The Pilot Go Live!

The Go live day had finally arrived. After several weeks of planning and organising it was a great feeling going into the plant in the morning knowing that everyone understood and was supportive of the project.

That day, the plant were running some tests on some new products first thing which meant that we didn't have to start using the system until about 10:00am. We suited and booted and went onto the factory floor to see the operators we had trained. We were shown the protocols for moving between areas and which clothing to wear to adhere to food and safety regulations.

The first operator we went to see had reorganised his workstation so that he now had room for the unit and he had his notes handy in case he needed them. More or less as soon as we were there he was using the device to record the data for his first procedure which he did without any problems. He looked surprised when he had completed it as there was now less for him to do because the device calculated many of the figures he had manually worked out before. we watched him for a while and took interest in his other duties and the duties of those around him.

We moved to the other location of the factory floor where the other procedures were being run. This area was where some oven exit temperatures were being recorded on a frequent basis. The operator there had already completed the process about six times by the time we got to her. All was well and there were NO issues!

One of the supervisors took the time to explain in detail the entire process. He showed us how all the equipment worked and told us a great deal about the history of the plant and the sorts of problems they come across on a daily basis. This information is great to listen to. It provided us with a much better understanding of what goes on in those environments.

The procedures were run all through the first shift without any issues at all. We went to the server and saw the data coming in live from the floor. Actually, this was unexpected as the factory was not fitted with wireless access points but it just so happened that the one we had set up in the training room provided a signal for one of the units from where it was situated. This gave us the added bonus of being able to see the operation in a way more akin to how it would be in a proper setup.

At the end of the day, we reviewed what had happened that day and discussed with the plant manager what to do and who to call in the event of any issues arising. We spoke with all the supervisors and made sure they had our contact details and that they were happy with everything. They were so we departed at around 5pm.

The tale continues.....