We Are

METRICS

 

Return On Capital Employed

 

As with many things, ROCE easier to define than to do: it is merely a measure of the proportion of the amount of capital and debt to adjusted earnings (EBIT). However, there is a wide level of interpretation as to what to include in all of these variables, and Opgrade can assist in helping you design consistently utilized formulas that allow for the comparison of your ROCE with your competitors.

 

Internal Rate of Return

 

Many companies look at Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and its sister, Net Present Value (NPV) as simple ranking tools, to be used to determine which project is more worthy. However, reality isn’t that simple – there are more variables needed to determine project worthiness than can be expressed in a simple equation. Let Opgrade help you find these potential issues that may make a lower IRR project better than a higher one.

 

Order To Cash

 

How long does it take to process an order into cash? Are you happy with how the various steps, from order taking to late payment collections, are working? Often hampered by siloed operations and inefficient processes, Opgrade specializes in shortening your order to cash cycle so that you can more effectively deploy your capital.

​

On Stream Factor

 

Not all processes in a manufacturing environment are continuously operating: factors such as scheduled maintenance, major repairs, and production bottlenecks reduce the availability of equipment and facilities. However… how much of this is preventable and how much is desirable? Opgrade assists in identifying the variables affecting On Stream availability, allowing you to minimize and eliminate non-essential shut downs of production.

​

Overall Equipment Effectiveness

 

A KPI for Lean Manufacturing Success, OEE measures how much you produced with how much you could have produced. By breaking the manufacturing process into three measurable components (Availability, Performance, and Quality), Opgrade utilizes OEE to clearly identify areas within these three components which can be improved.

​

Mechanical Availability

 

Simply put, the degree in which a mechanical system or subsystem is available for production. Variables such as maintenance, training, testability, and initial design parameters all affect availability of equipment, and Opgrade can assist your team in finding the perfect mix of these variables to maximize your production… and profits.

​

OPTIMIZING

 

Inventory Optimization

 

How do you balance your investment constraints and service-level goals while taking demand and supply volatility into account? With our unique inventory optimization tools, Opgrade can transform your inventory processes, freeing up capital.

 

Asset Optimization

 

Capital-intensive assets such as factories, oil and gas, and power generation require a quick and high return on asset expectations – even a single hour of downtime may cost millions, both to your organization and to end customers. Improve the connectivity of machines, the layout of factories, and more to achieve growth without using cash to purchase growth.

​

Cost of Poor Quality

 

What are the costs of defects? Do you accurately measure the true cost – in lost sales and reputation, rework, and overtime? Some companies can spend up to 15% of their labor costs in rework, work that should have been done correctly the first time. Opgrade can help you accurately identify and measure these costs, wringing them out of your systems.

​

System Capacity Optimization

 

Do you experience bottlenecks? Are parts of your business hampered by capacity limitations in other parts? Balancing the entire system so that orders flow through to finished product without interruption or hiccup is a Herculean task, one made easier with Opgrade’s assistance.

​

Facility Capacity Optimization

 

How do you control your growth so that you can not only meet current demand, but that you are properly planning to increase production in the future without upsetting the entire plant? By helping you ensure that every part of your plant is capable of handling expansion, Opgrade prepares your facility to handle growth brought about by marketing and sales initiatives.

​

Tank Capacity Optimization 

​

Many industrial and manufacturing processes involve the storage and transportation of inventory, and improperly calculated storage needs can lead to long-term over or under-capacity issues, each with their burdens on your income statement and balance sheets. Opgrade's Asset Optimization group are experts at not just minimizing your storage needs now, but in the future.

​

TOOLS

 

Proprietary Dynamic Linear Program (DLP) Simulator

​

In many operations, fluid control and storage is the key operational challenge. Opgrade's Proprietary Dynamic Linear Program Simulator enables engineering and management to use data to empirically understand and optimize the relationship between tank size and system production. Unit and equipment availability data are applied with Monte Carlo modeling techniques to dynamically predict optimized production levels.

 

Discrete Event Simulation

 

How do specific events and actions change utilization? For example, think of a plant manager evaluating electrical use in their plant: She would obviously evaluate the usage during power-up and power-down cycles, but is that enough? What specific events on what machines cause usage spikes or valleys? In codifying the use of electricity as a series of discrete events, the plant manager can effectively calculate how different actions affect electrical use, and identify areas for improvements.

​

Reliability, Availability, Maintainability (RAM) Studies

 

RAM modeling assess a production processes capabilities, factoring in equipment configuration, physical components, and maintenance philosophy to simulate the optimal configuration and utilization of your equipment. Using Opgrade’s RAM process, you can quickly build up sufficient data to make proper decisions regarding those system changes which affect future profits.

​

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

 

Opgrade’s CFD solutions allow you to optimize the flow of fluids and gases involved in your manufacturing processes. From heat transference to compression issues, Opgrade has the answers allowing you to maximize both their safety and utilization.

​

Dynamic Process Simulations

 

Modeling your process to find optimal conditions for production is a key element to growth for all manufacturing concerns. Opgrade takes a standard Process Simulation and enhances it, adding the elements of time and change to the model, allowing for longer forecast times and more accurate projections.

​

​