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Digitalisation of Business Process Workflow* (16 HOURS)

Digitalisation of Business Pocess Workflow

*This is a non-WSQ module.

With the increasing emphasis of Digital Transformation and productivity improvement for local enterprises, this course is designed to meet the national objectives of providing skills training for process and productivity improvement aiming at Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs). These PMETs will have to constantly update their skills, knowledge, soft and technical expertise to stay competitive.

Effective workflow design and conversion to a digitalise application workflow using the SIMTech Digital Workflow Automation products for testing of the candidates’ processes will be a very good learning experience for the students taking up this course. Participants would learn various modeling technique and what is possible in a digital workflow environment

about the programme

In this programme, participants would gain a holistic understanding of the digitalisation of manual processes and its potential productivity improvement in the daily operational activities, including the reduction of manual tracking of processes and time saving from automating the reporting of process performance.

Expected learnings by participants:

Document the manual work processes into a digital model so that this could be translated into a digital workflow
Perform hands-on modelling of the participant’s current manual work processes, with the guidance from our Digital Workflow automaton experts
Adopt best practices for workflow process documentation through modelling and refinement after testing and review with end-users

Who Should Attend

The programme is highly relevant for professionals working in organisations including local SMEs from the manufacturing, logistics, marine, process, food, retail etc. It is also recommended to personnel from IT, non-IT, and Operations who are seeking capability enhancement in the workflow digitalisation of the manual processes.

Webinar

Our webinar was held on 19 May 2022 to offer an introduction to this course. You can also watch our webinar's video recording at our YouTube webpage.

Watch Playback

Learn how an organisation benefits

Building an Alcon-ic Smart Factory - Part 1

24 Oct 2022

Part 1: Automated Planning & Scheduling

AML’s Planners performing planning & scheduling what-if analysis using the DRPSS developed on S-MOM platform

Alcon is a global leader in eye care, dedicated to helping people improve their vision. With its 75-year heritage, Alcon is the largest eye care device company in the world¹, with complementary businesses in Surgical and Vision Care.

In Singapore, Alcon Manufacturing & Logistics (AML), the first highly automated manufacturing facility in Asia, opened in 2005 and is one of Alcon’s largest contact lens manufacturing sites in the world. Utilising a state-of-the-art manufacturing process, AML supplies lenses to Alcon’s Distribution Centres (DCs) worldwide, and operates in a Make-To-Stock (MTO) environment with finite manufacturing capacity to meet the demands of each DC.

Through SIMTech’s Digital Transformation & Innovation^™ (DTI™) Programme in 2019, Alcon developed a transformation roadmap, involving 8 key digital initiatives:

Digitalised Data Entry
Real-Time Nerve Centre xDashboard
Real-Time Intelligent Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) Monitoring
Augmented Reality (AR) Diagnostics for Machine Maintenance
Capability Library (Skills/Awareness/Mindsets)
Digitalised Manufacturing Knowledge Base
Smart Manufacturing Operations Management (S-MOM)
Predictive Maintenance

Alcon-Table1

SIMTech and Alcon embarked on a 3-year research project to support the implementation of the S-MOM and Predictive Maintenance systems. For S-MOM, more research in the area of planning & scheduling was required to develop a set of customised, dynamic scheduling rules, which considered various inputs, such as setup and conversion, planned maintenance, and machine loading preferences. Predictive maintenance was also a required research area, as most maintenance approaches in manufacturing today still do not have predictive capabilities, and operations often suffer from delayed detection of breakdowns.

(1) Planning & Scheduling
AML’s then planning and scheduling process was Excel-based and manual. Planners had to consider the average demand for each Stock Keeping Unit (SKU), the maximum number of lines per product type, power-to-track configuration, lot and formation change constraints, transportation lead-time to the DC, pack size distribution, configurable flexible lines, current on-hand quantity, and inventory coverage of the SKU at the specific DC, among other factors. These involved heavy planning efforts with high susceptibility to human errors.

An integrated Distribution Requirements Planning & Scheduling (DRPS) solution was proposed to address these challenges by mapping the manual activities to various integrated modules. In response to AML’s operational constraints and global demand fulfilment scenarios, the SIMTech project team designed and developed this new system, extending the scope and coverage of our current S-MOM system. The Planning & Scheduling (P&S) team designed four new modules – the Demand Management module, Requirement Planning module, Production Scheduling Engine, and Reporting & Integration module. All modules were integrated into the S-MOM platform.

