CONSULTING

How We Help

The same people who write your articles. Now, walking the shopfloor with you.

You have read the articles. You know we do not sugarcoat failures or sell miracles.

That same honesty? It is how we consult.

GUARDRAILS

Here is what we will not do:

Sell you a Rs 2 crore digital transformation package on day one

Promise ROI in 3 months with buzzwords like AI-powered disruption

Hand you a 200-slide deck and disappear

Recommend solutions we have never implemented ourselves

We work with Rs 10-200Cr Indian manufacturing units who are tired of consultants who have never seen a shopfloor.

Our approach? Diagnostic first. Small bets. Measured outcomes.

METHODOLOGY

Our Approach

What Makes Us Different

Most Consultants

Start with solutions

Sell the biggest package

Theoretical frameworks

Exit after the deck

Success = signed contract

The Idea Smith

Start with diagnosis

Right-size the solution

Shopfloor reality

Stay through implementation

Success = measured ROI

PROCESS

Process

How We Work With You

Diagnostic (2-3 weeks)

We spend time on your shopfloor. Not in conference rooms.

What we map:

Current systems, pain points, team capabilities, realistic budget, what is actually broken vs. what is just annoying.

What you get:

A 15-page reality report. Not 200 slides. Clear problems. Prioritized by impact and feasibility.

Roadmap (1-2 weeks)

We do not plan the next 5 years. We plan the next 12-18 months.

What we define:

Phase 1 pilot (small, measurable). Budget breakdown. Timeline. Success metrics. What happens if it fails.

Decision point:

You decide if Phase 1 makes sense. No pressure. No 3-year lock-in contracts.

Implementation (3-6 months)

We do not advise from the sidelines. We are on the floor with your team.

What we do:

Hands-on setup. Train your people (not just IT - operators, supervisors, managers). Troubleshoot when things break. Measure real outcomes weekly.

What success looks like:

Your team runs it without us. Data you can trust. ROI you can measure. A foundation to build on.

CAPABILITIES

Services

What We Actually Build

We do not do everything. We do what we have done before - and done well.

Smart Factory Diagnostics

Where are you today? What is realistic in 12 months? What should you ignore for now? A clear-eyed assessment before any spending.

Industrial IoT (Sensors + Dashboards)

Real-time data from machines. Not big data - useful data. Downtime tracking, OEE monitoring, energy consumption. Built for operators, not data scientists.

AI-Powered Quality Control

Computer vision for defect detection. Trained on your products, your defects. Clear ROI: fewer rejections, faster inspections, measurable savings.

MES Implementation

Manufacturing Execution Systems that connect planning to production. Real-time tracking. Work order management. Traceability. Right-sized for SMEs.

ERP Selection & Implementation

We help you pick the right ERP (not the most expensive one). Then implement it without the Rs 50 lakh mistakes. Focused on what you actually need.

Predictive Maintenance

Sensor-based monitoring + simple ML models. Predict failures before they happen. Start small (one critical machine), prove ROI, then scale.

PRICING

Investment

What It Costs

We do not publish fixed prices. Here is why:

A Rs 15Cr unit with 6 production lines has different needs than a Rs 100Cr unit with 40 production lines.

Our pricing philosophy:

Diagnostic first (fixed fee). Then phase-based pricing tied to scope and outcomes.

Typical Phase 1 pilots:

Rs 8-25 lakhs over 3-6 months. Includes implementation + training + support.

No multi-year contracts. No vendor lock-in. You own the systems we build.

CONTACT

Ready to Start?

Tell us where you are stuck. We will tell you if we can help - and if we cannot, we will say that too.

An initiative by The Idea Smith • Back to The Factory AI