«When data, systems, and people operate in a unified rhythm, the factory stops being a collection of departments and becomes a living organism. That is where true resilience begins: through interoperability.»

Dr. Evangelos Theodorou
President & CEO, Theodorou Group

The technological transformation of industry is no longer about devices, but systems. Today’s factory seeks functional coherence - the ability for data to flow seamlessly and bidirectionally from management to the shop floor. This coherence is what creates resiliency: the ability of a factory to react, adapt, and evolve without interruptions or disruptions to its operation.

The implementation of the Theodorou Group’s Tracer Factory platform in a consumer goods manufacturing plant clearly demonstrates how production transitions from simple connectivity to interoperability maturity. The project includes full integration of information systems (ERP-WMS) with production equipment—robots, printers, scanners, cameras, and PLCs - ensuring continuous information flow and real-time process checks.

The Challenge: From ERP to the Shop Floor

At the heart of the challenge lies a long-standing objective for manufacturing sites: how to ensure that information from the ERP - production and sales orders - flows all the way to the final product pallet label with minimal human intervention. The solution ensures that every production change is automatically reflected across the entire chain, from the line to the warehouse.

Tracer Factory serves as the intermediary layer between business information and mechanical/electrical equipment. As a complete Manufacturing Execution System (MES), it manages production, scheduling, routing, recipes, quality control, and productivity measurement, while connecting directly to factory equipment such as robots, PLCs, weighers, cameras, and printers.

In practical terms, ERP communication allows Tracer Factory to automatically receive item files, production recipes, and sales orders. All information is displayed in a unified web environment, where supervisors can monitor production schedules and receive real-time instructions. Paper forms are eliminated; instead, each line is equipped with the appropriate devices (industrial touch PCs, tablets) serving as interfaces between operators and the system.

Executing a production order is accompanied by material verification through barcode scanning, ensuring that raw and packaging materials used are exactly those required by the recipe. The result is the near elimination of production errors and a significant reduction in rejects.

The Technical Implementation: A Unified “Language” in the Factory

The project’s success relied on creating a common communication “language” between people, machines, and data. Tracer Factory sends the correct parameters for each production order directly to field devices. Printers automatically receive product labeling data, PLCs synchronize product movement and execute sorting via cameras, while robots perform palletizing according to sales order specifications.

The critical element is that equipment must not only receive commands but also send data back. Through integration with line PLCs and robots, Tracer Factory collects primary information such as counters, machine status, and operating times. This provides the factory with a real-time view of production without waiting for end-of-day reports.

This formed the basis for applying the OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) metric, calculated directly from equipment data with no human intervention. OEE becomes the factory’s performance mirror - revealing availability, performance, and quality with second-level accuracy.

Systems Integration: The Factory Speaks

Automation is completed when the factory, upon finishing each production order, automatically updates the ERP and WMS with the produced goods. Every pallet labeled as a finished product is accompanied by digital data specifying its contents (quantities and production details) and its availability for storage or immediate dispatch.

The warehouse no longer needs to wait for manual entries to know what is ready for shipment. Real-time information eliminates discrepancies and enhances collaboration between production and logistics. Manual reports are replaced by automated dashboards and analytics, providing production managers with the insight needed for fast decision-making.

Project Coordination and Collaboration Culture

The success of such projects is never purely technical. It requires coordination across multiple factory departments (production, quality control, IT, logistics) and multidisciplinary collaboration from the integrator’s side. In this case, the project progressed through continuous dialogue and flexibility, with the factory embracing change and integrating the system into daily operations.

This aspect is crucial: resilience arises not only from technology but from people’s ability to collaborate around a shared information framework.

Measurable Benefits and Real Impact

The benefits for the business are multi-level and long-lasting:

• Accurate information flow across departments
• Significant reduction of human errors on the production floor
• Reduced setup and changeover times thanks to automatic device configuration
• Minimization of paperwork and manual entries
• Real-time visibility of each line’s status
• Faster decision-making based on reliable data
• Increased productivity and equipment utilization
• Improved quality and reduced rejects

Most importantly, the factory gains active awareness of its own data. It no longer waits for end-of-day summaries - it can intervene the moment something changes.

From Connectivity to Industrial Resilience

This experience shows that the industrial ecosystem in Greece is maturing. The “Connected Factory” is no longer theory. The next step - already visible - is the integration of intelligent prediction, maintenance, and optimization functions.

A factory’s resilience depends not only on inventory or processes but on the quality of its data. Tracer Factory, acting as the connective tissue among systems, machines, and people, enables this transition. It doesn't replace humans - it empowers them with information and control.

In a world moving from digitization to intelligence, the resilient factory is the one that adapts consciously, timely, and based on evidence. Connectivity is merely the beginning of this journey.

Dr. Evangelos Theodorou is the President & CEO of Theodorou Group. He holds a degree in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering – NTUA (National Technical University of Athens) and holds a Ph.D. in Electronic Systems from the University of Cambridge, England. He has been a lecturer at the Department of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers of the NTUA.