Operational Efficiency

You have invested in predictive maintenance, analytics or an AI pilot, but the results are slow to show, and trust is slow to build. The model is often not the main problem. This article shows why AI depends on the information foundation underneath it, and where to start if you want AI that your teams actually use.

Integrated Logistic Support (ILS) is required in Defence tenders, but few suppliers develop it. This article shows why it pays off more in the long run than skipping it, and how to start small.

You invested in a CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) to get a grip on maintenance and unplanned downtime, but the work remains mostly reactive. A CMMS only delivers what goes into it: without a reliable information foundation, the expected savings and higher reliability don’t materialize. This article shows why, and where to start if you want more control.

Unplanned downtime costs a lot, but the exact amount often remains unclear. Minimizing the impact proves difficult because asset information is fragmented and unavailable when it matters. This article shows where the problem lies and where to start when you set out to improve.

If a Bill of Materials hasn’t been reviewed for 2 years or more, it almost always has a problem. Some parts on it cost more than the paperwork says, some are harder to get, and some are close to being discontinued. This cost doesn’t show up as one big number on a budget. It builds up slowly, month by month, in what you pay to buy parts. A proper review of the BOM usually finds savings of up to 15%. Below we explain where this cost hides and how to find it before an audit or a supplier does.

Optical fiber flex circuits are essential to today’s technology. In aerospace, defence, automotive, information and communication, and medical devices, they enable fast, reliable data transfer. The technology is evolving fast, and demand for more complex products is growing with it. Production processes need to be flexible and efficient.

Your management asks for lower costs, higher quality, and more output. The people on the floor ask for a workplace that’s safe, ergonomic, and stress-free. Both fair. Both on your desk. And at first glance, they seem mutually exclusive: every decision seems to favor one side and disappoint the other. We know it doesn’t have to be that way.

The last Defence Tech Day at TU/e, a NATO DIANA event, brought together start-ups, military personnel, investors, and industry to explore the latest defence technology. Okke Pieters, Team Manager ILS at Etteplan, breaks down what it means for the industry.

Manufacturers often struggle with the same challenge: production quality and volume need to go up, and costs need to come down. Inefficiencies in production processes stand in the way of that ambition. That’s where the search for a solution begins.