Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
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A Mesa International and Citect co-branded white paper.
10.4.06
Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
©2006 MESA International. *Images in this document are trademarked by Citect and MESA International.
Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
©2006 MESA International. *Images in this document are trademarked by Citect and MESA International. 1
APPLYING A PHASED APPROACH FOR A SUCCESSFUL MANUFACTURING
EXECUTION SYSTEM (MES) PROJECT
As industrialized nations must compete more often against low manufacturing costs in
developing countries, manufacturing businesses are implementing Manufacturing
Execution Systems (MES) to increase productivity, improve quality and reduce downtime.
Typically MES solutions are associated with improvement initiatives such as LEAN, Six
Sigma, TQM, TPM, among others. By gaining greater visibility into the plant floor and
individual production lines, manufacturers gain valuable information on root cause
disturbances and production slowdowns. Many of these disturbances are barely visible in
manual reporting processes, yet when identified and corrected businesses can achieve big
gains in productivity and quality. Other reasons for implementing an MES solution include
increasing the visibility of product and work flow throughout the enterprise to optimize
labor – every company’s most precious and often most expensive resource. A detailed AMR
Research report notes that a typical MES solution “paid for itself on traditional cost
reduction measures within 6 to 24 months of going live.Ӡ There are many examples where
companies received a payback in less than 6 months and some as soon as a few weeks
after installing an MES solution. For example, Adelaide Brighton Cement, Australia’s only
national cement supplier, achieved a 50 percent reduction in stoppages just one month
after implementing its MES solution.
In addition to improving production performance and quality, many manufacturers are
turning to MES solutions as a means for increasing production to meet market demand
without investing in new machinery and plants. An example of this is found in the coal
industry. After many stagnant years, the coal industry has encountered a huge demand
increase as a result of record-breaking oil prices and expanding manufacturing in Asia. Coal
processing plants must immediately increase production in order to take advantage of
growing market demand; they must get every ounce of production out of existing
equipment and facilities as soon as possible. The manufacturing industry faces similar
issues when competing with offshore manufacturing vendors, where productivity#p#分頁標題#e#
improvement must offset lower costs.
Although many manufacturers are under considerable pressure to implement a solution
right away, it is important to properly evaluate an MES solution. An evaluation process in
which certain criteria are met by the solution provider will help ensure the MES solution
you select correctly meets your needs. In turn, the solution provider should be able to
demonstrate a project methodology that will facilitate a successful initial implementation
and can be later expanded to other areas or additional plants. This paper examines the
characteristics of a reliable solution provider as well as one approach to implementing a
methodology that begins with an initial project that can later be easily duplicated across
the business.
† Swanton, Bill. “MES Provides Long-term Revenue and Market Benefits Beyond Easy-to-Quantify Operational
Cost Savings.” AMR Research report. July 2003.
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Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
Engaging the Right Solution Provider
Finding a trustworthy and competent solution provider is the first step in attaining the MES
solution that will meet business objectives. Arriving at a simple, easy-to-use MES solution is
a complex process. Manufacturers will usually achieve better results when they select an
overall solution provider instead just buying software alone. A solution provider will analyze
your business challenges and define and implement a solution that helps you achieve the
business value you seek. Therefore, it is important to engage a solution provider who can
provide a thorough assessment of your needs and determine the MES solution that will
meet your objectives.
Selecting a solution provider is about choosing a partner who thoroughly
understands your needs from a business, technological and management
perspective. All these solution perspectives should be carefully considered because
a failed project is the most expensive project.
Attributes of a complete solution provider/partner:
• Provides the practical experience, professional services, and technology enablement
necessary to deliver the correct solution
• Creates a holistic solution that fits the needs of the business and its objectives
• Provides professional services needed to ensure optimal configuration
• Offers training to instruct plant personnel how to maintain and expand the system at
later stages
• Delivers continuous support long after the project is implemented
• Conducts periodic workshops and reviews to ensure optimal usage
• Ensures the system can be expanded to the full enterprise without significant
redevelopment costs
• Endeavors to provide a low total cost of ownership (TCO)#p#分頁標題#e#
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Naturally when evaluating a solution, cost is an important factor. An MES solution is a
component of a continuous improvement strategy that is by nature an ongoing process.
