Novagard, a Cleveland, Ohio manufacturer of engineered silicones, sealants, coatings, lubricants and foams founded in 1977, used the CESMII Smart Manufacturing Roadmap to define the business need before choosing technology. The result: an 88% year-over-year reduction in downtime, with no investment beyond the team's own time.
The challenge. Novagard's team was tasked with digitizing the plant as quickly as possible, but early efforts often focused on implementing new technologies before fully defining the business need or expected ROI. With many competing priorities, deciding which investments would deliver the greatest value was a challenge.
The approach. Introduced to the roadmap through ManufacturingWorks, Novagard stepped back to define the business need first. With a CESMII Roadmap Professional, the team prioritized workforce training, standardized processes and access to the right data, gaining a common language and framework for Smart Manufacturing.
Results so far:
- $0 cost to Novagard: the project was grant-funded
- 130 business processes formally documented and reviewed
- 88% reduction in downtime, year over year
"Many assume Smart Manufacturing is all about technology, but we learned it starts with people and processes. That alignment has been huge for us as an organization." Greg Schumacher, Director of Manufacturing, Novagard Solutions
