Critical Manufacturing vs Solumina

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Our analysts compared Critical Manufacturing vs Solumina based on data from our 400+ point analysis of MES Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Solumina Software Tool

Product Basics

Critical Manufacturing is a cloud-based, modular system enabling discrete manufacturing companies to improve performance and digitize with analytics and configurable tools. A single, integrated window for production data helps users make better-informed decisions.

Its standout features include closed-loop quality management, digital twin and factory automation capabilities. Integrate with an IIoT-enabled workplace to create seamless smart factories. Users can create and implement a baseline at multiple sites to standardize production.
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Solumina is a robust software solution designed to manage complex manufacturing processes, particularly excelling in Manufacturing Execution (MES). It is tailored for industries such as aerospace, defense, and other sectors requiring stringent quality control and compliance. Solumina streamlines production by integrating quality management, supplier collaboration, and maintenance operations into a unified platform, enhancing efficiency and traceability.

One of the standout benefits of Solumina is its ability to provide real-time visibility into manufacturing processes, which helps in reducing errors and improving product quality. Its powerful features include detailed work instructions, comprehensive defect tracking, and advanced analytics capabilities. Users appreciate its intuitive interface and the depth of customization available to meet specific operational needs.

Compared to similar products, Solumina is often praised for its scalability and the seamless integration it offers with existing enterprise systems. Pricing details are typically customized based on the scope and scale of implementation, so it is advisable to contact SelectHub for a tailored quote.

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Product Insights

  • Simplified User Experience: Create functional user interfaces and personalized process views without complex coding. 
  • Flexible Scalability: Scale software requirements according to operational needs. Select a pricing model based on size and growth. 
  • Accessibility: Work from anywhere by connecting to dashboards remotely via any web-based interface. Access documents and enforce processes on mobile devices. 
  • Quick Implementation: Finish server-side installation in minutes. Rollout features, in addition to current infrastructure, without client installation. 
  • Increased Accountability: Log products, components and materials with complete traceability, backward and forward. 
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  • Meet Compliances: Verify that supplier operations meet compliances regularly with the supplier quality management apparatus. This tool provides users with real-time communication between suppliers and consumers to swiftly react if problems appear on the shop floor. 
  • Full Transparency: Monitor every step in a supplier's trek to compliance and quality management regulations, such as defects uncovered during inspections with the 360-degree visibility tool in the suppler quality management module. This tool can ensure suppliers meet and remain compliant with ever-changing standards from various departments. 
  • Reduce Waste: Leverage the manufacturing execution system's paperless online work instructions and procedures accessible across all product centers from any location at any time. Less paper means less mess and a reduced chance of losing valuable information in a sea of documents or a cluttered filing cabinet. 
  • Simplify Work Instructions: Dwindle complicated work instructions and inspection requirements by including data collections and certification requirements via the maintenance, repair and overhaul module. This module ensures that users have everything they need to complete inspections hassle free, increasing a product's time to market. 
  • Enhanced Collaboration: Merge Solumina Quality Management with CAD, PLM and ERP solutions to ensure there's effective collaboration between various departments within the facility. This integration also provides visibility on the creation and testing of product models to easily catch defects or problems before building a full-scale product model. 
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  • Factory Management: Track containers and modify material paths. Use the modular system to create checklists with criteria and design reports. 
  • Planning and Scheduling: Create individual schedules to improve people and resource usage. Set multiple weighted parameters to optimize production KPIs. 
  • Visual Insights: Monitor shop floor operations, access historical data and create a digital twin of factory operations with fabLIVE’s 3D visual insights. 
  • Quality Control: Set time and counter-based sampling from configurable contexts. Define exception protocols and use statistical process control for quality improvement. 
  • Visibility Tracking: Set notification alerts for tasks requiring attention. View complete product history and trace task priority changes. 
  • Operations Optimization: Manage order, labor, maintenance, recipe and warehouse workflows simultaneously. Utilize cost absorption for live shopfloor expense control. 
  • Vertical and Horizontal Integration: Integrate IoT with equipment and automations. Implement a baseline standard across plants. Share information with suppliers and customers for a smart supply chain. 
  • Advanced Analysis: Monitor live plant performance metrics and take preemptive measures. Compare preventative analytics and utilize data mining algorithms like time series and decision trees. 
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  • Process Control: Streamline tasks on the production floor by confirming that operators with modern skills and certifications execute the best tasks possible based on their obtained training. This accessory also ensures that machinery, tools and systems meet compliances regularly with the most current calibration dates, the most complete process paperwork and the latest change procedures for process instructions for engineering and manufacturing. 
  • Device History and Documentation: Trace and find records associated with a product by tracking the serial or lot number through any manufacturing process stage. 
  • Project Planning: Document all units to better plan responsibilities and improve work instructions over time for future units. 
  • Quality Review: Supervise all service units, removed subassemblies, critical elements or skins carefully to verify if specific projects need reassemblies. 
  • Notifications: Receive notifications for outstanding data collections and when measurements exceed particular control limits with Solumina alerts. Users may also input information into the system and evaluate data collection displays from various data entries. 
  • Industry Standard Requirements: Reach compliances with AS9100, ISO 9001, FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and more. This accessory permits operators and inspectors to validate completion and approvals online and perform discrepancy reports from buy-off points in work orders. 
  • Supplier Tracking: Trace supplier performance for full transparency of supplier-induced issues and defects discovered during the inspection from the source or further along in the manufacturing process. Users may review quality metrics in comprehensive charts and reports that exhibit particular purchase orders and inspections. 
  • Quality Requirements and Inspection Planning: Utilize tools that administer inspection and verification plans to guarantee compliance specifications established by engineering requirements, agreements and industry process standards with this module. Inspectors may review and authorize source inspection data remotely, such as measurements, checklists, certifications and more.  
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Product Ranking

#3

among all
MES Software

#8

among all
MES Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

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Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 27 reviews
Great User Sentiment 82 reviews
98%
of users recommend this product

Critical Manufacturing has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 98% when considering 27 user reviews from 1 recognized software review sites.

