FAQs
Have Questions?
Do we have to replace our PLCs or shop floor controls?
No. The pattern CinchOps uses keeps the PLCs and existing controls in place and reads from them or writes to a separate reporting layer. Replacing controls is expensive, disruptive, and usually unnecessary. The work focuses on the office side of the data pipeline, not the control logic that runs your machines.
What about OT security if we connect things?
OT security is mapped before any data work begins. The shop floor network stays on its own segment, with a one-way data flow to the IT side when possible. The connection points are documented, monitored, and reviewed. CinchOps does this work as part of the engagement, not as a separate add-on, because it is the part most generic IT firms miss in a manufacturing setting.
Can we do this without buying a new ERP?
Yes, in most cases. The ERP you have is usually capable of receiving the shop floor data through APIs or import routines. The work is building the bridge. A new ERP becomes a real consideration only when the current one cannot be extended at all, and that is less common than ERP vendors will tell you.
How disruptive is the implementation?
Low disruption is the design goal. CinchOps changes one workflow at a time, tests it in parallel with the existing process, and switches over when the plant supervisor signs off. There is no plant stoppage, no big bang. The previous workflow stays available as a fallback for a few weeks while the new one proves itself.
What ROI should we expect?
The typical first workflow saves about half a person of supervisor time per shift, plus the data quality gain from removing manual re-entry. Hard cost savings are modest. The bigger value is supervisor and quality manager time freed for the work that needed it. Houston manufacturers usually see payback inside six months on the first build.