MIS Reporting for Manufacturing
How we helped a leading manufacturing company implement a comprehensive MIS system resulting in 28% faster decision-making and 15% operational cost reduction
Client Overview
A medium-sized manufacturing company producing precision components for automotive and aerospace industries with 3 production facilities.
Our client is a specialized manufacturing company with over 25 years of experience in producing high-precision components. With annual revenue of approximately $65 million and 280 employees across three production facilities, the company serves tier-1 suppliers in the automotive and aerospace sectors. Despite their technical excellence in manufacturing, they struggled with disparate data systems and manual reporting processes that limited management visibility into operational performance.
3 Facilities
Manufacturing plants requiring coordinated performance monitoring and reporting
280 Employees
Workforce across production, engineering, quality control, and management
12+ Product Lines
Diverse product range with complex production metrics and KPIs
Key Challenges
-
Siloed Data Systems
Multiple disconnected data sources across facilities
-
Manual Reporting Processes
Time-consuming report creation with frequent errors
-
Delayed Decision Making
Reports available days or weeks after issues occurred
-
Limited Performance Visibility
No standardized KPIs across facilities and processes
The Challenge
The client struggled with fragmented data systems and manual reporting processes that hindered their ability to make timely, data-driven decisions.
As a manufacturer of high-precision components for critical industries, operational excellence was essential to the client's success. However, their information management infrastructure had not kept pace with their growth, creating several significant challenges:
- Data from production, quality control, inventory, and financial systems existed in separate silos with no automated integration
- Managers spent approximately 25-30 hours per week manually collecting, consolidating, and formatting data for reports
- Key operational reports were only available 8-10 days after month-end, too late for timely interventions
- Each production facility used different KPIs and reporting formats, making comparison difficult
- Production performance issues were often discovered too late to take corrective action
- Decision-making was frequently based on incomplete information or gut feeling rather than data
The company recognized that to maintain competitiveness and improve operational efficiency, they needed a comprehensive Management Information System (MIS) that could provide real-time performance visibility across all operations.
30 hrs
Weekly Manual Reporting Time
8-10 Days
Reporting Delay
Impact Assessment
Our Approach
Needs Assessment & KPI Definition
We started by understanding the unique needs of the manufacturing operation and defining standardized KPIs:
- Conducted workshops with management and operational teams
- Mapped existing data sources and information flows
- Developed standardized KPI definitions across all facilities
- Created a reporting hierarchy based on management levels
- Established data quality standards and governance processes
Data Integration Strategy
We designed a data integration approach to connect all relevant systems:
- Assessed existing ERP, MES, quality control, and other systems
- Created a data warehouse design to centralize information
- Developed ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes
- Implemented automated data quality checks
- Established data refresh schedules based on business needs
Dashboard & Report Design
We designed intuitive dashboards and reports that addressed specific user needs:
- Created executive dashboards for C-level overview
- Developed operational dashboards for plant managers
- Built production line dashboards for supervisors
- Designed exception reports for quality and maintenance issues
- Implemented drill-down capabilities for root cause analysis
Implementation & Adoption
We ensured successful deployment and user adoption:
- Rolled out the solution in phases to manage change
- Conducted role-based training for all users
- Created self-service documentation and help resources
- Implemented feedback loops for continuous improvement
- Provided post-implementation support and coaching
The Solution
Integrated Data Warehouse
We implemented a centralized data warehouse that automatically collected and integrated data from all operational systems.
Key Features:
- Automated data extraction from ERP, MES, and quality systems
- Real-time data integration with 15-minute refresh cycles
- Data quality monitoring and exception flagging
- Historical data storage with trend analysis capabilities
- Scalable architecture to accommodate future growth
Multi-level KPI Dashboards
We created a hierarchy of interactive dashboards that displayed relevant KPIs for different management levels and functions.
Key Features:
- Executive dashboard with company-wide performance metrics
- Facility dashboards with plant-specific KPIs
- Production line dashboards with real-time performance
- Maintenance dashboards with equipment status and alerts
- Quality dashboards with defect rates and trend analysis
Mobile Alerting & Access
We extended the MIS system to mobile devices, enabling managers to receive alerts and access dashboards from anywhere.
Key Features:
- Real-time exception alerts to smartphones
- Mobile-optimized dashboard access
- Photo capture for quality issues with direct system integration
- Offline capability for plant areas with limited connectivity
- Secure authentication with role-based access control
Implementation Timeline
Phase 1: Assessment & Design (Weeks 1-3)
Conducted needs assessment, defined KPIs, and designed the technical architecture.
Phase 2: Data Warehouse Implementation (Weeks 4-6)
Set up the data warehouse and implemented data integration processes from source systems.
Phase 3: Dashboard Development (Weeks 7-9)
Created executive, operational, and line-level dashboards with interactive analysis capabilities.
Phase 4: Training & Rollout (Weeks 10-12)
Conducted user training, implemented feedback, and rolled out the complete solution to all users.
Results & Impact
Key Performance Improvements
28%
Faster Decision Making
15%
Operational Cost Reduction
23%
Quality Improvement
95%
Reduction in Manual Reporting
Business Impact
The MIS implementation transformed operations and performance across the organization:
Time Savings & Productivity Gains
Managers and supervisors reclaimed nearly 30 hours per week previously spent on manual reporting tasks. This time was redirected to value-adding activities like process improvement and team development.
Proactive Problem Solving
Real-time alerts and dashboards enabled teams to identify and address production issues before they escalated. This reduced downtime by 34% and improved overall equipment effectiveness by 12%.
Data-Driven Decision Culture
The organization shifted from gut-feel management to data-driven decision making. Standardized KPIs and real-time analytics fostered healthy competition between facilities, driving continuous improvement.
ROI Analysis
| Investment Category | Cost | Annual Benefit | ROI | Payback Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software & Infrastructure | $85,000 | $160,000 | 188% | 6.4 months |
| Implementation Services | $120,000 | $240,000 | 200% | 6.0 months |
| Training & Change Management | $45,000 | $130,000 | 289% | 4.2 months |
| Ongoing Maintenance | $40,000 | $120,000 | 300% | 4.0 months |
| Total Project | $290,000 | $650,000 | 224% | 5.4 months |
The MIS reporting system implemented by Sompalli & Co has revolutionized how we run our manufacturing operations. Before, we were constantly reacting to problems after they occurred. Now, we can see issues developing in real-time and address them immediately. The standardized KPIs have created healthy competition between our facilities, and we've seen continuous improvement in all our key metrics. Most importantly, our management team can now focus on strategic initiatives instead of spending hours compiling reports.
Robert Chen
COO, Precision Manufacturing Inc.
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