The attached graphic provides the Top 5 recommendations for successful system pilots that we developed for one of our global life science customers several years ago. It can be easily modified for a single facility. A pilot can be a great way to prove out the functional vs. requirements needs especially in the case of MES systems that impact the business processes to a greater extent than the automation system.
The most common mistake we’ve seen is a lack of defined objectives and success criteria. In many cases there may not be clearly defined user requirements and the result is a soft evaluation of the solution. In a previous post I shared a spend vs. influence graphic that highlighted the importance of investing up front. It will cost a nominal amount to develop objectives and the return will be worth it.
Linking the pilot scope to the expected benefits also minimizes the soft evaluation and provides a quantitative evaluation during the pilot. It also serves two other purposes 1) an educated GO / NO GO and 2) value engineering during the project. In a the blog post Using Operational Excellence Techniques to Understand and Solve Business Problems a methodology is provided to identify and quantitate benefits.
Wide participation will ensure wide acceptance by engaging stakeholders early. It’s critical that the end users are on the team and their input solicited. They are the ultimate users and know the most about plant level activities that are critical. I always see a few surprises from the end users (that are the kings of workarounds to get the work done) when they bring this intimate knowledge to the pilot.
Finally, the Pilot should have a level of flexibility and take a rapid prototyping approach. This allows the team to quickly evaluate and deploy solutions to the stakeholders. Flexible systems are also the cost of entry in the marketplace and flexibility is probably going to be a system objective.
For vendors and customers alike – bring your A-Teams and get the most out of the event.