Lantek Analytics analyses both customer and manufacturing KPIs. The modules come with a set of standard KPIs which have been developed by Lantek through consultation with industry companies to meet the vast majority of requirements. However, customers can still specify additional KPIs to suit their individual business needs, tailoring the software to requirements where necessary.
For Lantek Customer Analytics, KPIs include percentage of accepted quotes; best customers by accepted quotes and margins; deviation from estimated costs; and the history and location of quotes. Lantek Manufacturing Analytics KPIs include availability of equipment; OEE; parts produced and percentage of good parts over a specified period; percentage of remnants over total raw material; stock status; and weight of parts produced. A virtual model of the workshop and working practices fit this information analysis exactly to each manufacturer.
The Lantek Analytics software has been designed to be plug and play for the majority of companies, minimising installation and disruption, and ensuring a rapid learning curve so that engineers and managers can quickly benefit from the information. To further simplify the installation, security and maintenance of the software, it resides in the cloud. This capability offers some significant benefits as it removes the need for costly hardware and the know-how necessary to keep it secure and operational. All these aspects of the system are taken care of in the cloud with military grade data security, while updates to the system are automatically implemented and access is possible from anywhere in the world.
To bring customer and supplier closer, two further newly developed products, Metalshop and iQuote, make it possible for sheet-metal companies to respond automatically to quotation requests online and for their sales teams to quickly prepare budget prices.
Metalshop is the web interface that enables customers to login and submit a request for a quotation, and place an order online, uploading all the information about material, quantities, required delivery dates, delivery methods and, most importantly, the geometry of the part itself. The request then sets in motion a series of automated queries within the Lantek software through the iQuote app, such as cutting times, cost of material, stock levels and the margins to be applied. Queries to Lantek MES check the levels of work already going through the workshop and schedule cutting and other operations – and outsourced operations – to meet the required delivery date.
As part of the process, the iQuote app checks for anomalies in the data such as bad CAD data and zero weight of part, creating an alert for user intervention so that an engineer can resolve the problem with the customer. iQuote is also designed to be used on its own as a rapid way for sales teams to get prices for their customers, making it suitable where large volumes of quotations are required. The software uses all of the same mechanisms for cost queries as it does when combined with Metalshop, but needs confirmation from the final client before the sales person accepts the order and transfers it to Lantek MES for manufacture.
