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Overcoming Hidden Pitfalls in Industry 4.0 Projects: Planning, Execution, and the Devil in the Details

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Tim Smith

Tim Smith

Director of Technology Adoption at MEMEX Inc.

In the drive toward digital transformation, many organizations embrace Industry 4.0 with high hopes for enhanced productivity, improved operational agility, and a competitive edge. Yet, recent statistics reveal that a significant number of these projects falter. Among the five major problem areas identified, two tend to be the most overlooked: inadequate planning and execution and the neglect of operational nuances like micro-events. Addressing these issues is critical for turning digital transformation aspirations into sustainable successes.

Inadequate Planning and Execution

The Problem: Without a clear, detailed digital transformation roadmap, organizations risk launching integration efforts that are poorly scoped and misaligned with their actual operational needs. This lack of planning manifests in two primary ways:

  • Lack of a Clear Roadmap: Many companies adopt technology without a step-by-step plan that links strategic business objectives with tactical initiatives. This often leads to fragmented projects, overlapping initiatives, and unforeseen gaps in the integration process.
  • Poor Change Management: Even the best technology solutions can fail if the people behind them aren’t ready. Cultural resistance and insufficient executive buy-in often result in low adoption rates, where the new tools remain underutilized and the investment doesn’t translate into operational improvements.

How to Address It:

  1. Develop a Comprehensive Roadmap:
  2. Implement Robust Change Management:

By investing time and resources in comprehensive planning and change management, organizations can avoid the pitfalls of fragmented digital projects and achieve more consistent, sustainable improvements.

Overlooked Operational Nuances

The Problem: Small, seemingly insignificant operational events—often referred to as micro-events or micro-stops—can collectively have a major impact on performance metrics. These minor stoppages, whether due to momentary process interruptions or non-value-added tasks, may be overlooked or misclassified. When these events aren’t accurately captured, the data used to drive decisions becomes unreliable, leading to misinformed strategies and missed opportunities for process improvement.

How to Address It:

  1. Enhance Data Collection and Analytics:
  2. Improve Operational Awareness and Response:

Addressing these overlooked nuances not only refines the accuracy of performance metrics but also helps uncover chronic issues that might be eroding productivity. By ensuring that every minute of operational time is properly accounted for, companies can make data-driven decisions that lead to significant process improvements.

Conclusion

Industry 4.0 offers transformative potential, but its promise can only be realized by addressing both the strategic and the operational challenges head-on. Inadequate planning and poor change management create a shaky foundation for any digital initiative, while neglecting the granular details of operational data can obscure true performance levels. Organizations that invest in detailed roadmaps, robust change management practices, and advanced analytics to capture even the smallest of events are far better positioned to succeed in the digital age. By bridging the gap between technology and operational reality, companies can turn Industry 4.0 projects into engines of lasting growth and efficiency.

MEMEX - Data-Driven Manufacturing Application

MEMEX’s Sales Execution Continue; Over $300,000 in Net-New Purchase Orders & Component Sales

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BURLINGTON, ON / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2017 / Memex Inc. (“MEMEX” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: OEE), a global leader in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) manufacturing productivity software, announced today that in the 30-day period ending August 14, 2017, it has received more than $300 thousand in net-new purchase orders and component sales. In combination with MEMEX’s previous press release, the Company has announced in excess of $780 thousand (at today’s exchange rate) worth of purchase orders since July 12th, 2017.

“An increasing number of manufacturers are recognizing the compelling value proposition of IIoT and Data-Driven Manufacturing, leading them to select MEMEX as their vendor of choice,” said MEMEX President and CEO, David McPhail. “The Company has experienced an increase in purchase activity from multiple end customers that represent a diverse set of manufacturing sectors including oil and gas, industrial pumps, and industrial painting equipment. MEMEX’s MERLIN Tempus continues to offer our clients the capability to gain new, real-time insights into exactly what is happening on their factory floors, whether they are physically onsite, or observing their operations remotely. Our unsolicited, inbound inquiries continue to increase, as do client referrals, and current customer site expansion opportunities. When these sales activities are combined with our diligent trade show and thought leadership marketing efforts, designed to secure more sales opportunities and bring on additional new customers, we believe that the recent net-new orders are just the beginning.”

