About Strong Controls: We specialize in automatic tracking, monitoring and report solutions.  

Get monitoring and oversight for control and cost savings in Production, Processes, and Personnel

Building Reliable, Labor Saving, Smart Systems

We build complete tracking and reporting systems using years of streamlining, process, and business experience. One on-site meeting and plant/office tour is usually all that is required to get this process started:

  1. Your existing reports are examined with a desire to reduce labor costs, improve accuracy, AND "fill in the gaps."
  2. Some brainstorming and "Blue Sky—What do you really want" usually results in a workable list of immediate and future needs.
  3. An initial proposal will document the steps and the cost, and we can discuss and proceed from there.

In the case of conveyor monitoring, your team installs the hardware and we monitor it remotely. We process the real-time data, and program the system to handle any data anomalies. Typically we find a few complicated areas that require adjustments to the system. Then the system is fully functional for tracking your conveyor movements, production, inventory, and downtime.

"Exceptions Rule" In our initial audit of your processes and information workflows, we look to match and exceed your existing reports. Perhaps there are ways to save labor, increase accuracy, make improvements, and reduce chances for fraud. The system is expanded to handle your needs and special cases, not ignore them because "that doesn't happen very much." Your needs are programmed into system controls, parameters, picklists, monitoring points and reports. The words "Exceptions Rule" was on a meeting room whiteboard for years at NCDS in Dallas to remind everyone to look deeply and fully explain their department needs.


The MatMonitor™ Team


Don Keller Busines Analyst Programmer
Don Keller - Strong Controls Owner, creator of MatMonitor™

From an early age Don has been around industry, with a father as a machine designer and plant manager, and grandfather as a patent holder. With the assistance of a select team of people, he creates cost effective and highly reliable tracking and reporting systems.

Over the years he has created systems for nationwide use by companies based in California, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas, and India. See the Project Experience table below that lists some of the higher profile projects.


Brandon Elder - Programmer - User Experience Specialist
Brandon Elder - User Experience, Front End Specialist

Brandon has worked across much of the "computer data" landscape, from large corporate legacy shops, to small applications with very specific user interface requirements. He has made Mattrak™ easy to use for both Operator data entry and Management Report selection. Brandon created the tablet based realtime Operator Conveyor Status Display, including Downtime picklists and comment entry. Managers are assisted every day by the straigtforward way they can select options for Reports by Location/Scale/Date Range of productivity and downtime.


John Souvestre - Analyst Programmer
John Souvestre - Algorithms, Data Quality, Back End Specialist

Both a Hardware and Software Senior Design Engineer, John has an extensive background in industrial control systems and data communications. He is an Inventor on 5 patents. His insight and use of data modeling and statistics brings accuracy and clarity to the reports. John is responsible for the real-time Black belt - Downtime and Production analysis of the MatMonitor™ system. This provides up to the minute daily statistics ready for real-time "Quicklook" display, management reports, and corporate system exports.


Paul Pearson - Business Programmer
Paul Pearson - Business Process, System Analyst, IT/DevOps

Paul is a premier business analyst and excellent programmer. Adept in many operating systems and programming languages, he brings a wealth of experience to our team in a mostly advisory capacity. It's hard to beat the extensive real world experience in software, virtual operating systems, and hardware that Paul gained from running his own server farm for many years. And he continues as IT Director/Project Manager and Systems designer/programmer for a multi-state corporation.



Don and his team have the experience to understand business needs, analyze and create great systems. From early days working in hardware support — to a case management system for Chrysler and Toyota — to hybrid hardware/software systems such as the aggregate industry MatMonitor™, you can be confident in his solutions.

