ELAM Solutions is a cloud-based worker assistance system and consists of the following applications:

1. ELAM Administration
2. ELAM Assistant
3. ELAM Analytics

A quick overview of the applications is provided in this article.

ELAM Administration

ELAM Administration is a web application that is used to manage production data and to create digital workflows in form of flowcharts. This article is intended to give a first overview of the functionality and to make it easier to get started.

Flowcharts

Creating flowcharts is the core function of ELAM Solutions. Flowcharts are used to create digital workflows step by step and display them in the Assistant for employees. In the standard setup you will find a prepared flowchart "OnBoarding Flowchart" for orientation.

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The Flowchart Editor will start in View Mode. You will see an example of a simple workflow and information about it. By clicking on the individual steps you will be able to see more details:

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Now click on Edit Mode to edit the flowchart:

In the Edit Mode of the flowchart editor you can make changes.

The following functions and information are displayed in Edit Mode:

1. Back to the Flowchart Overview: here you get back to the flowchart overview.
2. Save: Will not be activated until changes are made to the flowchart.
3. Release: Will not be activated until changes are saved. By releasing a new flowchart version, a comment can optionally be specified and a new version can be released for production. Here you can find more information about version management.
4. Simulation: Allows a simulation of the complete flowchart in the Assistant.
5. View Mode: Return to the View Mode.
6. Assignments: Allows you to assign multiple variants to the flowchart. With the assignment of variants to flowcharts, the flowcharts can be started in the Assistant via the variant.
7. Details: Here you can see the details of the flowchart or the selected step and some help regarding the editor.
8. Step Template: A flowchart step reflects a work instruction. A flowchart is defined by several linked steps and reflects an entire workflow for variants. Here you can find the notation of the steps.
9. Tool Box: From the tool box, you can drag and drop individual steps and place them in the canvas.
10. Options: Here you can automatically sort the flowchart, resize it, export the flowchart, and customize the view settings.

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Learn how to create a flowchart yourself in this article and how to start a flowchart in the Assistant in this article.

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User

Create and invite user in your ELAM Administration. You can create as many users as you want. By entering a mail-address, an invitation link will be sent automatically by the system to the mail-address.

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Learn more about user creation and management in this article.

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Groups

If you want to define different user roles, you can create groups and assign different access rights to each of them.

1. New Group: Create a new group.
2. Edit Group: Assign User and manage user rights.

Learn more about Group creation and management in this article.

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Stations

Workstations can be created and managed in "Stations". To be able to use tools, they must always be assigned to a station. Documents that are assigned to a station can be called up in the Assistant at any time.

1. New Station: Add a new Station.
2. Name: Insert the name of the Station.
3. Line/Group Assignment: Assign the station to a group or line. A line represents a grouping of stations. This will be taken into account in the Analytics.
4. User Login: With this function, a user login is activated at the station. Only logged in users can work at the station. Logged in users who acknowledge steps in the flowchart are automatically logged.
5. Assign Tools: Here you can assign tools to a station.
6. Assign Document: Assign a document that can always be opened at the station.

Read this article to learn how to create a station.

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Tools

To use these following tools with ELAM Solutions, at least one SWA5 client WiFi device is required:

· Bossard Smart Tool

· Kolver K-Ducer

· USB-Scanner

· I/O-Controller

· Bitcube

· Pick to Light

Created tools appear on the Tool Overview page and must be manually assigned to a station.

Note: Following tools don't require a SWA5 Client WiFi and must be created manually in ELAM Administration > Tools > New Tool:

• SmartLabels
• SmartTower

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Documents

Documents such as images, PDF and videos can be uploaded and assigned to variants or stations.

‍Explanation of the Document assignment function for:

‍Variants‍

If documents are assigned to the variant, they can be called up in the Assistant at any time. This is the case when a variant is started in the Assistant and an employee wants to call up necessary documents at any time. Often, technical drawings are added to the variant here.

