Matching the Machine ‘Augmented Reality’ Has Potential to Boost Business Productivity
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MARCH 27 - APRIL 2, 2017 How Jazz fest companies plots future Event aims at groom new sustainability leaders with help from patron The secrets to improving Valade, from within, Page 8 Page 3 Manufacturing Sports business Matching the machine ‘Augmented reality’ has potential to boost business productivity By Dustin Walsh “(Augmented reality) is used sort [email protected] of like turn-by-turn GPS in your car, e modern intersection of tech- except for manufacturing,” said Paul nology and work is a paradox. It’s Ryznar, president and CEO of OPS. both responsible for climbing cor- “When there’s only four turns, it’s porate pro ts, and for mass job easy; but if there are 50 turns, you’re losses and rising income inequal- going to make a mistake. Manufac- ity. is has been called the robot turing is now all about variation and revolution, but it’s not all doom complicated processes. Our system and gloom for the laborer class. eliminates that risk for errors. All the A new breed of technologies worker has to do is follow the lights.” called “augmented reality” — fueling It’s an update on a popular mobile games like Pokemon Japanese concept Go — is altering that perception. It called poka yoke, or holds the potential to boost produc- driving down costs tivity and make economic growth and increasing pro- through manufacturing a reality. ductivity in the man- e innovation is one part inter- ufacturing process active how-to and one part idi- through “dummy proof- ot-proo ng, and is gaining traction ing,” and has been used in manufacturing, health care and for decades. e Japanese other elds. term, coined in the 1960s by a Wixom-based OPS Solutions LLC Toyota Motor Corp. engineer, makes software de ned the just-in-time produc- powering aug- tion philosophy rst implemented mented reality by Toyota before spreading to the Teams’ exec currently expand- other automakers. Production quality ing through the au- and e ciency spiked from imple- tomotive sector. mentation of the process. ranks slow It works like this: OPS is now taking advantage of a e software, called new poka yoke renaissance. “Light Guide Systems” uses OPS is experiencing 100 percent to shed boys’ projectors to overlay step-by- year-over-year growth and plans to step images and instructions, maintain that rate as more compa- complete with visual cues like arrows nies see how augmented reality can club reality and videos on parts and production increase productivity, Ryznar said. By Bill Shea areas to assist workers with proper as- Companies across the manufactur- [email protected] sembly. A worker follows visual indica- ing sector are experimenting with aug- A little over a year ago, National tors to complete each step of the man- mented reality — most often with Football League Commissioner ufacturing process. A red light ashes wearable devices, or glasses, rather Roger Goodell announced that pro and a buzzer sounds if a step is missed than OPS’ projector system. ough, football’s diversity rules would ex- or incorrect part is used. Ryznar said, wearables can create safe- pand to require that women be in- It’s a deceptively simple way to ty concerns as the image display on the terviewed for executive jobs inside get some huge productivity and eyeglasses impair worker vision. the league’s headquarters. quality gains. General Electric Co. is experi- e NFL’s 30 teams didn’t have to At automaker FCA US LLC’s menting with augmented reality in adopt the change, but the Detroit Li- UAW-Chrysler National Training its oil and gas division. ons say they have. Center, roughly 5,000 new employees Technicians assembling and in- at’s one step toward increased are training in standard manual as- specting nozzles for its heavy-duty gender diversity in male-dominated sembly on OPS Light Guide systems. gas turbines at GE’s Florence, Italy U.S. major league sports. FCA revealed the OPS system boost- plant need to make 100 precise mea- A small step, with miles to go. ed worker productivity by 38 percent surements before the part is At a time when gender equality and quality rose by 80 percent. WILDPIXEL VIA ISTOCK SEE REALITY , PAGE 15 has taken center stage in the nation- al conversation, Detroit’s four pro teams have very few women in top © Entire contents copyright 2017 front o ce roles, at vice president or by Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved higher: e Lions have three, the Ti- crainsdetroit.com Vol. 33 No 13 $2 a copy. $59 a year. Scanning for opportunity gers and Pistons two each, and the Rock Holdings’ school Red Wings one. digitization project ough the teams and their emblematic of a leagues are making progress, it’s a di erent way of problem when studies prove that gender diversity is good for business looking at and women make up increasing NEWSPAPER philanthropy, shares of the teams’ fan bases. Page 