it's what I like about it. It's so user friendly and it simplifies that component selection, because I don't know about you, but it can be hard If you're trying to select just basic things like push buttons. Right, it can be Confusing sometimes if you don't do it every day to make sure you're selecting the right products. Proposal works, does it for you. It really walks you through. Okay, you need this output. Oh, you need this communication. Okay, what else are you trying to accomplish? Do you need any auxiliary contacts or things like that? Boom, boom, boom. It lays at the part number for you. It really is user-friendly. And that database that is connected to that rock, that ties directly to the rock will automation products Unreal, absolutely unreal on how much access you have to the, to the, to the Products that rock will automation offers. And this is going to, at the end of the day, it's gonna facilitate more informed decision-making that you're gonna have in them in the moment and it's gonna align with your application requirements. So it's really great, guys.

Speaker 1: 15:25

Again, free software from rock automation. Go check out the links in the show notes. We'll have that out there for you as well. But when you start designing system tools like integrated architecture builder and proposal works particularly if you're working with a rock Well center type of automation system these are two resources that, once engineers and developers start working with that, you'll never you wonder where was this at your whole career like? Why was I not using this before? Now? The third tool is from our, our, our friends over at eating, this called bit man. Now again, this is the. This full disclosure. This is available to distribute to distributors only, but we have at eco, we're ready to support you. We have the teams and tools that are ready to work with this.

Speaker 1: 16:09

Now, this software, what it does? It helps you select suitable electrical products for these projects, primarily in the power space. Okay, so it's a huge database of eating offerings and it's going. And what it helps us do is understand Okay, you're looking for a panel board or switchboard or switch gear or a motor control center, and we'll help lay out for us, okay, for these requirements, what's the best available technology from eating that we can provide you. So it's not just gonna send you a bill of materials and here's your quote, for you know, 30 items to make up this motor control center. No, we're gonna be able to provide you directly here's here's drawings, here schematics. Here's the here's the why behind while we're selecting these products. So, again, eating Probably the leader in the power industry and we would. We work directly with the bid man. So if you want to to learn more about bid man, connect with us. If you have a power related project, let us know. We'd love to help you with that as we move forward there.

Speaker 1: 17:09

Now the fourth tool, or share this for you, for those out there, that works with Siemens automation platforms. They have something called Siemens TIA selection tool. Okay, so go check that out. That is a really comprehensive solution, guys. It's designed to assist engineers, system integrators and users again, right, and selecting the components for industrial automation projects Directly from Siemens. Okay, this has Siemens extensive database connected to it and it's the automation portfolio that they provide, and it lets the users bring a lot of inform decision Decisions that align all their products together. Now the cool part about Siemens and TIA it has it all in one right. So from from, from everything Siemens offers. It's within the TIA selection tool process. So, again, free resource out there from Siemens. Check out the links in the show notes. We'll make sure that you have a links to that directly so that you can get that downloaded, particularly for your Siemens user. If you haven't used TIA selection tool again into, you have fallen up with it. So those four tools the integrated architecture, builder proposal, words been man, tia selection tools, the are just. These are just samples Of four tools right there that you have in your access to today to start building your system.

Speaker 1: 18:24

Now let's transition a little bit. Let's talk about the art of execution, because at some point you have to bring this system alive right. So you have that solid foundation, everything you have that well-defined plan and the most exciting phase, quite frankly, is is when we bring it together right, we will bring in that system alive. So we had that project with clarity and that proven plan, and you introduced that technology that's going and really advanced the game. The game, rather, that's gonna really help you build more and more internal support and advocacy. Think about that because as you, as you prove at your system and it's working, the way that you've designed, the way that you've proven, the way that you know that it's can hand, it's gonna bring benefit to your company. You're gonna have advocates, most stakeholders out there. They need a tangible plan to commit fully to right and by just by following this framework, you guys, you're gonna propel yourself, you go, set yourself up in particular to be successful, moving forward, and you're gonna be looking, be looked at as a leader, a proactive leader that gets things done.