80%
of users recommend this product

Solumina has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 80% when considering 82 user reviews from 2 recognized software review sites.

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4.02 (41)
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4.9 (27)
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Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Critical Manufacturing and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Integration and Extensibility. Critical Manufacturing stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award
Integration and Extensibility Award

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Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Flexibility and Adaptability: Critical Manufacturing's platform caters to diverse manufacturing environments and readily adapts to evolving needs, accommodating various production processes and levels of complexity. The system's modular design empowers users to select and implement the specific functionalities that align with their unique requirements, ensuring a tailored solution that optimizes operations.
Data-Driven Insights and Analytics: Critical Manufacturing excels in data acquisition and analysis, equipping manufacturers with comprehensive insights into their production processes. The platform facilitates informed decision-making by offering real-time visibility into key performance indicators (KPIs), production trends, and areas for improvement. Advanced analytics tools empower users to identify patterns, optimize processes, and enhance overall efficiency.
Scalability and Growth: Critical Manufacturing's MES solution is designed to scale alongside businesses as they expand and evolve. The platform's architecture supports seamless integration with additional modules and functionalities, enabling manufacturers to adapt to changing market demands and accommodate growth without compromising performance or stability.
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Streamlined Shop Floor Operations: Solumina replaces cumbersome paper-based processes with digital work instructions and workflows, leading to improved efficiency on the production floor.
Enhanced Quality Management: The system's robust quality modules help identify and track nonconformances, manage corrective actions, and ensure compliance with industry standards, ultimately leading to higher product quality.
Data-Driven Insights: Real-time data collection and reporting capabilities provide valuable insights into production performance, enabling data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement initiatives.
Adaptable to Unique Needs: The system's configurability allows businesses to tailor workflows and data structures without extensive coding, making it adaptable to specific industry requirements and evolving business needs.
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Usability Challenges: Critical Manufacturing may present a steep learning curve for new users due to its extensive functionalities and complex interface. This complexity can lead to a longer onboarding process and potentially require additional training investments for teams to become proficient.
Customization Complexity: While Critical Manufacturing offers a high degree of customization, implementing and managing these customizations can be technically demanding. Organizations with limited IT resources or those seeking rapid deployment might find this aspect challenging.
Resource Requirements: As a comprehensive MES solution, Critical Manufacturing may necessitate more significant hardware and software resources compared to simpler systems. This could potentially lead to higher upfront costs and ongoing maintenance expenses for organizations.
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Sluggish Performance: Users have reported that Solumina can feel slow, especially when editing crucial manufacturing documents like work plans and work orders. This lag can hinder productivity on the factory floor.
Occasional Errors: The presence of random errors and glitches, while not constant, can disrupt operations and lead to frustration among users who rely on the system for mission-critical tasks.
Difficult Implementation: Implementing Solumina MES is often described as a complex process. This can lead to extended timelines and require significant resources from the company, potentially impacting budgets and project schedules.
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Critical Manufacturing seems to be a bit of a mixed bag, offering a robust set of features but also coming with some drawbacks that might make you think twice. Users rave about Critical Manufacturing's ease of use, scalability, and flexibility. It's like the Swiss Army knife of manufacturing software – it can handle a wide range of tasks, from production planning and scheduling to quality control and traceability. This makes it a great choice for businesses of all sizes, whether you're a small startup or a large multinational corporation. However, there's a catch – Critical Manufacturing comes with a hefty price tag, and it doesn't always play nicely with other systems. This can be a dealbreaker for some businesses, especially those on a tight budget or with complex IT infrastructures. So, who is Critical Manufacturing best suited for? If you're looking for a powerful and flexible manufacturing software platform and you're willing to pay a premium for it, then Critical Manufacturing is definitely worth considering. It's particularly well-suited for businesses with complex manufacturing processes that require a high degree of control and visibility. However, if you're on a tight budget or you need a system that integrates seamlessly with other software, you might want to look elsewhere.

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Is Solumina the solution for manufacturers seeking robust MES functionality? Recent user reviews suggest a qualified yes. Users consistently highlight Solumina's strength in regulatory compliance, particularly for industries like aerospace and medical devices. They praise its intuitive interface, which simplifies audits and daily tasks. For instance, one user raved about the software's user-friendliness during a recent AS9100 audit, stating that "Solumina made the process a breeze." However, some users express concerns about the software's performance, citing slow loading times, especially when handling large work orders. Customization, while possible, can also be challenging without technical expertise. What truly sets Solumina apart is its laser focus on regulated industries. This specialization, while a strength, also presents a limitation. Manufacturers outside of these sectors might find Solumina's feature set overly specific. In conclusion, Solumina shines for businesses bound by stringent regulatory requirements, particularly those in aerospace, defense, and medical devices. Its intuitive design, coupled with robust compliance features, makes it a valuable tool in these highly regulated landscapes. However, businesses in less regulated sectors might find more flexible solutions elsewhere.

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