FLOOR2PLAN BRINGS AUTOMATION TO THE WORKFLOOR
Software developer Floorganise in Zwolle has developed planning software specifically for the shipbuilding industry, designed for the workfloor. Its use can reduce project lead times by 15% and labor hours by 13%, resulting in an overall efficiency improvement of about 20%.
Initially developed for Koninklijke IHC and later enhanced, the Floor2Plan software focuses on the workfloor and is designed to be user-friendly for all employees. It makes weekly and daily planning on the workfloor practical and transparent on an individual level, leading to a more efficient construction process and preventing work from interfering with itself.
Resounding hammers striking metal and the buzzing sound of a welding machine echo in the vast construction hall of Thecla Bodewes Shipyards in Kampen. Here, they build ships, big ones. This time, one hundred meters long and about thirty-five meters high. They’ve been doing this kind of work here for years, and they intend to keep doing it for years to come. But still, everything is changing.
And here comes the still-small Zwolle-based company Floorganise. Anonymously located in the Marslanden industrial estate and unknown to the general public, it’s one of the ten ‘growth pearls’ of the Zwolle Region and could play a crucial role in preserving shipyards in the Netherlands. Because that’s not a given.
‘At larger shipyards, the automation of the engineering process is usually well organized, as are the financial processes,’ says Ronald de Vries, co-owner and business expert at Floorganise. ‘But on the workfloor, there is much less automation. Floor2Plan brings automation to the foremen. This has been happening in other industries for a long time.
However, in those industries, the days and weeks are much more consistent, and detailed production standards last longer. At DAF, they can spend two years developing a production line to produce 200 trucks a day for years.’
Floor2Plan
‘A shipyard builds only one ship every few months, and each ship is a bit different. In shipbuilding, you have to combine the engineering process of each ship with the production planning. Automation is often addressed last, with too little time to do it properly. You can learn from building previous ships when building in larger series, but this doesn’t happen often. Even at Damen, where they build in series, there are often significant differences between individual ships of the same type.
According to De Vries, shipbuilding often involves periods of intense work followed by downtime. Workers naturally learn a lot on the job, which makes the process more efficient. But when there’s a break in work, employees are sent home. When new orders come in, the process starts over. This has made it difficult for automation to progress on the workfloor.’
Foreman Happy
‘According to De Vries, the practically oriented Floor2Plan will change that. ‘The ironworker, carpenter, or electrician can easily work with it. And the foreman is happy with the solution we came up with because he has to spend much less time in the office.’
However, implementing the program is not always simple and can sometimes cause friction, according to De Vries. ‘But that friction doesn’t occur much on the workfloor. It mostly happens in offices, where people are used to working with theoretical concepts. On the workfloor, you just want your IKEA-like manuals in order, with clear instructions on what needs to be completed today or this week, what’s due next week when materials arrive, and who is waiting for you to finish your work.’
Double work from paper lists is a thing of the past.
Drop on Keychain
Feadship uses Floor2Plan, for example, at one of its shipyards. Screens are mounted on the shop floor, and everyone on the site has a drop on their keychain, which grants access to the authorized parts of the program for that person. A welder can then see with a click of a finger what needs to be welded that day, who will assist, and what materials are required. Instructions appear on the screen, and it indicates that, for example, it should be completed by Friday so that the next team can start on Monday.
‘Colored checkmarks indicate whether engineering has approved the work. When the checkmarks are green, it means approval has been given. If more information is needed, the 3D program can be opened to view the drawings.
A carpentry company can, with this program, quickly see whether the cable pullers have completed their work so that the ceiling can be closed up.’
Administration
According to the developers, Floor2Plan offers significant administrative time savings. ‘The foremen, who have the knowledge and skills to supervise the younger generation, no longer need to spend hours in the office doing administrative work. This system reduces that to 10 minutes per day. And the HR manager can check timesheets in no time.’
Geertman
Floor2Plan is also suitable for smaller shipyards. For instance, it is in use at Scheepswerf Geertman in Zwartsluis. Owner René Geertman (fourth generation) can now spend more time on the shop floor. ‘Previously, he spent two hours a day on office administration; now it’s 10 minutes,’ says De Vries.
‘Booking materials and scheduling tasks and projects are all managed in Floor2Plan at Geertman. The program provides immediate visibility into work hours and materials used for each task. The double work of paper lists is thus a thing of the past.’
Site manager René Geertman used to spend two hours a day on office administration; now it's 10 minutes.
Co-owner Ronald de Vries of Floorganise in Zwolle
Multilingual Program
Employees who speak little or no Dutch can access the program in German, French, Romanian, Polish, Vietnamese, English, or Spanish. ‘The application adapts to the user’s language,’ says De Vries. ‘At Damen Vietnam, the program opens in Vietnamese for the Vietnamese staff. At the North American shipyards we serve, many Spanish-speaking individuals receive information in Spanish.’
An employee at Philadelphia Shipyard in the United States can quickly see what tasks are scheduled for them that day or week via one of the Floor2Plan touchscreens.
No Chinese Clients
A key goal of Floorganise is to make Dutch and European shipbuilding more competitive with that from Asia. ‘We do not sell the program to Chinese shipyards,’ says De Vries. ‘That would go against our principles and feel a bit like betrayal. Our American clients wouldn’t appreciate it either. Several clients in America build naval ships, and we are currently talking with the U.S. Coast Guard about our program. They have their own shipyards.’
Monthly Payment
Clients pay Floorganise a monthly fee per user. ‘When the shipyard is busy and more people are working, the amount will be higher than during a quiet month with fewer users. The fee includes support and use of our servers,’ says De Vries. Floorganise is a member of NMT.