Speaker 1: 19:28

And I don't know about you all, but I know we need more and more that, particularly in the industrial manufacturing facility. So you need to start thinking about that, start thinking about the modernization opportunities that exist because, as the landscape changes from from industrial standpoint, everything's evolving. It really is the technologies, the methodologies, everything that we're using. Manufacturing is constantly on an evolution. Just think back, if you're, if you've been in manufacturing for a while, maybe the last 20 years how much has changed, not only from the way that we collect data, but the way that we use it or the way that we integrate With that, how we interact with equipment, right from HMI's to push buttons to now. Everything is so smart and connected right.

Speaker 1: 20:11

So modernizing equipment and systems it's so crucial, so crucial, and these upgrades, these upgrade opportunities that you have, are Significant opportunities to advance the ball. It's not just advanced ball, just to have better technology in the plant. No, it's to make yourself more competitive, to make better products, to have a stronger value proposition. All that is the key factors. So now you need to think about the timing, because you have to identify the right times for the upgrades and so and it could be so difficult to know when I need to actually take action. So, because if wait for it to fail, basically you have a couple things going on that could be a liable option for For for some of you, all, right, I'm just gonna wait for it to fail and then I'll deal with it when I deal with it, right.

Speaker 1: 21:00

But if you do that, your risk, you're putting yourself at risk in a couple areas. You potentially can have downtime right, because it fails when you need to be running. Obviously the equipment's down, ie, you have downtime that could impact production delays and the more importantly out of all this, from an electrical standpoint, we need to keep in mind. There's safety. We have people working inside these manufacturing facilities day in, a day out, and at the end of the day, we want them to go home. We want them to go home safely, right? So you need to be be very careful when we're trying to identify the time that we're not putting any safety components. If we see a safety component needs to be addressed, that needs to be addressed immediately, address that immediately and then start thinking forward.

Speaker 1: 21:43

And then, conversely, if you start thinking about stuff Prematurely and you just start ripping out stuff that's not causing any issues, that still it still has useful life, you can put a serious strain on your budgets. So those data driven decisions, that is the key, that's the difference maker, and you do that through like condition assessments, predictive maintenance indicators. As you're going out and you're performing maintenance on the equipment, it's gonna be telling you right, oh hey, I need to make sure I'm spending some attention over here. It's gonna help you pinpoint the equipment that's nearing, it's in the life cycle and once you know that, then you can take it, then you can take action. Or it also is going to give you indicators on what equipment is prone to failure and it's going, if you want you know those, those couple areas, you'll be able to have a much better place to make strategic upgrades and replacements versus just ripping and replacing. If you have a strategy behind that system design, it's gonna put you on a on such a better path forward for making an impact.

Speaker 1: 22:47

Now let's think about the role of modernization as we, as we talk about Equipment upgrades directly, because those upgrades, they obviously give you that prime opportunity for monitors, for modernization, and let's think through a couple. I'm gonna give you five right here, five areas that that Modernization was with your equipment upgrades, the value that it's gonna bring. First of all, it should bring you improved efficiency and use all these things as a litmus test If these, if the, if your equipment that you're getting ready to purchase and move forward with, if it doesn't check a couple of these boxes, are you really making the right decision? So, first of all, is it improving your efficiency? Because modern equipment guys, it's out there it's got to be more efficient, more productive, reduces energy consumption and it better increase the output. So just think about, from an efficiency standpoint, is it doing what it should?

Speaker 1: 23:38

Now, enhanced safety just talked about this, but when you upgrade equipment, you need to make sure it at least meets your current safety requirements and then it protects your workforce and ensures compliance. I would challenge you to take it just a step further. Hey, it's not just meaning how can it succeed our safety requirements? So think about safety. They need to consider integration capabilities, because so much equipment these days can have that seamless connection points with automation systems. But make sure that the capability that you need is there. There's nothing that's going to be more frustrating. If you buy a system, you get ready to integrate it and actually you know you're having trouble getting the system online communication protocols and things like that. Just do your homework up front. Also, these upgrades should reduce your maintenance costs, right, not make your maintenance costs go away. There's no such thing as that. But newer equipment requires less frequent and costly maintenance. It's just reality, right, and look, there's just some long term savings that go along with there. But you need to make sure that you understand that it's not going to eliminate the maintenance costs, but there should be a reduction in any way you can identify to measure. That is a great value point in your case to build out your system that you're going to be proposing, okay.

