Questions and answers
Academy
What different training formats do you offer? Do you have e-learnings, online and flipped classroom?
We offer a variety of training formats to meet the varying needs of our participants and clients. Some of them are:
instructor-led training courses
These can be held both on Location and online. On Location can be conducted at our premises, at one of our partners or directly at yours. Our online trainings are most often delivered via our LMS, Teams or Zoom, providing flexibility and access wherever you are.
Hybrid training courses
Combines the benefits of both on Location and online formats. This flexible solution offers participants the opportunity to choose whether to attend physically at Location or via a digital platform. Alternatively, the training can vary between having initial sessions at the Location and continuing with sessions online. This model is ideal for maximizing accessibility and adapting to participants' individual needs and circumstances.
E-learnings
Our e-learnings offer a wide variety of training content ranging from recorded sessions to microlearning. These courses are designed for self-study and participants can complete them at their own pace. By using our LMS platform, learners can access video lectures and take exams whenever they feel ready, giving them full control over their learning.
Interactive e-learning
This form of e-learning includes interactive elements such as quizzes, simulations, and practical exercises that actively engage participants in the learning process. These courses are specifically designed to increase interaction and understanding by involving participants in active tasks and decision-making. Our interactive e-learnings are available through our LMS platform and combine flexibility with a deeper learning experience.
Flipped Classroom
This pedagogical method inverts traditional learning activities by having participants first access learning materials, such as guidelines, instructions or e-learning courses, in advance. This preparatory work allows the instructor-led session, which can take place on Location at the customer's premises, to effectively utilize the time to deepen knowledge through targeted discussions and practical exercises that directly relate to the participants' specific challenges.
For example, several of our clients have appreciated first completing our eGAMP5 trainingfollowed by an Location workshop that focuses on applying the newly acquired knowledge in their unique work environment. This approach promotes active learning and ensures a deeper understanding of the subject.
Each format is designed to meet different learning needs and styles, ensuring that customers and participants can find a learning solution that suits them best.
Are all your courses available as e-learning?
Not at the moment, but we are working on designing interactive training for all our courses in e-learning format.
If you are missing a training course from our offer, please contact us with your request.
Can I register several employees and link specific courses to them in your portal (eAcademy) and then receive an invoice?
Yes, absolutely, we will develop a customized package for you and your team with selected training courses, where you as a manager can follow the progression and certifications of your employees.
Självklart kan vi ordna detta med faktura, kontakta oss på academy@plantvision.se eller fyll i vårt formulär för anpassade utbildningar, så återkommer vi med information om hur vi kan assistera dig.
Do you offer certification or diploma at the end of the course?
Everyone who completes a training course with us receives a certificate of completion that can be used professionally. For training through our partners, please refer to what is stated when purchasing through them.
How do you keep your training courses up to date with the latest regulations?
Our Instructor and course developers are experts in their fields and keep up to date through industry collaboration, participation in relevant forums and networks, and continuous professional development. The trainers are also consultants and work hands-on with the tools and skills they teach.
Can I get help to choose the right courses for my needs?
Absolutely, contact plantvision for help identifying which training best suits your needs.
We can also help you design a training program that combines several courses to give you a more comprehensive skills development.
How do I enrol in a training course?
You can register on our website under the respective training page. Just select the course you are interested in and click on "BOOK" to go to our or our partner's registration page.
How can I customize a training course for my company and what are the options for in-company training?
We offer both tailor-made and in-house training courses, adapted to your specific needs and requirements. You can choose to tailor the content of our existing open courses to suit your organization, or we can help you design a new course entirely.
För att diskutera dina behov och börja processen, kontakta oss på academy@plantvision.se eller fyll i vårt formulär för anpassade utbildningar, så återkommer vi med information om hur vi kan assistera dig.
We look forward to helping you and your organization reach your Course goal.
Facility information
What is facility information?
It is the technical information that describes a facility; data and documents. Everything from flow charts to maintenance manuals. But also technical data like design pressure or flow.
How can you digitalize facility information?
Paper-based can be scanned in. Import Excel lists and thus make data more usable, accessible and searchable.
What are the benefits of an Asset Management System
When all available information is gathered in one place, it becomes easy to search. This makes it quicker to find what you are looking for and there is less risk of finding conflicting information.
What is an Asset Management System
It is a system that can collect both data and documents, and create structures that correspond to the structures of the plant. An object, such as a pump, becomes a holder that can hold both technical data and all related documents.
What is the difference between facility information and documentation?
Documentation is a subset of the facility information. Some people exclude drawings from documents, but these are included and are an important part. Other parts are technical data and "IT files" such as configuration files and firmware.
