Lean to Green: Free technology helps Ohio manufacturers make jump to renewable energy industry
By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 1/26/2009 10:44:00 AM
Inspired by Governor Strickland’s commitments to Ohio job creation and retention along with environmental sustainability, FACTIVITY, a Cleveland-based pioneer in paperless factory-floor technology, is offering free software to support local job creation, retention, and environmental sustainability.
Companies are struggling to figure out where to invest resources in 2009, says John Leibert, president of FACTIVITY. “First fuel costs, now the struggling economy has brought sustainability to the forefront of every manufacturer’s agenda,” he says. “Sustainability will continue to drive business strategy, corporate value, and new products in 2009. We are looking to support that growth locally.”
This month, the Governor pointed to energy as being at the core of Ohio’s economic and environmental health—in short, the state’s future. This inspired Leibert to ask how Factivity could contribute to that future in his home state. Starting this month and throughout 2009, FACTIVITY will provide its software without licensing fees to any Ohio-based manufacturing company that supplies parts and products to the renewable energy industry, or that makes energy-efficient, sustainable products.
Fees normally can range from $25,000 to $175,000 based on the number of “seats on the factory floor.”
“The concepts of sustainable manufacturing are founded on the principles of lean manufacturing,” says Leibert. “It focuses on improving production performance, improving cost control, and enhancing customer service.”
FACTIVITY’s “paperless” production control system provides visual control, rate-based measurements, problem identification, and process improvement to eliminate factory-floor documentation used for production control, quality tracking and ISO-9000 controlled documentation distribution.
“We have seen tremendous improvement in companies that use our solution, says Leibert. “It seems like a worthwhile contribution in helping Ohio move forward in the replacement of automotive-based production with newer growth-oriented manufacturing. We have serviced the manufacturing industry for 25 years from coast to coast, Europe, and Mexico. This is an exciting time for all us and we want to do everything we can do to keep Ohioans working.”