Speaker 1: 24:55

And then, finally, scalability. Okay, scalability. So modern equipment typically is scalable. It gives you an opportunity to adapt evolving production demands, right. So things are going to pop up. As you design a system and you start getting it installed and moving forward with the system on the plant, you're going to be asked well, can you add this or can I take away that and all these different components and areas. So that scalability is very important. So design with that in mind. If you need eight outputs, don't just install eight outputs. Why don't you go ahead and get 12? Well, better, yet 16. So in the future, if things get added to it, it would be less of an impact for you and you just say, oh yeah, absolutely, we designed with that scalability in mind. We'll be able to move directly to that, okay.

Speaker 1: 25:43

So those five areas right here are some things to consider about the role of modernization in equipment upgrades. So, again, improved efficiency, enhance your safety, integration capabilities need to be considered, reduce that maintenance cost and your scalability. So those areas are very important. Now I want to think about four areas that you can consider when you select the right equipment for you for those upgrades, because choosing the right equipment is so crucial and you need to consider things like production requirements, obviously, budgets, long term goals, what, who are the stakeholders? We've already talked about how to install this. Asset analysis is a really great way to get started so far as collecting that data, but now you need to start making better decisions, moving forward, okay.

Speaker 1: 26:30

So here's some things to consider Compatibility when you're selecting the right equipment. Consider the compatibility, because you need to make sure your upgraded equipment is compatible with your existing systems because you don't want to avoid you want to avoid any infrastructure delays, right? You don't want anything that's going to hold you back from getting that system back and online and up and running and performing the way that it should. Then you should do an ROI analysis, right? You need to evaluate the financial viability of what you're doing through your return on investment analysis. Okay, and things to consider here energy savings, your productivity, your maintenance costs up and down I mean all these different areas really make an impact on the return on investment.

Speaker 1: 27:18

So, start thinking as you're thinking through your equipment upgrades, understand what the ROI could be. And then future proof of this stuff. You need to start thinking through the equipment that you're installing and making sure it's adaptable to future enhancements. So, again, I just talked about a minute ago how you need to make sure you have enough scalability there, but also future proof of the best you can to ensure you that you have relevance in the changing landscape, because I'm telling you, the technology changes so fast. Make sure you at least putting the technology in that's current today, so that three to five years down the road you're not dealing with an ancient system. Okay.

Speaker 1: 27:55

And then, finally, the last part I want you to consider is really important it's often overlooked and that's your vendor partnerships. Okay, vendor partnerships. I want you to collaborate with trusted vendors for guidance and support and procurement, installation maintenance, all the things that you have, ongoing support, all the areas that you have as an end user. You need to make sure that you're utilizing your vendors, and in the best way possible, because the vendors can be there, a great support system for you. They can truly help you make such a big impact in your plan. So make sure it's just like vendors, like Electrical Equipment Company, we're here to serve, we're here to understand. First to understand what your goals are. Then, once we understand what your goals are in your overall system, then we're going to do all we can to put the right pieces in place, to get the right connections established, to get the right players involved, to help you make the most informed decision possible. That's what it's all about. That truly is what it's all about.

Speaker 1: 28:58

Now let's move forward here. So just a quick recap on that those equipment upgrades we want to think about compatibility, your ROI analysis, your future proofing and the vendor partnerships. Now we're going to look at how we execute some of these upgrades because, once we've identified them, that we know and we know the value behind them, we need to actually start thinking through the execution phase. Okay, and because we know effective project management is crucial to on time and on budget, right. So if it's on time and it's on budget, that's a good project. So let's think about a couple of things right here.

Speaker 1: 29:32

I want you to consider a detailed project plan, think through a comprehensive plan. Now you have to lay this out, get down to brass tacks tasks, timelines, responsibilities, progress, ways that you can track that progress. I define milestones. All this is important as you start thinking through how to execute an equipment upgrade project. Okay. Now risk assessment consider that, your potential risk involved, and then not just think about the risk, but start to develop some contingencies when those things happen. Because I'm going to tell you one thing when you start doing a system design overall or new system design install, you're going to run into hurdles. So start thinking as much as you can ahead, okay, about if this happens, what it would be plan B or plan C and just have that defined. Now you consider you're minimizing downtime. So the best, the easiest way is to coordinate these upgrades into the most effective way possible so that you can minimize any impact that's going to have on the rest of the plan. Right, maybe this is a scheduled outage or certain maintenance days or whatever it may be, but you minimize the downtime. This will be less pressure on you, I promise, and it will have more of it. You'll have more alignment and more impact. And just that pressure aspect is so important.

