I want to talk about a hypothetical plant, one that, although it doesn’t exist in official records, I suspect has a twin somewhere in Mexico. This plant was the flagship of its group: the best, with outstanding indicators in productivity, performance, takt time… in short, there was no other that could compare. Its indicators were so exceptional that they could easily have been a case study for IPADE.

Technological Blindness

More than ten years ago, when the plant was installed, the OT (Operational Technology) network was conspicuously absent. One day, I asked the operations manager why it hadn’t been implemented. His response was simple and, in light of the results, disconcerting: “We don’t need it. All the data is obtained with the help of the people who facilitate our daily work.”

My disbelief earned me a good scolding, as I questioned the sustainability of his success. I had no choice but to stay put; after all, I’m just an analyst, not a manager or director. I understood my role, and that was the end of the discussion, at least for that time.

The Forced Awakening

2025 arrived. Tariffs were imposed, the industry contracted, and great tension took hold of the company. On the assembly line, product quality began to slip, even falling below tolerable levels, until one day the situation exploded.

A serious quality problem was discovered, warranting a massive recall. The assembly plant immediately returned to look for those responsible. The investigation targeted the flagship plant: the one that recorded its data on paper, lacking traceability, backup of source code and reliable data. The audit required a Herculean effort to complete.

The conclusion was stark: an entire department was laid off, including management and a group of operators at different levels.

 

A Crucial Lesson

This story compels me to join the conversation. Having good information management practices in a plant is vital. It doesn’t require a monumental investment; it requires an effort to understand the changing times, which demand our ability to better standardize and scale our operations.

We have over 20 years of experience in the Mexican industry and have served more than 700 plants. We can help your company avoid being the next protagonist in a story like this..

Neuronize Editor, Max Ramirez. mramirez@infoportal-mx.com