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From its experience working with manufacturers, Storm Reply realized that a major issue their clients faced was around testing solutions.“ Whether it is a proof of concept or an implementation, if it requires the line to stop, even for a minute, that is going to cost money. For some, even getting people onto site to undertake these tests is difficult, to ensure they are secure and in a safe environment. Getting everything set up to run that proof of concept on the shop floor can represent several months of effort for them.
“ We realized that if we can simulate their line in a lab, and build the solution in a controlled environment, then it will remove huge barriers to entry to help a client on testing. What would take them three months could take us four weeks!”
Storm Reply’ s lab recreates a line on the factory floor on a smaller scale, and using the client’ s hardware and software, it can reproduce the effects of an implementation.“ They can send us hardware or devices, or we can organize that, and once we’ ve got it set up, they can visit and see it working. Essentially, we are trying it out – building a solution and then demonstrating it working to the client.”
It sounds remarkable that an office based in central London can show manufacturers what will happen on their production line and Rachel admitted it can appear a bit surreal.“ You walk into a regular office, and in the corner there’ s a mini production line set up! During our testing process we discover a lot of challenges that we overcome in the lab
first, with our team working out the problems and creating a working solution before we’ re ready to show the client.”
Once Storm Reply has tested and proven the concept, it can be implemented on site.“ Typically, we start with one, friendly site,” said Rachel.“ What might work for one site is not necessarily the same at the next, but when we’ ve shown it’ s working, we can go and implement much more quickly and smoothly on site.”
Storm Reply supports large companies in Europe and around the world in the deployment of cloud-based systems and applications, and reflecting this, much of the lab’ s work is done remotely. Rachel noted that there has been somewhat of a culture shift within manufacturers, who were initially reluctant to share their data in the cloud.“ I think two things have happened over the
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