About MEMEX

Memex Inc. was founded with a vision to improve the way automated machinery and production equipment work and connect on the factory floor. Since then MEMEX has proved itself a pioneer in IIoT time and again. The company is committed to its mission of “successfully transforming factories of today into factories of the future” and envisions converting every machine into a node on the corporate network, creating visibility from shop-floor-to-top-floor. MEMEX is the developer of MERLIN, an award-winning IIoT technology platform that delivers tangible increases in manufacturing productivity in Real Time. MEMEX’s software and hardware IIoT solution enable customers to achieve tangible IIoT-centric business outcomes. The MERLIN software suite and connectivity products have enabled manufacturers to achieve upwards of a 50% increase in productivity and a 20%-plus increase in profit, on average. Additionally, customers have secured payback in less than four months, which equates to an Internal Rate of Return greater than 300 per cent. For more information, please visit: www.MemexOEE.com.

For investor inquiries please contact:

Rashi Rathore, Marketing Manager
905-635-3040 ext. 103
Rashi.Rathore@MemexOEE.com

David McPhail, President & CEO
519-993-1114|
david.mcphail@MemexOEE.com

Sean Peasgood, Investor Relations
416-565-2805
sean@sophiccapital.com

MEMEX - Data-Driven Manufacturing Application

MEMEX Announces $500 thousand Deal with SEW-EURODRIVE for Plant-Wide Deployment of MEMEX MERLIN TEMPUS EE

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Another MERLIN Pilot Transitions into Full Plant Rollout

BURLINGTON, ON–(Marketwired – Jul 12, 2017) – Memex Inc. (“MEMEX” or the “Company”) (TSX VENTURE: OEE) announced it has received a purchase order from SEW-EURODRIVE for $500 thousand (approx.) in a plant-wide deployment of MERLIN Tempus Enterprise Edition (EE) and MERLIN DNC software.

SEW-EURODRIVE, the Lyman, South Carolina-based producer of gearmotors and drive-based automation solutions, will install MEMEX’s machine-monitoring solutions onto most of the factory equipment housed in its 250,000 square-foot manufacturing facility.

“SEW-EURODRIVE researched very carefully for the right supplier of automated machine monitoring solutions and determined that MEMEX’s MERLIN was best able to capture the quality of data we were looking for,” said Jess Galloway, SEW-EURODRIVE’s Manufacturing Superintendent. Chuck Chandler, Plant Manager, added, “It is important for a world class manufacturing facility to have visibility of all operations and the use of these advanced data-driven manufacturing techniques extends our competitive edge.”

“We’re proud that SEW-EURODRIVE selected MEMEX after a thorough and careful competitive evaluation process,” said MEMEX President and CEO David McPhail. “SEW-EURODRIVE started with a MERLIN pilot, and has now committed to a full-plant roll-out of MERLIN Tempus EE and MERLIN DNC. This says a lot about how much value SEW-EURODRIVE places in the adoption of a data-driven manufacturing approach and in the MEMEX solution, in particular. We’re excited to work with SEW-EURODRIVE and are looking forward to helping this industry-leading manufacturer use data-driven manufacturing to achieve its business productivity and efficiency goals.”

About MERLIN Tempus Enterprise Edition and MERLIN DNC
The MERLIN Tempus Enterprise Edition works on MEMEX’s core MERLIN software platform, enhancing machine monitoring capabilities by adding additional metrics like Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) — the industry standard measure of factory efficiency.

MERLIN DNC is a software plug-in to the MERLIN platform. It offers a browser-based interface that connects legacy CNC tools to modern networks, and allows CNC programs and data to be easily transferred.

About SEW-EURODRIVE
SEW-EURODRIVE is a world leader in drive technology and a pioneer in drive-based automation. Since introducing the gearmotor in 1931, the company has had a history of innovations, including the first variable speed gearmotor, early electronic drives, and the first motor with energy-efficient copper rotors. Over the last seven years, the company’s Lyman, South Carolina plant has more than doubled its manufacturing capacity to meet growing customer demand.

About MEMEX
Memex Inc. was founded with a vision to improve the way automated machinery and production equipment work and connect on the factory floor. Since then MEMEX has proved itself a pioneer in IIoT time and again. The company is committed to its mission of “successfully transforming factories of today into factories of the future” and envisions converting every machine into a node on the corporate network, creating visibility from shop-floor-to-top-floor. MEMEX is the developer of MERLIN, an award-winning IIoT technology platform that delivers tangible increases in manufacturing productivity in Real Time. MEMEX’s software and hardware IIoT solution enable customers to achieve tangible IIoT-centric business outcomes. The MERLIN software suite and connectivity products have enabled manufacturers to achieve upwards of a 50% increase in productivity and a 20%-plus increase in profit, on average. Additionally, customers have secured payback in less than four months, which equates to an Internal Rate of Return greater than 300 per cent. For more information, please visit: www.MemexOEE.com