Therefore, factoring all the costs, not just the initial cost, will help you to accurately assess
the return from your investment. Selecting the lowest upfront cost may be more expensive
over time. Evaluating the total cost of ownership (TCO) is important when deciding which
MES solution to deploy. You should consider several items when evaluating TCO:
• How much time will it take to maintain the system?
• What skills are required to maintain it?
• What product training is required to run the system?
• After the software is installed, can it be maintained independently?
• If the solution is expanded to a second location, what kind of cost reduction in services
can be expected?
• How are productivity and quality gains measured, and what improvements are expected?
• What are the ongoing support capabilities and costs from the provider?
These questions are directly affected by the relationship with the solution provider.
Whether choosing a large or a small company, the solution provider should understand
your specific needs as well as offer a solution that can easily grow and change with your
business.
Determining Exactly What You Need from an MES Solution Provider
This question may seem simple, but it must be addressed before starting the
implementation. MES solutions can greatly enhance the results obtained by today’s
continuous improvement strategies like Six Sigma, Lean, and Total Quality Management.
These improvement strategies all require the ability to gather timely and accurate
measurements of a process in order to create improvement initiatives.
A strategic and comprehensive approach to implementing an MES solution is essential to
the project’s success. A methodology should be applied to establish the overall program
and determine exactly what the MES solution should provide. A solution provider who
partners with your business will work with you to define the stages that facilitate a smooth
initial implementation and subsequent rollout.
Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
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Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Support for Demand Driven Enterprises
The Benefits of a Phased Approach
How the project is run is just as important as how the project is specified. For the best
results, a phased approach and methodology is recommended. In general there are seven
major phases of the project:#p#分頁標題#e#
1. Engage
2. Discover
3. Define
4. Design
5. Develop
6. Implement
7. Optimize
All seven phases are critical to the success of the project and require a high-level of
agreement and interaction to work properly. The solution provider and the user should
reach an agreement on milestones, objectives and critical success factors that ensure that
each phase has been successfully completed.
Phased Approach to
Implementing the
Right MES Solution*
Goals for Define
Phase(由留學生dissertation網整體提供）
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Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Support for Demand Driven Enterprises
Each phase of the project – from engaging the right solution provider to implementing the
solution – builds on the prior phase. As the business objectives are defined in the Engage
and Discover phases, the manufacturer is able to successfully ascertain the metrics and
process improvement strategies necessary for implementing the correct MES solution that
will ultimately fulfill the business objectives laid out in the first phases.
Step 1– Engage
The engagement phase is used to select and appoint the leadership and key stakeholders
who have been identified as the decision makers in the project. An MES solution is truly a
joint venture between the solution provider, leadership and the end user. Therefore, a team
combining members from both companies – the manufacturer and the solution provider –
is the starting point to implementing an MES solution. It also forms the initial building
blocks needed to build the desired relationship between both companies that will set the
standards for the entire project.
It is equally important at this stage to determine who will be the users and include
representation from the users to ensure their input is heard as they are often more familiar
with the plant floor requirements and challenges.
The Engagement phase identifies:
• Key shareholders
• Leadership team
• Decision makers
• User community
Step 2 – Discover
The discovery phase is undertaken by the solution provider to assess the impact to people
and process elements across the organization to ensure the MES team understands the
business’ challenges. It is critical the solution provider comprehends the business objectives
associated with the project and the technical challenges they will face in order to have the
insight needed to define a solution. This phase must bring clarity to the overall
implementation strategy.
The discovery phase determines:
• Prioritized business objectives
• Potential ROI and benefits
• Technical assessment of current technical architecture#p#分頁標題#e#
• Continuous improvement assessment
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Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
With any continuous improvement strategy, the business objectives must be clearly
outlined and agreed upon by leadership. Management must work with the solution
provider to identify and prioritize areas of operation with the highest probability of return.
At a later stage, the solution will need to include the processes and behaviors that may
also be changed to fully realize the targeted value.
This information will be used to define the strategy and approach used to ensure a
successful solution implementation. Therefore, identifying the business objectives with the
greatest potential effect is crucial to implementing the solution that will have the most
efficient and effective impact on the company/plant.
This will lead to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) selection. The purpose of the KPIs is to
give people quick information on how the business and manufacturing processes are
currently operating. These KPIs will be put into place and begin being monitored during
the design phase to measure the improvements and the value being returned of the
implementation. KPIs vary from business to business depending on the ultimate objective
of the solution. Whatever KPIs are ultimately selected, it is important to limit the KPIs to a
small number to ensure they can be initiated and monitored. As we will see later, KPIs
evolve and new KPIs are added as performance improves and new challenges are added.
