Panasonic Factory Solutions Company of America
Panasonic Factory Solutions Company of America Seamlessly Integrating Manufacturing Systems with Pan

Governed by a firm belief that ownership is fundamental, Panasonic Factory Solutions Company of America (PFSA) works to transcend passion into innovation. PFSA focuses on a holistic approach for delivering value at the enterprise level through a broad equipment portfolio designed for various manufacturing needs such as speed, changeover, and flexibility. However, since equipment alone cannot satisfy today’s manufacturing needs, PFSA has developed their own Manufacturing Execution Software (MES). “PanaCIM, our MES, seamlessly integrates manufacturing business systems from machine, to production line, to enterprise, to cloud-level. And we back this with world-class professional service offerings for the innovative application of technologies, processes, and methods that extend well beyond the traditional break/fix model,” states M. Faisal Pandit, President, PFSA.

PanaCIM helps schedule a manufacturer’s production plan and determines if they have the equipment available. The system manages inventory from the warehouse to the shop floor to work-in-process to shipping. Beyond quantity and location, the system validates that the right parts are in the right place at the right time which drastically reduces errors. It also monitors Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and broadcasts them on dashboards, alerting and assigning tasks to operators. “PanaCIM automates the process of switching from one product to another—making changeovers a non-event,” explains Pandit. It can link to other factory systems such as Material Requirements Planning (MRP) or Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) for efficient data integrity and helps minimize risk to recall by providing traceability data in a number of configurations. Offline, it provides data to review performance and spot trends from anywhere.

Manufacturers today are challenged with driving efficiencies in terms of cost, the pace of innovation, and digital integration. Pandit opines that achieving these efficiencies is complex and requires incorporating automation, form factor changes, end product capabilities, manufacturing processes, and high turn-around expectations.

Manufacturing is at the core of Panasonic’s DNA and when it comes to providing solutions to their clientele, PFSA’s collaborations have been mutually rewarding. For instance, the market need to track individual component placements on a printed circuit board in order to conform to Federal guidelines resulted in the advanced development of PanaCIM’s traceability module. In another case through consulting engagement, PFSA revised a customer’s factory layout and processes so they could increase throughput to their satisfaction without additional capital investment. The benefit of partnering with Panasonic Factory Solutions is that their solutions address a manufacturer’s total cost with systems that reduce work in progress, minimize changeover time, and eliminate the need for dedicated machine operators.

The North American industry shift from high-volume to mid-to-low volume was treated as an opportunity by PFSA for extension to a broader market. “Rather than scaling back in the industry during the downturn, we invested significantly in the U.S. We added resources and developed our capability to add value beyond hardware and focused on increasing efficiency across a customer’s total enterprise,” says Pandit. PFSA has also developed their “total solutions for any mix, any volume” theme to proactively position solutions that appeal to the changing market demand.

PanaCIM seamlessly integrates manufacturing business systems from machine, to production line, to enterprise, to cloud-level

For the near future PFSA has exciting hardware, software, and service innovations underway. “We are developing new platforms, have already entered the virtual workspace, and are placing next-gen components like the 03015mm chip,” reveals Pandit. In the long run, the company will maintain focus on total solutions by bringing efficiencies and innovation to the manufacturing vertical.