Manufacturing
Which business and operational processes in production can be improved with digitalization?
When it comes to the digitization of business functions in manufacturing companies, the main focus is on these four areas: quality, production, inventory and maintenance.
Digging deeper into the production perspective, these are: Production planning (planning and scheduling), Material flows and manufacturing flows (routing), Resource management (personnel, authorizations, etc.), equipment and machine status, product information, release, quality management (quality checks, SPC, yield, rejects, rework), production follow-up (stop motion analysis, equipment availability, OEE), data collection (machine hook-ups, manual input, sensor, IIOT, etc.), inventory (warehouse, truck transportation, material buffers, inventory, QR and barcode counting), automation and control systems.
Which technologies are central to the digitalization of manufacturing?
Some key technologies include:
- Production planning and scheduling from customer order to delivery (meeting delivery dates, managing changes in production based on material and machine availability and actual outcome per operation).
- MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems): For real-time monitoring and control of production processes.
- IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things): to connect machines and collect data.
- Big Data and AI: To collect and analyze large amounts of data and improve production processes and decision-making (e.g. quality checks with AI or analysis of large amounts of process data)
- Automation and Robotics: To automate manual processes.
- Digital Twins: To quickly create digital copies of the production process and see the impact of changes digitally before they are introduced in reality.
What kind of data and information should be collected and analyzed to improve production?
In order to have traceability throughout production and the possibility to act and coordinate production in real time, the following data is in focus:
- Production data: Data on production speed, cycle times, and machine performance.
- Quality data: Data on defects, recalls and quality checks.
- Maintenance data: Data on machine maintenance and downtime.
- Sales data: Data on orders, sales trends and customer feedback.
What does OEE mean?
OEE, which stands for Overall Equipment Effectiveness, is a key performance indicator used to measure and improve the efficiency of manufacturing processes. In Swedish, the term TAK is used, which stands for Availability, Plant Utilization and Quality. OEE takes into account different types of production losses and divides them into three categories:
- Availability: Measures losses that occur due to downtime.
- Performance (Plant Utilization): Measures losses due to machines or processes running slower than the maximum speed.
- Quality: Measures losses of products that do not meet quality standards.
By combining these three factors, OEE provides an overall picture of how efficiently a manufacturing process is working. A high OEE value indicates an efficient and optimized production with minimal losses.
What is an MES system and how does it help manufacturing companies?
A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) is a system that monitors, controls and collects information about production processes in real time. MES systems help ensure efficiency and quality by integrating and optimizing both processes and information from all areas of production. This type of system becomes the heart of production, helping to coordinate and optimize production activities to improve quality, efficiency and profitability.
What features are most commonly found in an MES system?
- Production planning and scheduling
- Resource and material management
- Production monitoring and control
- Quality management
- Traceability
- Work order management
- Operator management and digital work instructions
- Performance analysis and production monitoring
- Reports and dashboards with real-time production data
- Integration with ERP and peripheral systems
How can a digital platform and an MES system contribute on the way to Industry 4.0, 5.0 and the future of production?
A digital platform for production is an important piece of the puzzle and a tool on the journey towards Industry 4.0 and 5.0 for manufacturing companies.
MES systems are at the heart of production and are central to enabling Industry 4.0 by integrating and automating production processes. As a tool for digital transformation towards the smart factory, this type of system helps to connect machines, people and peripheral systems. By collecting and analyzing real-time data, they improve the productivity, quality and flexibility of manufacturing processes. They also enable predictive maintenance and resource optimization, reducing downtime and increasing efficiency.
For companies aiming for Industry 5.0, MES systems play an important role by supporting and coordinating human-machine collaboration. They also facilitate sustainability monitoring and reporting under the CSRD directive, for example, and help companies to monitor their use of resources and reduce their energy consumption and environmental impact. Digital production platforms and MES/MOM solutions integrate automation with human expertise, making companies better equipped to innovate, focus on customers, and address new challenges and rapid changes towards smarter and more sustainable production.
Medtech usability engineering
What are the most important usability standards and guidelines to know about?
- IEC 62366-1 – Usability engineering for medical devices
- IEC 62366-2 – Technical report providing practical guidance
- ISO 14971 – Risk management for medical devices
- FDA Guidance: Applying Human Factors and Usability Engineering
What usability and human factors activities are required to be compliant in the US?
- The FDA Human Factors Engineering Guidance applies.
- The Human Factors Engineering Guidance is largely similar to IEC 62366-1, although terminology and structure differ slightly.
What does notified body expect to see for usability engineering?
- Usability engineering is often integrated into other development processes. Make sure the key usability elements are easy to identify.