This integrated DRPS solution is now operational and has since reduced planning efforts by over 80% from 3 days to 2-3 hours per week. Duplicated data entry efforts and human errors have also been starkly reduced. In addition, planners can now perform what-if scenario analysis and evaluation of demand fulfilment plans for different distribution centres and fine-tune the replenishment plans, considering real operational factors such as manufacturing constraints, demand fluctuations, and inventory levels.

This integrated DRPS solution is now operational and has since reduced planning efforts by over 80% from 3 days to 2-3 hours per week.

Planning and scheduling and smart manufacturing operations management is just one of the aspects on which SIMTech partnered with Alcon to optimise their business productivity. Look out for the upcoming stories in this series for how Alcon leveraged Industry 4.0 technologies to grow their business resilience and sustainability!

Sources
¹ https://www.alcon.com/about-us

For enquiries, please contact:
Dr Xu Chi
Group Manager, Planning and Operations Management (POM), Manufacturing System Division
Email: cxu@simtech.a-star.edu.sg

Dr Ng Huey Yuen
Acting Deputy Director, Knowledge Transfer Office (KTO)
Email: nghy@simtech.a-star.edu.sg

Posted in: Success Stories

Building an Alcon-ic Smart Factory - Part 2

07 Nov 2022

Part 2: Digital Workflow Automation System

Figure 1: A screenshot of Digital Workflow Automation mobile app. Users can access past repair records and troubleshooting steps with their handphones easily in real-time.

Alcon is a global leader in eye care, dedicated to helping people improve their vision. With its 75- year heritage, Alcon is the largest eye care device company in the world1, with complementary businesses in Surgical and Vision Care.

In Singapore, Alcon Manufacturing & Logistics (AML), the first highly automated manufacturing facility in Asia, opened in 2005 and is one of Alcon’s largest contact lens manufacturing sites in the world. Utilising a state-of-the-art manufacturing process, AML supplies lenses to Alcon’s Distribution Centres (DCs) worldwide, and operates in a Make-To-Stock (MTO) environment with finite manufacturing capacity to meet the demands of each DC.

Previously, in troubleshooting process documentation, Alcon’s senior technicians would need to manually record troubleshooting steps for machine repair on paper documents, consolidate the documents, and file them in cabinets. The hardcopy repair records were difficult to find and retrieve, hindering new technicians with less experience from performing repair work independently – they would often diagnose errors incorrectly, and not know the best practices for repairs. Senior technicians would need to spend months mentoring and training new technicians before they could work independently.

SIMTech partnered Alcon to implement a Digital Workflow Automation System, digitalising their hardcopy repair documentation and creating a digital Spontaneous Problem Extraction and Error Diagnosis (Digital SPEED) platform. Working closely with Alcon’s engineers, SIMTech optimised the Digital Workflow Automation System and customised Digital SPEED forms based on their user needs and feedback, programming the Digital SPEED forms to look exactly like Alcon’s previously hardcopy forms for a smooth and easy digital transition. Besides delivering the system, SIMTech also trained Alcon’s staff in learning and implementing the new system.

Senior technicians can now use Digital SPEED forms to document and record diagnosis results and troubleshooting steps. Beside documenting repair records, the system enables mobile accessibility to technical operational manuals, component manuals, engineering drawings, and repair videos. It also provides intelligent repair suggestions, scan-and-tell service scheduling, voice-enabled data queries, access control, version control and audit trails.

Over time, the senior technicians’ knowledge and expertise are captured and digitalised in a centralised knowledge base. New technicians will be able to easily retrieve past repair records and use the data to guide them in performing the right diagnoses and repairs.

Alcon’s Digital Workflow Automation System is now operational and has since reduced Alcon’s time required for troubleshooting process documentation by 50%. Manual data entry and human errors have also been largely reduced. New technicians now work independently more quickly after orientation and basic trainings, reducing the time and effort on training young technicians by 30%.

We can now read error diagnosis records on our handphones. We use it like a handbook to guide us in doing repairs.

Tjiptoputro Adrian Kaizen, Senior Engineer at Alcon

Digitalising a manufacturing knowledge base with a Digital Workflow Automation System is just one of the aspects on which SIMTech partnered Alcon to optimise their business productivity. Read Part 1: Automated Planning & Scheduling, and look out for the upcoming stories in this series for how Alcon leveraged Industry 4.0 technologies to grow their business resilience and sustainability!

Sources
¹ https://www.alcon.com/about-us

For enquiries, please contact:
Teng Wei Yuen
Senior Research Engineer, Planning and Operations Management (POM), Manufacturing System Division
Email: wyteng@simtech.a-star.edu.sg

Posted in: Success Stories

Course Outline

The programme employs the Learn-Practise-Implement™ (LPI™) pedagogy, where fundamental knowledge and principles taught will be reinforced with hands-on practices.

download brochure OR register of interest for course

Please register your interest for this course under 1. Modular Programmes > 2. Digital Leadership & Business Process Management in the online form.