Speaker 1: 30:53

All right, now, once you think about testing and validation so rigorously, test this stuff, validate the equipment If you can do your testing and your validation before you ever install it. Now, once you install it, definitely continue to testing. But that testing and validation piece so important. You've already done your lab work right. You've come into an electrical equipment company or other vendors that you're working with and you've tested the technology in a lab environment. But make sure you test and validate rigorously before you do any full scale production of bringing equipment back online.

Speaker 1: 31:28

And then number five document, document, document. Make sure you document everything. All right, get that, get deep. No details too small. Think about your equipment, think about your specifications, think about the installation records who worked on what and when? How about your testing results? What testing was done prior to any type of power power up, right, all this stuff. It's gonna really help you for not just for referencing Okay, if you need to go back and learn but for also audits. You want to go back and check and make sure that the steps a, b and c were done.

Speaker 1: 32:04

The more you can document the, the better you are, the better position you are putting your company in, particularly around Executing those upgrades. And then you have employee training. You need to make sure and when you do a new system, don't miss this piece that you train your employees. They need to be proficient, they need to understand the ins and outs of this equipment so that they can efficiently operate and Maintain this brand new equipment. It's amazing how many times we equipment is installed and there's there's no follow-up. No, there has to be that follow-up to make sure the people that are gonna be there working with the equipment day in and day out Understand that you answered their questions directly so they can see. Okay, if I make this change over here, here's the impact is come that's gonna make on the process. Take the time to train the employees. Okay, so, if you do those equipment upgrades and you're making that execution phase Again, let's just run through these real quick, detailed project plan.

Speaker 1: 33:04

Gotta have that. Make sure you understand your risk. That risk assessment is so critical. Minimize that downtime, so trying to really plan it around the best times that are most convenient for a plant that has the least amount of Impact on others. Do that testing and validation. Don't just skip this. I don't care if you've done this project a thousand times on the 999 times that you don't test, something's gonna go wrong. So do your testing and validation processes are important for a reason. Then document, document, document. Do not miss the opportunity to document stuff and make sure you have that stuff safely stored Somewhere that you can access it when needed. But document as much as you can and do not forget the employee training, because they are the ones. They are the ones that are deep, that are working with the equipment day in and day out.

Speaker 1: 33:52

Now, as you start thinking through this, consider monitoring and optimization. Okay, so, when you complete an equipment upgrade, right, you have a new phase that you're going to enter into it with your system design. That's your monitor, that's your monitoring in your optimization, because you need to make sure you realize the equipment's full potential before you Before you can ever go for your next project. Right, if you show, hey, this is the value we got from this project, here's why it works. So, what you think about?

Speaker 1: 34:18

Just four quick areas here. Data utilization you need to start leveraging that data because you've installed that new equipment and this equipment is great and this gonna help you in predictive maintenance. You have analysis in process optimization, all those things but if you're not utilizing that data you are missing an opportunity. I've literally walked into plants who had smart equipment and they purchased these smart remote control centers and they will have the ethernet cable that's needs to be hooked up to this, to the smart MCC has never been plugged in because they're just using it as a standard Motor control center and it's like what are you doing? The data's right here, what could you do if that data, if you just tapped into it? So make sure you're utilizing the data. And then also regular maintenance again, we're gonna reduce maintenance when new equipment, but we're not gonna eliminate maintenance. So make sure that proactive maintenance is being scheduled to keep that upgrade equipment and Operational condition, because you want to do all you can as the equipment owner to extend its lifespan.

Speaker 1: 35:22

Okay, now also step in a feedback loop. So that feedback loop with employees that are operating equipment is so important. Encouraged them. Hey, I need to know when things start going wrong, when we start hearing something or smelling something, or just something doesn't seem right. Bring that to me because. And also ask them this hey, based off the way the equipment has been running lately, if what would help the most to change in the process? That would make the process better or your job easier, whatever it may be. But encourage that feedback loop. As for feedback, listen, then respond and then make the appropriate changes as you can, right, but establishing that loop is so Important and oftentimes that is overlooked.