Stations‍

If documents are assigned to the station, they can be called up in the Assistant at any time. Safety instructions or information on tools are often added here.

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Variants

You can either create variants manually, or import them via a CSV file. Please note the necessary file template. To start a flowchart in the Assistant, you must create a variant and assign it to a flowchart and one or more stations.

To create a variant manually:

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How to import variants using csv files:

You can make the assignment in this menu, or in the Flowchart Editor -> "Assignments" (See Edit Mode of the Flowchart Editor).

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Components

You can either add parts manually, or import them via a CSV file (using the three dots next to "New part"). Please note the necessary file template.

To add parts manually:

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How to import components via csv files:

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With this, you should have become familiar with all the basic functions of ELAM Solutions Administration.

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ELAM Assistant

From Administration to the Assistant:

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The first interaction in the ELAM Assistant always starts in the start form. Via this, the operator can start variants / flowcharts and call up documents.

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1. Connection Status: Displays the live connection status to the cloud.

• When the icon is green, then the Assistant has successfully connected to the cloud.
• When the icon is orange, then the Assistant will try to connect to the cloud.
• When the icon is red, then the Assistant cannot connect to the cloud.

2. Full Screen Mode: Allows you to turn full screen mode on or off.

3. Tool Overview: Displays all tools assigned to the current station.

4. Open Camera: Active a Video Stream of your USB-Camera to scan data like variant, serialnumber or order number.

5. Language settings: Displays the current language of the Assistant.

6. Document selection: Allows to call documents (pictures, videos, PDFs) assigned to the current station.

7. Variant selection: Allows to select a variant assigned to the current station.

8. System Info: Displays current system info.

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How to start a flowchart assigned to a variant:

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How a flowchart step looks in the Assistant:

1. Information: Shows informationen about the current product.

2. Comment: Here you can comment the current step.

3. Repeat: You can only repeat screwing steps (as shown in the picture).

4. Exit: Exit to start form. The variant progress will be saved and can be continued in the start form.

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How to open documents assigned to a station:

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A document assigned to a variant opens directly if no flowchart is assigned to the variant. Otherwise flowcharts are started:

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If a flowchart and documents are assigned to the variant, the flowchart will be loaded at startup:

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ELAM Analytics

In Analytics, the recorded production data can be analyzed in dashboards.

In principle, the production data for the variant is recorded when Flowcharts are started in the Assistant. Inputs, acknowledgements and measured values from tools are assigned to the corresponding variant and used for statistical evaluations. Documents that are opened during runtime in the document display of the Assistant are not included in the statistics.

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Products

Starting the evaluation, you are taken directly to the overview of the products:

1. Products: Get an overview of all completed variants.
2. Filter: Filter the overview for a specific time frame.
3. Export: Export Analytics as a picture or Excel-file.
4. Status chart: This pie chart shows the comleted Products by Status.
5. Average Process Quality: Shows the average Process Quality based on the filter settings.
6. First Pass: Shows the percentage of variants that passed 100% OK or Not OK on the first run.
7. Completed Products: Shows an overview of completed variants.
8. Administration: Get back to the Administration and from there to the Assistant.

Here you can find more information about the Products page and formulas for calculations.

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Productivity

The Productivity page offers efficiency analyses.

1. Filter: Filter by date, variants and lines.
2. Line Overview: All variants completed on the assigned lines are displayed here. In addition, the total sum of all completed products across all variants is displayed.
3. Variant overview: In the overview of completed products per variant, the total of individual variants that have been completed, are displayed. The overview adapts to the filter settings.
   
4. Assembly time: The ratio between assembly time and inactive time is visualized in a pie chart. The bar chart gives an overview of the completed products.

This diagram illustrates the average assembly time per variant. The average assembly time of all variants is shown as a blue line and adapts to the filter settings.

Here you can find more details to the Productivity page.

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Quality

The Quality page demonstrates how many variants were completed in the first run and 100% without errors (green bar) and how many variants were not completed without errors (red bar).

Find more details about the Quality page here.

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