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The article deals with the application by manufacturers of intelligent solutions in order to increase industrial efficiency. Modern supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) or process visualization systems offer all the requirements a company needs to implement intelligent solutions on a flexible and economic basis. Modern SCADA systems represent an ideal platform for incorporating plant intelligence into the production process. Plant intelligence does not essentially mean a closed, automated control circuit. The challenge is to monitor the availability and utilization rate of production on a concise, effective, and consistent basis in order to help business enterprises make well-grounded decisions. SCADA systems are considered to be a cost-effective way to do it.

The article discusses how to handle project justification to avoid the dispproval of a manufacturing project. According to the author, detailing the justification requires a lot of homework because it is the return on investment (ROI) of the project and project leaders must determine the ROI on the efficiency and effectiveness between current and future processes. It is said that it is important to keep track of running time, down time, cycle time, scrap and failure mode and to quantify the control in order to calculate the potential benefit of the project.

The article focuses on the seven aspects of lean thinking which influence the people's mindset towards industrial management. It is stated that the lean thinking challenges personal philosophy in business settings, encourages the use of economic solutions for industrial problems and takes any one to the higher level of efficiency. Lean thinking covers the entire process of manufacturing which leads to greater impact in the marketplace. Lean thinking requires dedication and openness around goals, expectations and outcomes.