Manufacturing Execution System Podcast Manual Data Entry
Manufacturing Execution System Podcast Full Visibility Of

It links the process control systems that directly control manufacturing equipment (and that capture data such as inventory levels and downtime) with business systems, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), that track data such as orders, customer interactions and prices.

This helps reduce inventory, work in progress and manufacturing cycle time and increase quality.

Manufacturing Execution System Podcast Manual Data Entry

It also reduces labor costs and manual data entry, increases customer satisfaction, speeds new products to market, and reduces the cost and effort of regulatory compliance.

As more processes become automated, such documentation is targeted more at the setup of the process, while the automation follows an assigned sequence of instructions.

Transactions and processes once tethered to fixed cash registers at the front of a store are being shifted to product aisles and outdoor venues.

Now it is time to delve into deeper levels of MES, looking at other areas within the factory that MES manages, that enable the final production flow to work smoothly and effectively.

Most MES systems are designed for maximum reach across industries, supporting many different industry segments.

In some cases, certain features are critical, and in others almost irrelevant.

Arguments on this subject continue to evolve as expectations change based on technology advances such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

Modern expectations are for MES to connect bi-directionally with automated equipment to reduce the amount of operator support needed and also to reduce delays for data acquisition and process control.

The idea is that this production should never be interrupted, as this would threaten the on-time delivery performance.

If interruptions were to be tolerated, the result would be reduced productivity and the risk of late completion, which then brings the need for excess finished goods stock, a significant and needless cost for the operation.

Everything on which final production is dependent must be prepared perfectly in advance, preferably on a Just In Time (JIT) basis such that it is there when needed, but only when needed.

MES knows both the current and intended production plan as well as the current progress of production.

The sequence for the provision of materials and utilization of resources can then be predicted, allowing MES to manage such resources in line with final production requirements, or even to adjust the final production schedule if resource capabilities are exceeded.

The range of values that MES adds is very much up to the design and scope of the software.

Basic examples will calculate and show requirements for things, then monitor progress to show performance.

More advanced MES systems will manage key aspects of the dependent areas, adding value to each for automation, management, and traceability.

The absence of even the most humble of parts such as the correct cable or resistor, which in themselves have almost zero cost, can mean that production cannot be completed and perhaps should not even be started.

Almost without exception, the ERP view of materials is quite different from the physical situation, due to spoilage and other unaccounted losses.

The need for frequent, costly, disruptive stock-checks and the resultant need for adjustments in ERP is a symptom of this issue, as well as cases where materials could not be found when needed.

MES will then decide and allocate storage locations, creating and managing logistics tasks for materials operators as materials are dispersed throughout the factory, including warehouses, local stock areas and delivery to points of consumption.

The requirement for material movement is best driven on Lean principles such as Kanban, and JIT delivery based on the predicted need for materials at the point of consumption.

Manufacturing Execution System Podcast Full Visibility Of

MES knows the quantity of each material required for production having full visibility of the current and near-term intended schedule, plus live feedback about progress from the production processes themselves.

Advanced MES systems manage advanced aspects of materials, including such things as storage environment requirements, baking cycles for moisture sensitive materials, obsolescence and expiry, as well as material substitutions against the approved BOM.

Also, benefits have been seen such that bloated stock inventories can be reduced by 75, material logistics reduced by 30, warehouse space reduced by 50 and other savings for example related to production space and number of carriers required (such as feeders for SMT materials).