By Oliver Stone, Lifecycle Service Director at ITI Group.
Oliver Stone, Lifecycle Service Director at ITI Group, shares a client success story highlighting the impact of specialised expertise and a commitment to service excellence. Learn how collaboration, along with tailored support services, can drive significant business benefits and transform operational performance.
ITI Group is proud to work with a global leader in advanced materials and speciality chemicals, to support its operational needs in productivity tracking and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). Since 2015, ITI Group has delivered over 20 implementation projects and site-specific contracts for Operational Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) solutions to this international client. This support was expanded into a global OEE service team in 2020, delivering consistent service levels across multiple sites.
Moving forward to 2024, and ITI Group is delighted to extend this partnership, with the provision of a global service team covering all TrakSYS™ OEE and MES application users and production sites.
This productive partnership has developed over the past 9 years, with ITI Group’s in-depth understanding of client requirements and technologies enabling consistent, flexible service and support, adapting to changes as needed, whilst delivering consistent performance and continuous improvement.
ITI Group worked with the client to tailor the new global MES service and support offering to meet client needs, whilst delivering numerous business benefits:
1. Reduced Costs: To support the client in reducing MES costs, ITI Group introduced several key changes:
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- A restructured service model offering more cost-effective access to support services.
- Optimising costs and maintaining service quality by delivering support services from cost-effective near-shore delivery hubs.
- For added efficiency, a unified support team handle both MES and OEE services, streamlining resource management and improving response times. This combined approach allows for more flexible, targeted support without requiring a larger team.
2. Organisational Knowledge-Sharing and Continuity: ITI Group ensures that the extensive expertise developed over years of partnership is preserved, preventing any disruption to ongoing support. This continuity helps maintain the service’s high standards and allows for ongoing knowledge-sharing across the client’s global network.
3. Improved MES Reliability and Usability: ITI Group’s 15+ years as a Parsec Strategic Partner, along with a dedicated MES business unit of 50 skilled professionals—including certified Parsec engineers—ensures robust support for both OEE and MES systems. With experience across over 120 locations, 450 production lines, and service in more than 15 languages, ITI Group is well-equipped to handle the client’s MES needs at a global scale, including lifecycle management and improvements in system uptime and flexibility.
4. Proactive Service Excellence and Continuous Improvement: By analysing system trends, ITI Group has implemented various improvements, including regular upgrades and performance enhancements. This ongoing process of daily communication and detailed activity tracking aligns closely with the client’s own focus on service excellence.
5. Future-Ready Service Planning: ITI Group’s service management team has structured a second service channel to address MES incident resolution with faster response times, positioning the partnership for further scalability. MES template support commenced in July 2024, aligning with the client’s vision of a collaborative, efficient partnership that maximises productivity and enhances operational stability.
Conclusion: Through a focused approach on cost-effectiveness, service continuity, and proactive management, ITI Group has established a collaborative, value-driven partnership with the client. The integration of both MES and OEE services within a cohesive team ensures seamless operational support, helping the client continue their trajectory as an innovative leader in their industry. This partnership model exemplifies how specialised expertise and a commitment to service excellence.