3 SEE WOMEN , PAGE 16 2 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // MARCH 27, 2017 INSIDE MICHIGAN BRIEFS BANKRUPTCIES 14 CALENDAR 11 Uber, Ly can operate CLASSIFIED ADS 15 legally in Michigan DEALS & DETAILS 11 Ride-hailing companies Uber and KEITH CRAIN 6 Lyft can operate legally in Michigan OPINION 6 now that new licensing rules are in eect. OTHER VOICES 7 Gov. Rick Snyder in December PEOPLE 14 signed legislation that created a RUMBLINGS 19 standard set of regulations for so- called transportation network com- WEEK ON THE WEB 19 panies, limo carriers and taxi com- panies. ey took eect this week. COMPANY INDEX: e new rules require criminal SEE PAGE 18 background checks for drivers and ated Press reported. vehicle inspections, and drivers UBER e grant announced March 17 Ride-hailing companies Uber and Ly can operate legally in Michigan now that new licensing rules are in eect. wouldn’t be allowed to work for a was promised to the Michigan De- company if they have more than four partment of Environmental Quality recent trac violations or any recent to operate at airports, including De- Associated Press reported. the aid for a private purpose. T by Congress in December. felony convictions. Companies troit Metropolitan Airport in Romu- e lawsuit, led in the Court of hey called it a “backdoor voucher.” It aims to help Flint accelerate would have to pay annual lus. claims, challenges $2.5 million in and expand its work to replace lead registration fees and have vehicle e legislation was an eort to au- funding that was set aside by the Re- EPA awards $100 million water service lines and fund other signage or decals approved by the thorize ride-hailing services, which publican-controlled Legislature and for Flint work critical water infrastructure im- state. previously operated outside the legal Gov. Rick Snyder for the rst time in provements. Taxis will now be regulated by the framework for similar for-hire trans- the current budget for nonpublic e U.S. Environmental Protec- Mayor Karen Weaver said in a state, rather than by local govern- portation companies. schools. tion Agency has awarded $100 mil- statement that the much-needed ments. e Michigan Department of e Michigan Association of lion to help fund infrastructure up- money will help Flint reach a Licensing and Regulatory Aairs will Public school advocates School Boards and groups repre- grades in Flint amid the city’s crisis goal of replacing 6,000 pipes this have oversight of transportation net- to sue state senting school districts and admin- with lead-tainted water, e Associ- year. work companies. istrators said the planned spending e new regulations also satisfy Public school advocates on Tues- is illegal because the state constitu- Correction concerns about insurance coverage, day sued the state of Michigan in an tion prohibits spending public particularly for San Francisco-based eort to stop it from spending public money on private schools and the J A Deals & Details item on Page 11 contains an incorrect URL for the Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. money to help private schools cover state Senate fell short of the mini- Detroit Dog Co. website. It is www.detroitdogco.com. e error was dis- e bills had sparked debate about the cost of complying with state re- mum two-thirds vote that would covered after that page went to press. the ride-hailing companies’ ability quirements such as safety drills, e have been needed to allocate Nominate your company POWERED BY as one of Michigan’s Cool Places to Work in Michigan returns for another year. This prestigious program 320=;))/70)*8 recognizes employers that go the extra mile to make their employees feel 83231-2%8) appreciated – as judged, in part, by the employees themselves. DEADLINE: NOMINATE your Cool Place to Work today at crainsdetroit.com/nominate APRIL 7, 2017 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // MARCH 27, 2017 3 Philanthropy Commerce Year-round Daylight Saving Time? Buyer beware By Lindsay VanHulle Crain’s Detroit Business/Bridge Magazine LANSING — A week or so ago, Dave Arland took a call from some- one who wanted to set up a meeting. e caller asked for the current time in Indiana. Keep in mind, it’s been more than 10 years since Indiana began chang- ing its clocks twice a year like most of the rest of the country. Working e questions haven’t yet stopped. It’s March, the time of year when we push clocks forward an hour and to ght routinely At a glance question the Rep. Peter Lucido, wisdom of do- Detroit’s R-Shelby Township, ing so. introduced House Michigan is Bill 4011 , which as one of at least written exempts 16 state legis- problems CHAD LIVENGOOD/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Michigan from latures that observing Daylight have seen as Darreaux Waddell, archivist for Detroit Public Schools Community District, instructs volunteers from Quicken Loans on which documents from former student les they can Saving Time.