- Notified bodies expect to see at least use specification, clear connection to risk management, plans and records for usability evaluation activities and a conclusion regarding benefit-risk.
- Most importantly, you must show evidence that use-related risks have been actively identified, assessed, and mitigated.
I have a legacy device developed before the publication of the IEC 62366-1. What can I do?
- IEC 62366-1 allows the UOUP (Usability of Unknown Provenance) approach, which relies more heavily on post‑market data to demonstrate acceptable usability.
- You will still need to define the use specification and assess usability risks.
- Any usability-impacting design changes made after the standard was published are not qualified for the UOUP approach.
I have a class I medical device, do I need the full usability engineering process?
- Usability engineering is risk‑based.
- Less documentation and testing are expected since risks are probably less severe.
- The key goal remains the same: to design safe and effective medical devices for their intended users.
OT security
What is the difference between IT security and OT security?
IT security focuses on information systems, while OT security is about protecting the operational technologies that control physical processes - for example in manufacturing, energy and transportation. OT systems are often older, more difficult to access and integrated with physical infrastructure, requiring specific methods and tools to secure them.
Why are OT systems particularly vulnerable to cyber threats?
Many OT environments are built on legacy systems that lack basic protection. At the same time, more industrial systems are being connected to the internet and cloud services, increasing exposure to attacks. In addition, clear security processes and business continuity plans are often lacking.
How do you help meet NIS2 and CRA requirements?
We offer support throughout the entire process - from GAP analysis and risk assessment to safeguards implementation and follow-up. Our approach is based on international standards and we tailor measures to strengthen both compliance and practical security.
How can you help us raise security awareness among staff?
We offer targeted cybersecurity training for different audiences, from operational staff to management. The focus is on creating an understanding of the threat landscape, building a culture of security and providing concrete tools for responding to incidents.
We have started using cloud services - how does this affect our OT security?
Cloud computing can streamline OT operations but also brings new security challenges. We help you ensure that the right protection is in place on Location, both technically (such as segmentation and encryption) and organizationally (procedures, responsibilities and monitoring).
How quickly can you start a mission?
The timeframe depends on the scope of the assignment, but we are used to mobilizing resources quickly and can often start an initial analysis or feasibility study within a couple of weeks.
Scheduling
How is 'what-if' scenario analysis used in scheduling?
Med "What-if"-funktioner kan du testa olika planeringsalternativ innan beslut fattas. Det skapar trygghet och gör produktionen mer flexibel vid oväntade händelser.
How does scheduling help us reduce lead times?
Rule-based and automated planning reduces set-up times and increases capacity utilization in production. Plans can be adjusted in real time, making the entire supply chain faster and more reliable.
What are the benefits of APS compared to manual planning?
APS eliminates manual labor and simplifies scenario planning. You can quickly reschedule in case of changes, identify material shortages in advance and communicate exact delivery dates - reducing dependency on key personnel.
How does advanced scheduling improve our productivity?
An advanced scheduling solution (APS) optimizes machine utilization based on setup time matrices and capacity calendars. This results in better resource utilization, shorter lead times and a more stable production flow without bottlenecks.
What is scheduling in production?
Scheduling is the detailed planning of production - deciding when and how to run different orders, taking into account resources, machine capacity and available materials. An effective scheduling solution minimizes set-up times, maximizes output and increases delivery accuracy.
Simulation
What problems can simulation help solve in production environments?
Simulation is particularly useful for detecting problems that are difficult to predict, such as bottlenecks, failures in control systems, or the impact of new investments on capacity. It also allows staff to be trained in virtual environments to reduce the risk of mistakes when production starts.
What is simulation and how is it used in production?
Simulation involves creating a digital replica of a production process to test and analyze changes before they are introduced in reality. This could be to evaluate new machines, process flows or layout changes. Through simulation, companies can avoid costly errors and improve efficiency.
How does virtual commissioning work and what are its benefits?
Virtual commissioning is a process where control systems and production equipment are tested and validated in a digital environment before physical installation. This reduces lead times and the risk of errors at start-up, as many issues can be resolved before the machines are even assembled.
What types of analysis can be done with production simulation?
Simulation can be used to perform what-if analyses to see how different scenarios affect production, robustness tests to ensure that systems can cope with variations, and capacity analyses to identify bottlenecks and optimize flows.
What are the technical platforms used for simulation and what are the differences between them?
Popular simulation platforms include AnyLogic, SIMIT, gPROMS and COMOS Walkinside. They differ in focus and features. Some are better at process simulation, others at 3D visualization or system integration. The choice depends on the type of production and process to be simulated.