 

For investor inquiries please contact:

 

Rashi Rathore, Marketing Manager

905-635-3040 ext. 103

Rashi.Rathore@MemexOEE.com

 

 David McPhail, President & CEO

519-993-1114

david.mcphail@MemexOEE.com

 

 

Sean Peasgood, Investor Relations

416-565-2805

sean@sophiccapital.com

MEMEX - Data-Driven Manufacturing Application

Podcast: The philosophy and application of data-driven manufacturing

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David McPhail in conversation with James D. Sawyer – Editor Emeritus, Advanced Manufacturing

A manufacturing concern can get the greatest return on its investment by optimizing its overall equipment effectiveness, or OEE. In this podcast hosted for SME, MEMEX CEO David McPhail details the relationship between OEE and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Data, he explains, is what drives this relationship. Data-driven manufacturing consists of keeping track of everything that happens on the shop floor, and software, including MEMEX’s MERLIN Tempus solution, helps monitor and manage that data.

MEMEX - Measuring Manufacturing Excellence Logo

Recent surge leads to more than $380 Thousand in purchase orders for MEMEX

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BURLINGTON, ON–(Marketwired – Jun 27, 2017) – Memex Inc. (“MEMEX”) (TSX VENTURE: OEE) announced today that in the past six weeks (ending June 21, 2017) it has received more than $380 thousand of purchase orders. These are an aggregate of net-new orders and follow-on orders from existing customers.

“We believe these stronger recent results are an indication that the U.S. manufacturing technology market is beginning to strengthen, and that MEMEX’s efforts to revitalize its sales process and strategy are proving effective,” said MEMEX president and CEO David McPhail. “Existing customers are seeing significant improvements in the operating efficiency of the machines already connected in real time to the corporate network via MERLIN. These customers are now extending those benefits to the rest of their equipment to maximize both productivity and profits.”

Beyond existing customers expanding their deployments with MERLIN, new customers are also recognizing MEMEX as the vendor of choice with proven solutions that work on industry standards to help them remotely manage and monitor their equipment in real time and gain a better perspective of exactly what is happening on their shop floors.

“We are starting not only to see a recovery in US manufacturing spending, but we also feel more confident in the recent changes at MEMEX, including hiring a new U.S.-based vice president of sales, allowing a key executive to focus on business development and marketing, and reinvigorating the sales force,” said Mr. McPhail. “I believe the recent net-new orders are just the beginning. MEMEX has been working diligently to secure more sales and bring on additional new customers.”

About MEMEX

MEMEX was founded with a vision to improve the way automated machinery and production equipment work and connect on the factory floor. Since then, MEMEX has proved itself a pioneer in IIoT time and again. The company is committed to its mission of “successfully transforming factories of today into factories of the future,” and envisions converting every machine into a node on the corporate network, creating visibility from shop-floor-to-top-floor. MEMEX is the developer of MERLIN, an award-winning IIoT technology platform that delivers tangible increases in manufacturing productivity in Real Time. MEMEX’s software and hardware IIoT solutions enable customers to achieve tangible IIoT-centric business outcomes. The MERLIN software suite and connectivity products have enabled manufacturers to achieve upwards of a 50% increase in productivity and a 20%-plus increase in profits, on average. Additionally, customers have secured payback in less than four months, which equates to an Internal Rate of Return greater than 300%.

REQUIRED CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Certain statements contained in this news release, including statements related to MEMEX’s belief that the recent net-new orders are just the beginning and that MEMEX has been working diligently to secure more sales and bring on additional new customers, constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. MEMEX believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and should not be unduly relied upon. In particular, no assurance can be given that the current trend in net-new orders will continue or that MEMEX will secure more sales or bring on additional customers. Information on additional risks related to MEMEX’s business is included in our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial results for the year ended September 30, 2016 which may be accessed through the SEDAR website (www.sedar.com). The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. These forward-looking statements and information speak only as of the date of this news release. MEMEX does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

For investor inquiries please contact:

 

Rashi Rathore, Marketing Manager

Phone: 905-635-3040 ext. 103

Email: Rashi.Rathore@MemexOEE.com

 

 David McPhail, President & CEO

519-993-1114

david.mcphail@MemexOEE.com

 

 

Sean Peasgood, Investor Relations

416-565-2805

sean@sophiccapital.com