Project Experience


Systems designed, programmed, and supported long term:

Client Location Project Years Maintained
NCDS (Nat Cntr. Dis. Settle)
details Details
Dallas, TX Third Party Case Admin. System
for Chrysler, Toyota etc.
12 years
Yager Materials
details Details
Owensboro, KY Inventory Yard Barge offloads
Report Conveyor Tons & Downtime
5 Years
(Ongoing)
Yager/Riverside
details Details
Battletown, KY Quarry/Mine Production 3 years
(Ongoing)
DTS Dictation
details Details
Nashville, TN,
Bangalore, India
Medical Transcription Workflow/QC
for Vanderbilt, Others
3 years
Impartial Service Group
details Details
Dallas, TX
Legal Tracking and Documentation
automotive industry vehicle
5 years
Lubriport Labs
details Details
Kenner, LA Industrial Laboratory Tracking System 25+
(Ongoing)
Legal Aid Fndn.
details Details
New Orleans, LA Legal Case Records Management 2 years
NAIC (Insurance)
details Details
Metairie, LA Issue Tracking and Reporting 5 years
Jolie Design
details Details
Metairie, LA Nationwide Seminars Registration
Multi-location with Auto Waitlist
6 months
BCM Fndn.
details Details
New Orleans, LA Grant Analysis and Reporting 3 years

Get in touch with us

Features Icon
Benefits

Monitor Production and Process: How much, When, Where ? Is the work proceeding according to your schedule ? Government Records Keeping - Reduce manual labor, document and insure compliance.

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Standard Features

Record data points, Report, Summarize, Notify. Realtime audit of personnel and performance - Automated exception reports notify what is NOT being done or out of the ordinary.

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Dashboard Overview

Near real-time reporting - typically one minute - allows remote monitoring and strategic downtime/fault display.

Methodologies

Database Controlled

Database driven: Control tables and modular processes allow a responsive and flexible operating enviroment. Third Normal Form (3FN) data normalization means maintainable and reliable systems.

Flexible

Features can be added or changed to support and report your "real-world" conditions. During startup we find and adapt to exceptions for maximum information suitability and accuracy.

Simplify

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.

A few Testimonials

❝ Don has developed a first class tracking system to track the variety of materials that we offload from barges and place into resale and production inventory. We are now able to track, with a couple clicks of a mouse, tonnages of product, by product, by the day, week, month, quarter or year. Incredibly quick, visually easy, and extremely simple to navigate. I am able to monitor real time to see what is happening at multiple locations, faster than making a phone call. Any time that I have had a question or request, Don has responded quickly, and accurately with a response or a solution. ❞
David Payne   Owensboro, KY   Yager Materials - Site Operations Manager

❝ Our relationship goes back 20 years. We had a totally automated electronic office in 1988. We connected to Chrysler, Toyota, and Honda mainframes, and saved significant labor and dollars. Due to our tracking systems we won contracts in the face of stiff competition. Our CFO reported that we saved $285,000 in labor costs alone in 6 months due to Don Keller's technology. Don designed and programmed our systems for well over 10 years. ❞
Lester Wolff   Dallas, Texas   NCDS President - Arbitration/Mediation

❝ In 1985 Don successfully built a workflow process for 100 workers from my whiteboard conceptual diagram. The process created a stable and secure manufacturing/transcribing environment for the quality control of medical documents for hospitals. In 2005 Don built a very complex and elegant web portal for my medical transcription company in Nashville, Tennessee. I recommend Don Keller with no reservations as a talented designer and builder of Web and workflow products and as a sterling human being. ❞
Doug Hardwick   Nashville, TN   President - Dictation Inc. Medical Transcription

❝ Stumbling into Don Keller has been a highlight of my professional career. My company partnered with Don during the creation of the MatMonitor product. I could spend time describing Don's commitment to his customer and technical skills, they are great and many, but it would not do the man justice. The ROI his systems bring customers are real, however long after the monetary savings have been forgotten the man will be remembered. There is a warmth, generosity, and spirit to him that speaks of a bygone era.
For most of us there are few business relationships that end in true friendship. For Don I believe it's the only kind he pursues. You'll hire a contractor only to end up with a partner and friend. Trusting a project to Don and Strong Controls is trust well placed. ❞
Drew Baryenbruch     RTA Automation - Industrial Interfaces

See all testimonials