Speaker 1: 36:05

And then start thinking about technology updates. Okay, so always be staying informed about the advancements in industry, because I'm gonna tell you it's changing every day. So be thinking about whether this upgrade and adaptions are necessary to remain competitive or they just be nice, because if they would just be nice, maybe that's not the right timing, but this is an opportunity if you've identified here's a need and that the market has solved a new solution, new technology that's gonna fill a gap that you have in your process. Take advantage of it, why not? So, as we start, as we gonna wrap this up here, guys, I just want to thank you, but be thinking about a future ready approach, because that system design Particularly for you all manufacturing it's a journey. It really is. You have plenty of coordination, you have innovation of new technologies, you have lots of players involved. It's a journey, okay, but if you take this approach, it's going to distinguish you from those who struggle to those who actually advanced the goals. And If you think about these two pillars of system design right and you have the clear goals, you have the technology that you've defined, that you know works, you know how to leverage and you start executing this process, this process, with precision, you're gonna win. You are, you're gonna, you're gonna prepare, propel your organization forward and as you think about modernization through equipment that is so vital, so vital to this journey, because if you had the right tools, the right strategies to write, equipment in place, you're gonna start really changing the game and navigating this industrial evolution with so much success and also confidence. So I encourage you, use your experts, use the technology, all the stuff that's available to you, at your fingertips, people like electrical equipment company. Right, we're ready to be your partner, ready to help you design that system that you need. It's gonna be leave you feeling confident as you've forged that path forward, not only just for your, for your business, but for you, for you and your career. So we'd love to connect with you again.

Speaker 1: 38:10

Hop over to the show notes for show notes for this episode. We'll have lots of links in there for installing it now. Asset analysis for our system design process. I want to, we want to make sure that you have everything that you need to to design, engineer as well as pure, cure and install An effective system each and every time, and we want you to do it with confidence and assurance and also with a partnership. You do not have to do these projects alone. I know it can be a there can be overwhelming. There's lots of moving pieces. Partner up, partner up with people like electrical equipment company who are ready to come in, ready to serve, ready to help you. Okay, so there you go, guys. That's that's. That's this episode.

Speaker 1: 38:51

Would love to get your feedback on eco as well, on the new format, on what you think about it. Is it helping you think through. Is it challenging you? We have lots of resources out there as well. Again, go check out the show notes. We have lots of ways you can connect with us. We have we're giving away free resources all the time and opportunities to connect with our experts directly, so that's something that you'd be interested in.

Speaker 1: 39:14

Again, hop over to the show notes, jump on. We have several forms in it. You can you can opt in to directly and then you'll get our correspondence. You'll see the things we have going on. I'd encourage you to follow us over at LinkedIn. We have a monthly newsletter that comes out on LinkedIn called Inspire Love, to connect with you there as well and to see what you have going on, see the different types of systems that you've, that you've designed, and it's just a great opportunity on LinkedIn to connect with us and we always, as I mentioned earlier, we have innovative labs in all of our territories, from Virginia all the way down to South Carolina. We love to have you come into our labs, have to take that experience, have that, that opportunity to put the hands on with the equipment. So we'll make sure there's a link in the show notes as well, so you can coordinate your lab visit, no matter where you're located.

Speaker 1: 40:01

Okay, so again, if you have any questions on this information, any of this technology, reach out to us. We'll have links in there as well for those four different softwares that we had that we shared about, or at least three that you can download the, the Eaton Bedman. Connect with us directly. We can serve you there. Okay, so let us know what you think, give us a rating and review, share this out with others, particularly in the industrial manufacturing sector. This is what this is all about Just serving, again, people and ideas over products. That's what eco ask why it's all about.

Speaker 1: 40:29

And the ultimate why behind a system design is because we want you to have this system design with confidence. We want you to install it and have assurance that you know what we have built this to last. We have built this to be effective. We have built this to take us to, to give us a competitive advantage in the market and at an electrical equipment company. We want to help you do that. So enjoy that, enjoy your system, have fun with it, look for it as a good opportunity and remember, most importantly, what Keep asking why. Thank you for listening to eco ask why this show is supported ad free by electrical equipment company Eco is redefining the expectations of an electrical distributor by placing people and ideas before products. Please subscribe and share with your colleagues and friends. Also leave comments, feedback, any new topics that you would like to hear. To learn more or to share your insights, visit eco. Ask whycom. That's E, e, c, o, a, s, k, s, w H Ycom.