Benefit Your Bottom Line: Schedule Optimization
The words Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) can mean many different things to a lot of people:
An Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) tracking system
An integration with your Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) for better in-process inventory visibility
Or a catch all term for a full manufacturing process and business system integration
Simplifying Manufacturing Execution System Deployments
Since the definition of an MES system can be is so broad, we find it is best to begin an MES project with a small scope of work. This way we can also learn and document the moving pieces of your operation. We will find where all of your data lives, as well as digitize and integrate your various data sources. Then we can build tools for your team to manage and utilize the MES functionality. Then finally—and most importantly—we can help start instilling the cultural values in your team to support your MES endeavors. MES and automation can be touchy subjects for people who are used to “the way things have always been done.” But, automation and MES don’t have to be scary, and they don’t have to take away people’s jobs. In most cases, we have found that people who are initially reluctant to MES systems become their biggest champions once they have seen what is possible on the other side. Instilling the cultural mindset to support technological changes is a key piece of the puzzle.
To that end, we’ve decided to present a series of posts covering three pathways to Manufacturing Execution System(MES) implementations with both quick wins on the business side, and a low amount of feather ruffling for a smoother cultural shift. As always, if you want a deeper dive into MES systems as a whole please check out our Manufacturing Execution Systems Guide.
We picked these three integrations based on a variety of factors:
The data already exists, so you don’t need to build a new business process to use the tool
The integration will benefit at least three of your system’s users, and provides a customer-focused benefit
Everything can be tracked in software so you don’t need to install equipment or experience downtime
With those criteria in place, let’s dive into the first integration you can implement immediately to start gaining value from a manufacturing execution system!
Optimize Process Scheduling to Increase Throughput
OEE is one of the first associations people have with Manufacturing Execution Systems. Blame it on the marketing or how most Manufacturing Execution System initiatives start, however many of the OEE tools on the market include a process scheduling component. We are only going to leverage the scheduling component right now, so we don’t have to worry about plant floor automation integrations. OEE is a powerful tool and can bring a lot of value to a company very quickly, however it can be a more cumbersome place to start.
As a manufacturing company, you are making a product that will either sold to a customer or that’s used in an internal process and will eventually end up in a customer’s hands. In either case, you will have orders from customers specifying what they need, how much they need, and when they need it. Unless you are making only one product at maximum capacity (without ever stopping), you will have a schedule in place. You might have a scheduler or a scheduling team translating customer order requirements into the production schedule, or you might be the exception and have a simpler process where you can make the orders that comes in without needing a dedicated scheduler.
For companies with schedulers, using MES as a bridge between the customer service team and the plant floor can be a very powerful tool. In typical facilities without a manufacturing execution system in place, the scheduler will likely use printed orders and/or Excel to forecast what needs to be manufactured. The scheduler might walk over to the operations department or call the shift supervisor to get an accurate assessment of the current schedule’s status, and if anything has slipped since they last checked in. They will then assemble this information with the current forecast and make adjustments.
If a customer calls and needs a rush order, or if shipping is delayed, then the entire schedule can be thrown off-course and the scheduler will need to scramble to accommodate the changes. Unfortunately, these disruptions can lead to downtime, and even rework/scrap if an abrupt changeover is necessary to handle a big client’s new rush order. Needless to say, this mode of operation leads to burn out. It also requires the scheduler to essentially be on call for the entire time your plant is running. They will need to hold and work with a lot of information on open orders, the current schedule, what is currently being produced, and other details. Because of this, it can be difficult for them to even take a vacation.
Fortunately, this is where a manufacturing execution system focused on schedule optimization can drastically improve the situation.
Since Scheduling Data Already Exists…
Using the MES, you can connect into your ERP system, or build an integration for your customer service team to manage orders if they are also using Excel. Now, this data can be stored in a database, eliminating the need for shared Excel files. The scheduler can then look at the data in whatever way they wish, and any changes will automatically propagate as they are made in the system.
The scheduler will then generate a schedule in the same database—using Excel or a new interface. The real power here is that they can define up-front rules to pre-populate the schedule for each day/week/month or for however long is necessary. Now, the new system can take all the open orders and run them through a set of rules to generate an optimal schedule—without the scheduler needing to do the mental gymnastics they are accustomed to enduring! One example of this implementation was on our project with Blommer Chocolate. We used their rules about making milk and dark chocolate—which requires an allergen flush when going from milk chocolate to dark to build a smarter schedule. We were also able to batch orders with a smaller than maximum production quantity to automatically simplify the overall production schedule.
3 Users: Customer Service, Scheduling Team, Operations
Once the schedule is set, it is sent to the operations team to execute. When a a work order starts on the line, it will update the system so everyone will know it has started along with the current progress. If the order is delayed because of stoppages or slowdowns, the operations and scheduling teams can be automatically notified to handle any schedule upsets before they impact current customer orders.
If there is a rush order, it will now be easier for the scheduler to slot it into the schedule because everything can be automatically updated for all of your teams. This removes the burden of sending various Excel files around your facility and prevents anyone from getting out of sync with the true reality of the schedule because they didn’t open the latest version.
Customer Service Now Has Realtime Data For Customers
Another big benefit to this MES/OEE approach is that your customer service team will immediately know about any production slowdowns—and if there will be an issue with delivery time. Now, they can begin proactive outreach in realtime with realtime data.
Production scheduling is an easy first step into a manufacturing execution system integration because you likely already have some form of electronic scheduling system (even if it just an Excel document). This impactful integration won’t require a large cultural change—compared to implementing scheduling for the first time—instead you will simply make everyone’s life easier.
Wrapping Up
We hope this series will inspire you to think about how to use Manufacturing Execution Systems in your facility.
Astute readers will notice a trend of highlighting three users in each post—and two will always be Customer Service and Operations. The power of Manufacturing Execution Systems lies in tying different systems together so that everyone has a more thorough and detailed view of your operation in real-time. This means that while the department where the integration is focused will obviously benefit with operational value, there will almost always be customer facing value you can also extract.
From the customer focused side, the power of these integrations is that your customer service team will now have real-time information to keep customers informed.
Additionally, you won’t be limited to just three users benefitting from a Manufacturing Execution System. Instead, three teams or three people will benefit at minimum!
Read the next post in this series, Benefit Your Bottom Line: Track and Trace.
If you have any questions about how to implement these integrations into your operation, or you would like to see how we have helped companies use them in the past to optimize their operations with Manufacturing Execution Systems, please contact us!
