Implementing and upgrading manufacturing systems can bring more gremlins than Halloween. Things that worked yesterday might suddenly glitch, and modified software can bring unpleasant surprises.
There’s the risk of downtime, missed shipments, and frustrated teams. If the implementation or upgrade isn’t done carefully, small technical hiccups can quickly turn into big problems for production, making plant managers feel like they’re battling ghosts.
True Tale: $100 Million in Lost Chocolate Sales
A chilling reminder of what can go wrong with systems is the infamous Hershey Foods debacle of 1999.
With Halloween approaching and trick-or-treaters eagerly awaiting their chocolate treats, Hershey’s new ERP system failed to deliver, literally.
Resulting order processing and shipping issues cost the company over $100 million in sales, a 19% drop in quarterly profits, and an 8% decline in stock value. Gulp.
The implementation problems stemmed from:
- Aggressively rushing the project to go live before 1999 ended
- Implementing multiple systems at once in a “big bang” approach
- Insufficient testing, including those systems needed during the busy Halloween season
👻Computing’s “Halloween Problem”🎃
As another tale, the Halloween Problem in database management occurs when an update operation unintentionally loops and modifies the same set of records repeatedly, due to the way indexes are traversed and updated.
First identified on a Halloween in the 1970s, the Halloween Problem shows how coding issues can unexpectedly haunt system upgrades. Cautionary lesson: seemingly minor changes in code or database structure can lead to unintended and sometimes disastrous outcomes.
Gremlins Are No Joke: Best Practices Matter
Even the best brands can fall victim to technical gremlins when system implementations and upgrades aren’t carefully planned, executed, and tested.
For any implementation or upgrade, it’s important to proceed with knowledge, employ proven best practices and trusted partners, and never underestimate the importance of timing, testing, and thorough preparation.
Taking the time to test implementations and upgrades helps build confidence, eases nerves, and lets the whole team walk into go-live knowing they’ve done everything possible for a more seamless transition. It also builds teamwork, troubleshooting expertise, and faster response skills.
Facing Fears & Optimizing Plant Operations
Helena Parker, Senior Manager of Information Technology at Detroit Chassis, described her own fears during an upgrade and how Matrix Automation resolved them:
There is always a fear when modifying systems that are critical to your production and revenue stream. Thanks to the experience and professionalism of Doug and the Matrix team, that fear was alleviated.
Rapid response and resolution of concerns were critical to show our stakeholders that plant operation was of the utmost importance.
Detroit Chassis is a manufacturer of OEM-compliant modules, sub-assemblies and complete vehicle chassis – including this F750 in a dump truck model. Detroit Chassis partners with Matrix Automation for plant-wide manufacturing solutions for complex assembly with capabilities such as MES, digital work processes, error-proofing, traceability, reporting, and more.
Since 1983, the Matrix Automation team has used clear planning, step-by-step testing, and real-time communication to keep implementations and upgrades on track. We work closely with plant and launch managers to identify possible issues and minimize surprises.
Learning & Improving from Mistakes
If someone on your team does make a mistake, take it as an opportunity for learning and improving. Instead of pointing fingers when things go wrong, think of these moments as valuable chances to learn and get better.
Coming together as a team to find the real cause, brainstorming ways to prevent it from happening again, and considering if a process change makes sense can help everyone move forward.
From Scary to Success
Much like a jump scare in a haunted house, manufacturing issues sometimes emerge when least expected. By recognizing the human side of these technology challenges, teams can work together to anticipate, address, and overcome them, turning even the scariest implementation or upgrade into a success story.
With the right expertise and a team committed to helping, manufacturing system challenges become manageable. Explore case studies about manufacturing success with Matrix Automation.
The next time you feel those Halloween jitters about an implementation or upgrade, remember that working with proven professionals helps keep the gremlins at bay and plant operations running strong. Contact me and let’s discuss over chocolate.