When You Improve Process, You Improve Product QualityION Factory OS is the modern evolution of MES. Functioning as the backbone of your manufacturing operations, ION has intelligent workflows that bake in quality control measures and collaboration tools so you can confidently deliver higher caliber products faster. Create digital work instructions with visualizations so technicians know exactly what to do, which tools to use, and what order to do it in. ION's object-based architecture enables data to flow across the organization and between systems for unmatched observability, predictability, and connectivity.
Get your systems, machines, and robots talking to eachother.
ION is the foundation for a well-integrated factory tech stack that enables real-time monitoring, data-driven decision-making, and seamless communication across all levels of the organization, paving the way for increased efficiency, agility, and innovation.
With ION’s flexible and open API, manufacturers can embrace smart manufacturing principles by seamlessly integrating new and emerging technologies, as well as diverse systems and platforms for a fully connected factory floor that fosters collaboration and drives rapid advancements.
Gain granular Visibility Into Root Causes
If you don't have an adequate system in place to track every piece of material that moves through your manufacturing processes, it’s only a matter of time before a defective part makes its way through the line and causes serious issues.
ION Factory OS’ end-to-end traceability allows you to track and document all of your raw materials, parts, and finished products from receipt through production to shipping – down to the last bracket. Conduct an in-depth analysis to quickly identify the root cause of any problem and pinpoint exactly where it’s occurring at a high level – or down to the individual technician, date and time, and step where it's taken place.
Automate the material requirements planning process
Set your desired customer delivery date and let ION calculate what inventory will be needed, when it will arrive, and how much time you’ll need to get it produced. First Resonance’s ION Autoplan analyzes all your data from your past inventory consumption and historical logs to determine when you need to get started to ensure products are ready to ship when promised.
ION takes into account work that can done in parallel or must be done sequentially to ensure minimal downtime. Its robust MRP functionality helps manufacturers avoid incurring costs from ordering too much inventory, failing to meet demand due to insufficient materials, and myriad supply chain disruptions.
Understand inventory consumption and predict inventory needs
Gain real-time visibility into inventory levels, including raw materials, work-in-progress (WIP), and finished goods. Identify potential shortages, excess inventory, and trigger replenishment orders automatically when stock levels fall below predetermined thresholds. Ensure that materials are available when needed, minimizing production disruptions and delays.
ION automates data capture processes, such as barcode scanning or RFID tagging, to accurately record inventory transactions, reducing manual errors leading to more reliable inventory management.
Identify Defective Products Before They Leave the Factory
Mitigate risk with nonconformance management tools inside ION Factory OS. Configure ION to monitor any deviation in a product due to atypical specifications, values that fall outside of acceptable ranges, or issues flagged from the production line.
Empower your technicians to alert engineers with automated smart notifications for immediate attention and visibility. Give engineers the ability to track non-conformances in real-time to proactively contain the problem, take action on it sooner, and halt shipping of unvetted, possibly defective products.
Bring high-quality products to market faster
ION Factory OS increases the success of new product introductions by fostering a collaborative, connective manufacturing process that digitally connects technicians and engineers so they can work in quick, iterative production cycles.
Pivot to make improvements on products while they are in production rather than waiting until the next version by leveraging ION's real-time communication tools. Say goodbye to antiquated legacy manufacturing software that forces you into delaying quality measures that could have been integrated into production the first time around.
Accelerate innovation cycles
In traditional manufacturing, the ideation, development, and manufacturing processes for a product are seldom analyzed for errors or opportunities for enhancement until after production, even though improvements could have been made earlier.
By adopting an iterative manufacturing approach with ION, you can design and test numerous versions of a product at each stage of development, guaranteeing it is built to the highest standards from conception to fabrication.
Give everyone the power to make data-driven decisions
Real-time observability helps everyone involved in the manufacturing process to establish a clearer understanding of where a product is in the production process, where waste or downtime is occurring, and material and supply chain health.
Having this observability helps facilitate a culture where everyone involved in production is accountable and becomes empowered to identify and address issues and areas of improvement.
Reduce risk and prevent future non-conformities with automated actions.
ION Factory OS helps identify the underlying causes of non-conformities and prevents them from happening again. Through its advanced traceability and connectivity, manufacturers can enact comprehensive process changes, automate the communication of supplier-related issues, and update work instructions to prevent further use of a non-conformant part.
ION’s rules engine can be configured to take action based on the result of an issue, corrective action, and preventative action findings. Use intelligent workflows to set up specific sign-offs and qualification logic to prevent further exposure.
Achieve and maintain compliance with industry requirements
From its inception, ION Factory OS was designed for manufacturers that must adhere to highly stringent regulations. ION documents every process, procedure, and set of work instructions to ensure consistency and control over product quality for ISO 9001 compliance.
For manufacturers involved in the development of defense-related products, ION supports compliance with ITAR regulations including the ability to provide reports and audit trails of user activities, including data access, modifications, and system events. For medical device manufacturing, ION can be configured to meet the requirements of the FDA. ION’s unmatched traceability ensures that every product has an accessible and actionable digital thread that spans from the supply chain all the way through to delivery and use by the final customer.