The Land of Paperless Manufacturing

The beginning adventures of a stranger discovering the world of paperless manufacturing.

By Lisa Kessler, Product Support with CIMx Software

The Wizard of Oz is one of my favorite movies. The mystifying, bewildering, moment when Dorothy lands in Oz fascinates me – discovering the world is much larger, more amazing and more magical than you thought. I find myself relating to that moment – not only because my short frame makes me feel like a munchkin, but because I’ve landed in the magical land of paperless manufacturing.

A short time ago I joined the team at CIMx Software, the leader in paperless manufacturing. I packed up my desk at my previous job and made the journey (which didn’t involve a tornado) to CIMx. When I started, I knew a little about paperless manufacturing, but the truth is – there was so much more I didn’t know.

The first few weeks I sat during meetings and listened intently. I thought everyone was speaking a different language. KPI, ROI, servers, platform, as-builts… it was difficult to keep it all straight. I kept thinking, if I only had a brain! There were no wicked witches in this new land, but there was plenty of wicked tricky software and manufacturing technology terms and ideas to learn!

I started writing down everything I could, so many acronyms, MES, SaaS, ERP, NDA, DBA, TCO, the list goes on. I Googled everything, asked questions every chance I got, and slowly but surely it began to make sense. It all sounds bewildering, but understanding what we do isn’t difficult at all. We help manufacturers improve their business by managing their work flow – providing the right information to the right person at the right time. We help keep track of and record all the data and processes that go into building stuff. We do this by implementing low-risk, low-cost software solutions, delivering shop floor visibility and control, helping companies eliminate errors, improve quality, and increase profitability. Ta-Dah!

Making Sense of Paperless Manufacturing and MES

There is a lot that goes into the software we install, but I’m not a software developer. But, I do know this; CIMx is innovative, always wanting to push farther and higher in the land of paperless manufacturing. We’re constantly looking at how people work, and what they do with our software, and how can we can help them work better, faster, and with fewer errors. It sounds simple, but it’s what drives us (it feels good to say, “us” there).

We really aren’t satisfied with the status quo; we’re constantly looking to improve. It starts with our customers, and their business. We don’t just build software, we build relationships and work with them to solve problems and improve production. CIMx stands behind their products, and is proud of the work they do (and so am I).

At the end of each day I don’t feel the urgent need to click my ruby red slippers and say “there’s no place like home” because the land of paperless manufacturing isn’t so bad. It’s exciting, and we really are making a positive impact on our customers. I’m still learning every day, and I’m sure I will continue to learn every day in the future. Manufacturing is always changing, and there is always something more to learn. That’s one thing I love about my job.

The author of The Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum, said it best “No thief, however skillful, can rob one of knowledge, and that is why knowledge is the best and safest treasure to acquire.” I love learning and building my knowledge, especially about an industry and company you can be passionate about. We’re excited to utilize the latest technology, to find new ways to deliver value to our customers and manufacturing, bridge the gap between the software and technology world and the manufacturing shop floor.

It’s a cool place to be. Questions? Give us a call. We’re always happy to share our knowledge.