Efficiency & Improvement Payback Calculator for Manufacturing Facilities
Case Study: A U.S. Department of Energy contractor, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), asked Intertech to build an application that can analyze factory efficiency and calculate the time it would take for improvements to pay for themselves. As a result, advanced manufacturing operations across the country can use this application to calculate pump, heating, fan, steam, and other efficiencies from a single, open-source tool.
Case-Study
Electron
Angular.io
Bootstrap
D3.js
IndexedDb, GitHub
Methodology
Agile/Scrum
Project
Efficiency & Improvement Payback Calculator for Manufacturing Facilities
Challenge
ORNL has a contract from the Department of Energy to refactor a tool that improves efficiency in advanced manufacturing and helps manufacturers make decisions about which equipment upgrades to implement. The current suite of tools dates back to the 1990s and are no longer supported.
While ORNL’s team includes knowledgeable engineers in the manufacturing field, their coding expertise was limited to a few staff and some interns. The fundamental challenge of this project is transforming the engineers’ calculations and the functionality of the outdated software into a new interactive application. Manufacturers should be able to input information about their equipment and current resource usage. Then, based on a hypothetical upgrade of the manufacturer’s equipment, the application will provide data about increased efficiency and payback period to see a return on investment.
A secondary challenge was updating ORNL’s development methodology. To date, software projects ORNL has completed for the Department of Energy have followed waterfall methodology. When ORNL contacted Intertech, they were interested in implementing agile scrum on this project, but were unsure where to start.
Result
As a federal contract project, one of the keys to success for the client was that the project be delivered on schedule and under budget. By implementing an agile methodology, Intertech was able to increase the cost-effectiveness of the development process while also being flexible in responding to feedback with frequent releases.
Intertech’s technology expertise also helped develop an all-in-one solution for the application that the client hadn’t considered. Bringing seven separate tools into a single application that can run seamlessly across platforms, online or offline, is a significant success of this project.
Of course, that wouldn’t be possible without Intertech’s coding expertise. Our Intertech consultants worked remotely from our offices in Minnesota, allowing the client to extend their software development team without the overhead of hiring and onboarding their developers.
This open-source, integrated tool will be instrumental in helping the Department of Energy encourage manufacturers to upgrade their equipment.
Process
In their initial conversations with ORNL in December 2016, our Intertech consultants found that the outdated tools had been structured as separate applications for each system in the manufacturing process (e.g., heating, steam, fans, pumps, etc.). So Intertech proposed a new, integrated solution that brought these seven separate tools into one application.
The application needed to be available offline since many manufacturing facilities didn’t have consistent internet access. In addition, this tool could be used in sensitive manufacturing settings where data privacy is critical. However, ORNL would like the option to make the tool available as a web app.
As a result, our Intertech consultants decided to create the application as an Angular web app. The app is saved locally and displayed via an Electron wrapper for offline access. This allows cross-platform support for Windows, Mac, and Linux–both online and offline–while only needing to create and maintain a single code base. A C++ library drives the data calculations ports to the application as a Node Addon using Node-gyp
In addition to serving as a technical advisor to make decisions about implementing the application, Intertech also provided coding expertise. Two Intertech consultants work remotely on the project full-time, leading the development effort and reviewing code from Intertech’s Minnesota offices. Intertech also provided scrum training to help the client’s team learn and implement agile methodology, making this one of the first agile-developed projects for the Department of Energy.
Intertech has been in business since 1991. Many of our projects are considered confidential by our clients. For this reason, and out of respect for our customer’s privacy, we do not mention companies by name regarding specific projects, with the clear understanding that the project outlined and presented is actual work Intertech and their consultants have completed successfully.
The Fastest Way To Build Software Is “Right” The First Time!
Understanding your industry is one thing. Understanding the technology you are using is another. When you read studies that tell you that 75% of projects are doomed from the beginning, it has to make you pause before signing your name to the outcome.
Consider letting our proven professionals take a look at your project. They’ve seen what can go wrong and know how to avoid costly errors.
We build custom software from start to finish. We plug into your environment with the proven expertise you need for us to work independently or in co-development. And, we bring the soft-skills that make the task enjoyable, and the experience to leave your team stronger and ready to take over.
We Bring You…
Team-Complete™ Development
Soft-Skills For A Winning Experience
Sometimes the most critical person in the room is the one with a calm voice and the knowledge to select the right words. Bringing a development team together or presenting a clear concept for stakeholders can make all the difference between success or failure. Intertech consultants are at the top of their field. They navigate challenging decisions, guide with a confident voice, and know when to get out of the way.
Intertech takes the worry out of custom software development.
Three Great Reasons To Let Intertech Build Your Software Independently Or In Co-Development With Your Team!
To understand why so many companies rely on Intertech for their software consulting and software education needs, you must understand the importance we place on staying up-to-date with the most current technologies and methodologies.
“When an outside firm asked over 4000 of our customers these questions, we immediately understood why they trusted Intertech!”
Say “Yes” To Intertech!
- Would you use Intertech again? 99.55%
99.55% of customers answered YES!
- Are you happy with Intertech? 99.55%
99.55% of customers answered YES!
- Would you refer Intertech to others? 99.70%
99.70% of customers answered YES!
More Case Studies…
CASE STUDY
Connect National Retail Chain Locations Using Handheld Devices
CASE STUDY
Grower Experience Portal For World-Wide Commodities Contracts
CASE STUDY
One Of The First Ubiquitous Music Deliver Systems In The World
Director of Operations
Tom Helvick
Experience and success typically go together. Add in curiosity, commitment to excellence, and a genuine concern for clients, and you’ll understand why Tom Helvick excels as Director of Operations at Intertech. Tom brings years of top-tier experience—and results—to his role leading our operational team. After years spent working for Deloitte as a Practitioner Support consultant (Tom was dispatched around the world to help correct distressed projects), creating a framework called ITASCA that is still in use today, and serving on the primary Microsoft team that vetted C# during the “C” development process, Tom moved to Intertech. He makes sure every project is matched with the most appropriate Intertech talent, so your project team is the right team.
“We are recognized and respected for how we use technology to build solutions for our clients. But at the heart of it, we are in a relationship business. Success isn’t just writing code. Success is understanding and caring about our clients’ business needs and delivering solutions that help them succeed.”
Why Did You Choose Consulting And Operations?
Consulting allows you to move outside your comfort zone and forge new relationships. I enjoy being in an almost continuous discovery phase where I’m learning about new clients and asking lots of questions. I quickly learn so much about people and companies, which ensures that I can connect the right Intertech team members to every client project.
Sideline
Tom was nominated by one of his players and received the Minnesota Hockey Coaching Excellence award while coaching the Edina girls’ U15 “A” traveling team. He is currently a coach for Lakeville South’s Girls Varsity hockey team.
Let’s Build Something Great!
Tell us what you need and we’ll get back with you ASAP!
Consider Intertech…
Tell us about your project and we’ll gather the right people, discuss your request, clarify any questions, and provide a price estimate that you can use to decide if Intertech is a good fit for you!
“We Take The Worry Out Of Custom Software Development!”
Turn-Key Custom Application Development Solutions Since 1991
Independent & Co-Development
Tom Salonek Founder & CEO