Harmony allows manufacturing managers to unify, ask, and chat with their factory data
The tech startup focuses on building custom AI solutions, integrating the technology, and providing hands-on tech eductaion to manufacturing leadership.
Harmony is defined as the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions that have a pleasing effect for the listener.
In the realm of manufacturing, harmony could sound like a cohesive communication between various systems and technologies, or a system that helps the plant manager better track, analyze, and communicate with his/her team.
That’s why George Munguia named his startup Harmony. He wants his company to be a complement to plant managers, helping them create operational efficiencies while also giving them a better understanding of their business.
“My co-founders have been living in factories for the past two months,” Munguia said. “We’re building Harmony through a process called ‘forward-deployed engineering,’ which means we’re working factory shifts to help integrate this technology, better understand the needs of the manufacturing leaders we serve, and bond with their teams.”
The need to modernize manufacturing data
Old-school manufacturing operations often run on pen-and-paper systems. There are hundreds of drawers and file cabinets dedicated to hoarding the business logs from the past couple of decades. Data is collected in ink and is often uploaded to a single server in the form of PDFs.
Munguia said that with some of their initial clients, this was especially the case. One server held thousands of PDFs that were collected over four decades!
“We had to make this technology accessible and approachable for them,” he said. “Imagine taking 40 years of data – and making it valuable for decision making?” he said.
That software looks like an AI Chat software that can answer specific questions and needs that may be posed by the business owner or team.
Additionally, to cater to the technology gap, Munguia said the Harmony team stays on site from start to finish (approx. six months) to ensure that every member of the team is comfortable and proficient in using the technology.
“We say like we’re their AI native operating system for the factory that’s built with a custom interface for their needs,” Minguia said.
Hermony can also sit on top of several layers of software to gather insights, communicate between systems, and house key data all in one place. It can also suggest automation, based on repetitive manual tasks.
The broader mission of Harmony
Munguia said that he and his two co-founders, Guillermo Sequeira and Vikranth Kanumuru, built the company on the basis of a long-term dream to make an impact in the modernization of manufacturing operations in the United States.
As the government pushes toward restoring manufacturing operations at home, a shift toward more advanced technologies, efficient systems, and AI/Automation integration becomes increasingly necessary to keep up with demands.
“If we can make sure that factories are equipped for the next 50 years and are not squeezed by overseas competition, then we’re protecting family-owned factories and strengthening enterprises. That mission gets us fired up,” Munguia said.
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