What is Manufacturing Execution Software?

What is Manufacturing Execution Software?

 

Manufacturing execution system (MES) software is used to manage and monitor work-in-process on the factory floor. Plant managers and production personnel use manufacturing execution software to support their strategies to integrate data streams from the supply chain, the plant floor, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Selecting manufacturing execution software requires a detailed analysis of capabilities and features, as well as adaptability and flexibility.

 Some applications provide scheduling, workflow management, resource planning, production reporting and quality analysis. Most MES software is designed to improve productivity, reduce inventory carrying costs, reduce order-to-ship times, and eliminate costly rework. Typically, industries that implement manufacturing execution software treat cycle-time, the total time to produce an order, as a key performance indicator.

 Data can be collected for MES systems in a number of ways. Machine monitoring sensors can be used to automatically collect data, users can input shop floor data at collection terminals, and barcode scanners or RFID can be used as well. This information is then transmitted to a central computer for processing. 

MES software can be used to schedule tasks or jobs by facility, work center, machine, due date, raw material availability and/or employee skill set. Systems that include capacity planning features allow schedulers to load jobs against an organization’s total production capacity. Advanced production scheduling (APS) offers finite scheduling options and a visual representation of projected workloads. 

 Most manufacturing organizations perform quality checks and testing on their products. MES software usually involves quality testing and reporting.

 By combining the data from inventory, order management, scheduling and purchasing, users can benefit from material requirements planning (MRP) software. MRP software gives an accurate view into what material is available, on order and needed for upcoming production. MRP software can be configured to automatically order necessary supplies or raw materials for the upcoming production schedule as well. This would fall under the category or supply chain management (SCM).

 By connecting all of the manufacturing execution software systems together with supply chain management, customer relationship management, accounting and job costing the result is a manufacturing ERP software system.  Visit Tuppas to find out more about MES software.

IT Spending - How Manufacturers Are Reducing Costs

IT (information technology) spending by the manufacturing industry all over the world will take a hit as companies counter the economic recession by reducing their workforce, cutting costs and overheads, and/or stopping production for significant periods of time.

Manufacturers need to think long-term and be more strategic about cost-cutting measures in order to survive the current economic climate.
Effective use of IT can in fact help reduce costs, and improve agility and decision-making capability.
Web-based applications especially create a platform for the existing workforce to be more productive. They also enable collaboration across the supply chain, and connect outsourced facilities with internal operations.

In the coming months of 2009, manufacturers will try to leverage existing assets to deliver maximum value to their businesses. Short-term Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) will take precedence over long-term Return-on-Investments (ROI).
Manufacturers need quick payback on their investments this year, and maximum value from the investments they have already made.

See web-based solutions for manufacturers at Tuppas Software Corp. for ideas on the types of IT investing manufacturers will be making this year.

Cloud Computing for Manufacturers

What is it?

Cloud computing refers to IT-related capabilities which are provided “as a service” (SaaS), allowing users to access technology-enabled services from any Internet connection. (The cloud is a metaphor for the Internet).

Users do so without expertise in or control over the technology infrastructure that support these services. Generally, users either pay a monthly fee or pay on a transaction basis. Cloud computing has two main advantages: cost itself, and the cost savings realized from outsourced maintenance.

More about the advantages

Some companies invest billions of dollars in building and maintaining their core competencies, much of which goes into IT. If these companies can lease out some of the IT capabilities required to maintain these competencies, these companies become leaner and more profitable. They are substantial savings to be realized in the cloud computing model, such as the reduction of internal networks and servers, the elimination of the purchase of the software licenses and elimination of the large amounts of overhead incurred from managing and operating the competencies internally.

Small and midsize companies benefit too. The cloud computing model gives them access to all sorts of applications and systems, which would probably not be in their budget using the traditional software/IT purchase model. It gives smaller companies the same IT power as their bigger rivals.

Another advantage is the application-development speed cloud computing delivers. Customers can spend a lot of time (and money) defining infrastructure, hardware and software requirements for a project. Cloud computing solves a lot of those problems at the outset and allow users to implement sooner, and realize the benefits of their systems sooner.

What’s available?

More and more software capabilities are being offered as a service. For manufacturers, Tuppas offers production scheduling, production performance reporting, OEE, job tracking, quality management, SQC, SPC, ERP, CRM, SCM and KPI dashboards.

I predicted an increase in the number of inquiries we would get about the cloud computing model at the beginning of this year, and I was right. Manufacturers and their suppliers are looking for ways to streamline and become leaner so survive our economic times. Manufacturing SaaS can help them do that.

Automotive suppliers head to Washington

Anyone read this article? I feel for the suppliers. I'm not so sure about the OEMs. I don't think that the economy is what pushed them to the brink of destruction. Anyone have any thoughts?

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g_4JBWanc-GkzcES3yre0xCk0N9A

Monitoring and improving OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) with browser-based software applications

OEE, or overall equipment effectiveness, drives improvements in manufacturing effectiveness and efficiency. By monitoring and addressing it, lost production time can be turned into found profits. Many companies who recognize the importance of OEE have yet to realize bottom line improvements by addressing it.

With the advent of browser-based manufacturing software applications, it is now easier than ever before. Equipment downtime can be easily monitored, recorded and reported to allow management to effectively address the areas which need improvement. An accurate picture of OEE can also help companies make appropriate equipment purchasing decisions.