Note: SIMTech will contact you once registration for the next run of the course you are interested in opens.

UPON COMPLETION OF THIS COURSE

Participants will be awarded with a Certificate of Attendance (COA) by SIMTech if they meet the following criteria:

Achieve at least 75% course attendance;
Take all assessments; and
Pass the course.

Pre-Requisites

Applicants should possess a degree in any discipline or a diploma with a minimum of 3 years of related working experience.
Applicants who do not have the required academic qualifications are still welcome to apply, but shortlisted candidates may be required to attend an interview for special approval.
Proficiency in written and spoken English.

Full Course Fee

The full course fee for this module is $1,600 before funding and prevailing GST.

Nett Course Fee

International Participants	Singapore Citizens, Singapore Permanent Residents and LTVP+ Holders	Employer-sponsored and self-sponsored Singapore Citizens aged 40 years and above (MCES) ²	SME-sponsored local employees (i.e Singapore Citizens, Singapore Permanent Residents and LTVP+ Holders) (ETSS) ¹
$1,728	$518.40	$198.40	$198.40

All fees are inclusive of prevailing GST.

Please note that fees and funding amount are subject to change.

Long Term Visit Pass Plus (LTVP+) Holders

The LTVP+ scheme applies to lawful foreign spouses of Singapore Citizens with (i) at least one Singapore Citizen child or are expecting one from the marriage, or at least three years of marriage, and (ii) where the Singapore Citizen sponsor is able to support the family.

All LTVP+ holders can be identified with their green visit pass cards, with the word ‘PLUS’ printed on the back of the card.

¹ Under the Enhanced Training Support for Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) scheme (ETSS), subject to eligibility criteria shown below.

SMEs that meet all of the following eligibility criteria:

Registered or incorporated in Singapore
Employment size of not more than 200 or with annual sales turnover of not more than $100 million

SME-sponsored Trainees:

Must be Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents.
Courses have to be fully paid for by the employer.
Trainee is not a full-time national serviceman.

Further Info: This scheme is intended for all organisations, including non-business entities not registered with ACRA e.g. VWOs, societies, etc. Only ministries, statutory boards, and other government agencies are not eligible under Enhanced Training Support for SMEs Scheme. Sole proprietorships which meet all of the above criteria are also eligible.

² Under the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy (MCES) for employer-sponsored and self-sponsored Singapore Citizens aged 40 years old and above.

Singaporeans aged 25 years old and above are eligible for SkillsFuture Credit which can be used to offset course fees (for self-sponsored registrations only).

For more information on the SkillsFuture funding schemes you are eligible for, please visit www.ssg.gov.sg

How course fees are calculated

TYPE	CATEGORY OF INDIVIDUALS
	International Participants	Singapore Citizens, Singapore Permanent Residents and LTVP+ Holders	Employer-sponsored and self-sponsored Singapore Citizens aged 40 years and above	SME-sponsored local employees (i.e Singapore Citizens, Singapore Permanent Residents and LTVP+ Holders)
	FUNDING SOURCE
	Not applicable for SkillsFuture Funding	SkillsFuture Funding (Baseline)	SkillsFuture Mid-career Enhanced Subsidy (MCES) ²	SkillsFuture Enhanced Training Support for SMEs (ETSS) ¹
Full Course Fee	$1,600	$1,600	$1,600	$1,600
SkillsFuture Funding	Not Applicable	($1,120)	($1,440)	($1,440)
Nett Course Fee	$1,600	$480	$160	$160
8% GST	$128	$38.40*	$38.40*	$38.40*
Total Nett Course Fee Payable to Training Provider	$1,728	$518.40	$198.40	$198.40

* Based on 30% of Full Course Fee

Contact Us

For technical enquiries, please contact:

Dr Justin LIM,
Email: limkm@SIMTech.a-star.edu.sg

For general enquiries, please contact:

Mr Alex TAY,
Email: alex_tay@SIMTech.a-star.edu.sg

download brochure OR register of interest for course

Please register your interest for this course under 1. Modular Programmes > 2. Digital Leadership & Business Process Management in the online form.

Note: SIMTech will contact you once registration for the next run of the course you are interested in opens.

Schedule

Module	Skills Course Reference Number	Training Period (Click on dates to view schedule)	Registration Status
Digitalisation of Business Process Workflow (16 hours)	TGS-2021010070	12 & 14 Apr 2023