C-Level conversations
Interview with
Philip Morris
Orchestrating the Perfect Day
There’s an ambition in manufacturing: A perfect day on the production floor where there are no safety nor quality incidents, and when there are no unplanned stops on the machines. It’s PMI’s ambition and what they’re striving for as part of their lean manufacturing methodology – having the right set of tools, processes and capabilities to make every day a perfect day.
According to Reza Shahrbabaki, Vice President for Engineering Solutions at Philip Morris International (PMI), the perfect day is no longer a factory fantasy. With the right data, processes and mindset it can be a reality.
If you analyze the data from what happened on even a near-perfect day, you can better understand the critical values and variables that were in play” he says. “If you understand this, you can replicate it, essentially creating a digital twin to the perfect day.”
Unfortunately, doing this is easier said than done. That’s because digitization is a journey that takes both patience and resources. “Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, neither is the perfect day” adds Shahrbabaki. “In other words, you cannot launch something of this magnitude and expect to see results in six months – change takes time.”
Factory employees will become manufacturing maestros, using data to conduct predictive maintenance, improve efficiency, ensure operational excellence and orchestrate the perfect day every day.
Reza Shahrbabaki,
Vice President for Engineering Solutions, Philip Morris International
Back to basic
While there may not be a shortcut to achieving the perfect day, companies do have access to ‘enablers’ – a sequence of steps, with each step enabling the next. One of the first steps in the company’s digitization journey was to become more like an ATM machine.
"Many of us across the world use ATM machines. Over the years these machines have standardized the human machine interface (HMI) and we have reached the stage where you can close your eyes and go through the procedure as you know the sequence by heart. The question I have is : ‘Why should the HMI in manufacturing systems be so complicated ? We should have this same level of user friendliness with our machines so operators, no matter where they are located or what machine they are using, will intuitively know what to do" says Shahrbabaki.
For Shahrbabaki, this exemplifies the importance of getting the basics right. “A digital transformation must start with the basics – ensuring you can access the data you do have and then use it in your operations on a daily basis” he adds.
People-Powered
Digital transformation isn’t just about technology; it’s powered by people. It’s like a symphony orchestra – you will get a harmony while working together only when everyone plays their part best and listen to others.
When teams collaborate, silos disappear, and businesses can adapt faster. Being on the ground, in the ‘gemba,’ encourages us to dream big but start small, test ideas, embrace successful strategies, and continually improve. Think of it like building a skyscraper, one floor at a time, ensuring each level is sturdy and well-crafted.
Open communication and a focus on customers becomes the guiding star, where data and technology are trusty tools in our hands, used by our people who make the magic happen in the digital world!
Towards the Factory of the Future
Thanks to its step-by-step approach to digital transformation, PMI continues to make its manufacturing processes smarter.
Having put in the time to get the basics right, the company is well positioned to evolve into the next phase of its digital transformation, a phase that Shahrbabaki believes will involve even smarter machines and more data, reducing repetitive or ergonomically unsuitable tasks.
There is no finish line to digitization, it’s an ongoing process – and challenge.
says Shahrbabaki.
Manufacturing Maestros
But this doesn't mean humans will be replaced - far from it. According to Shahrbabaki, tomorrow's factory will be like today's air traffic control tower. Instead of pushing buttons and restarting machines, factories will have highly skilled workers monitoring and managing operations from datadriven control rooms. And just as components of an aircraft communicate directly with a control tower, the smart machines of the future will communicate directly with the workers in the control room.
Factory workers will become manufacturing maestros, using data to conduct predictive maintenance, improve efficiency, ensure operational excellence and orchestrate the perfect day every day.
concludes Shahrbabaki.