Downtime losses typically come from equipment availability, performance rate and quality rate.
Typical losses include:

Availability
• Planned downtime
• Set up time
• Unplanned recorded downtime or breakdowns
Performance Rate
• Reduced speed
• Minor unrecorded stoppages
Quality Rate
• Rejects
• Rework
• Yield and start up losses

There is a formula for calculating the OEE of a piece of equipment. But you do have to know the machine's availiability, performance rate and quality rate to use it.

Example: 50% Availability (0.5) X 70% Performance Rate (0.7) X 20% Quality Reject Rate (results in 80%(0.8) acceptable) = 30%OEE

More attention paid to improving equipment productivity will help American manufacturers become leaner and improve bottom line profits to allow for competition with overseas manufacturing. A good place to start monitoring productivity is at a bottleneck. Using OEM production rates, accounting for change-overs, planned downtime and uncheduled downtime, manufacturers can benchmark the productivity of their machines. The idea is to then leverage this information to make improvements in the processes or the equipment.

How to leverage information to improve production

There are some software vendors who specialize in software for manufacturing which helps manufacturers utilize productivity data to improve their processes and ultimately their bottom line. Configurable browser-based applications are the ultimate solution for collecting and reporting production data, due to a number of advantages:

Scalability. Can be used at any size plant and multiple plants with anywhere access.
Real time availability. gathers, summarizes and presents plant floor data in real time
Integration. Can be integrated with almost any data source
Export data to other systems. These downtime software systems can export data for use in other enterprise-wide systems such as supply chain management or Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).
Flexibility. Customizable reporting structure allows for viewing the data a manufacturer wants to see.
Easy to use interfaces. Employees log downtime occurances with an easy to use interface or they can use automation to gather data.
Quick implemenation. Since these applications are browser-based, there is no installation process at individual computer work stations. This allows for easy upgrades, and modifications as well as decreases IT and computer equipment costs. The software can be located on internal or external servers.
Rapid configurability. Entry screens and reports are built on an object oriented structure which allows changes to be implemented in a fraction of the time required by conventional systems
Data Push. This is the ability to warn plant management in real time that production problems are occurring on the floor. The software can send auto email or text messages to the appropriate management personnel. This enables staff to become proactive instead of reactive.

These browser-based applications allow for so much more flexibility, lower cost of owership and such a shorter time to implementation that it's hard to believe that they are usually much less expensive than their old legacy system counterparts.

Why it may be a smart move to choose a web-based software solution

Web-based software systems are so beneficial because they can be easily accessed from multiple locations as well as save you enormous amounts of time and money. More productivity and profitability can be achieved by having web-based software that is specifically tailored to your own unique business needs. These web-based applications allow for a reduction in hardware, servers and software training, resulting in huge savings for you and your company.
By implementing web-based systems you can expect to lower the cost of ownership and maintenance along with also reducing the cost per user. This main terminal software system can be easily upgraded if needed, without disrupting business and altogether eliminating timely individual desktop upgrades.
Web-based solutions use a web browser to create easy to use, quick to set-up, cost effective solutions that will help your business compete. This type of software is installed on the server and the user accesses it by using just a browser. The whole process of centralizing your software on the server will short-term, as well as long-term, save you both time and money.
Benefits of Web-Based Systems
Reduced IT Administration
Reduced Installation Costs
Little or No Downtime for Updates and Maintenance
Instant Deployment of Information to Users
Support Simplified and Managed from a Single Source
Intranet or Internet Connectivity for Multiple Locations and Remote Workers
When searching for a web-based software vendor remember to look for a company with a good solid track record when it comes to giving their customers the exact system that they are looking for.

Browser-Based Total Quality Management Software

Total Quality Management for Manufacturers

Total quality management, or TQM, is becoming increasingly important for manufacturers and distributors in today’s world. Tier one and two suppliers are being encouraged, and in some cases, forced by the large companies they service to get on board with TQM systems.

TQM should address all of the important aspects of a quality management suystem and bring them together into one integrated system.

Software for TQM needs to be versatile and configurable to align all of the aspects of quality management. Innovative, browser-based software can help manufacturers more easily configure a total quality solution that addresses all of their specific needs, and is within their budetary constraints.

What is total quality management? Well, TQM encompasses quality control on the factory floor, and well beyond. It consists of:
1 Statistical control applications
2 Defect tracking systems
3 PPM (parts per million) reporting
4 Quality document management
5 Customer portals for access to quality documents
6 Vendor portals
7 Quality assurance
8 Data management
9 Corrective action measures (CAPA) reporting
10 Change management
11 Corporate dashboards to access all of the quality data

These software applications should easily extend throughout the corporation, and be accessible to the appropriate personnel from any location. Customer portals providing access to various quality data help build customer confidence as well as assure that products meet quality requirements. These interfaces when combined with a barcoding system, can allow users access to the quality settings and production data relevent to any individual part or item. Trending, or looking at the quality issues regarding a large number of parts, is also becoming more popular.

This flexible, accessible software for total quality management is becoming more popular due to the growing acceptance and use of browser-based software systems. Browser-native TQM software provides the perfect vehicle to deliver all of the various aspects of quality management, which corporations are looking for in an easy to use format, in a short amount of time and at reasonable cost with quick ROI (return on investment).

Browse-based systems allow for extensive customization, so that the applications can be configured to fit any customer’s needs. They can also be modified easily after they are in use as the need arises. Browser-based total quality management solutions have more to offer buyers in terms of functionality, accessibility, customizability and price than some other legacy quality management software applications.