Step 3 – Define
The definition phase determines the strategy and approach that will be followed for the
project. By clearly defining the project’s scope based on business objectives, additional
critical information can be identified and documented. High-level business requirements
and baseline metrics will be finalized in this phase. The more mature and complete these
requirements are, the better the project team will understand the change management
needs and the implementation strategy.
The definition phase determines:
• Project scope
• Business process baseline and metrics
• High-level business requirements and critical-to-quality measures
• Change management needs regarding stakeholder assessment, communications
and training
• Recommended implementation
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This phase more than any other phase is the most critical to the success of the project and
the associated costs. The outcomes of this phase affect over half the project’s success
criteria. The decisions made can adversely affect the associated costs over a hundred fold if#p#分頁標題#e#
the decisions are changed later in the project. Frequently companies will rush this phase to
get to the next two phases – design and develop – with the idea they will see faster
results. Consequently, this approach usually leads to incomplete requirements, scope
slippage, and time/budget overruns. Any one of the previously mentioned challenges can
single handedly cause a project to fail and be cancelled before completion.
Project Scope
This can be the most challenging work of the project as it involves political, emotional and
logical aspects. It also may cross numerous user communities with drastically different
perceptions of what is needed by the business. Therefore, it is critical to understand the
reasons why users are passionate about their needs and how they can be met by the
project. By using a priority based approach, each requirement can be listed in order of
importance based on key factors such as scope of impact, return on investment, budget
and effort required. Only after these criteria are agreed upon and understood can a
feasible list of requirements be created to finalize the project’s scope.
Additionally, by leveraging a phased approach, the requirements that do not make the initial
implementation can be reevaluated at a later time if a subsequent release is scheduled.
Again, the same process must be followed to ensure that the project’s scope is documented,
clearly understood and communicated with the support of the leadership team.
Business Process Baseline and Metrics
It is important to be able to measure both the current situation and the progress as the
business operations improve in order to determine a business’ current, past and anticipate
future state. A baseline of information supported by specific metrics will need to properly
reflect these measurements. These metrics also known as KPIs and are organized in a
progressive order that constitute a KPI tree in which values role up into other values. For
example, a machine’s production values may roll-up into production line values that roll-up
into a department, followed by the plant, etc.
As alluded to earlier, KPIs are a dynamic picture of business operations. As operations
improve new KPIs may be needed as new goals are added. This perpetual cycle must be a
part of a bigger picture that supports process improvements, which systematically change
and evolve.
Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
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Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
Change Management Needs
To prevent an MES solution from being just another source of data, a change management
initiative running in conjunction can determine success or failure. Data without analysis#p#分頁標題#e#
provides little information, and information without improved processes and changed
behaviors provides few results. In simple terms whether it is trial and error, improved
training, or utilizing industry standard best practices, there are better ways of conducting
business that will provide better returns. “Soft” challenges, such as user acceptance, must
also be considered in order for the project to succeed.
Recommended Implementation
Simply put, “If you fail to plan, plan to fail.” One of the most frequently overlooked phases
of the project is the implementation plan. Any implementation plan can look very simple on
paper. However, many other aspects, which may not have been considered, may need to be
included in order to properly plan. For example, high demand periods and vacation seasons
can virtually eliminate resource availability as well shut-downs for plant turnovers that can
eliminate the availability of data and even electricity. These are just a few of the challenges
outside the technical area that need to be accounted for in an implementation plan.
A good implementation plan really needs to tie all of the ends together: communications,
planning, release scheduling, training, testing and more. By developing this plan in
conjunction with known implementation challenges, the business can significantly improve
the project’s success factors.
Step 4 – Design
The design phase begins by the finalizing business requirements documented in a business
requirements document (BRD). The BRD is used as the basis and control for the detailed
solution design and the technical architecture that will be developed. It is critical the BRD is
not developed in a silo, and an accurate cross-section of the business, user and the
engineering communities are involved to ensure a successful project.
A change management plan should also be created from the input gathered in the earlier
stage to ensure the end user roll-out is accepted and successful. All projects must account
for the effect on the users, the existing processes and the technology in order to facilitate
the needed behavior changes and to obtain the results identified in previous phases.
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Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
Additional documentation should also be drafted or completed during this stage to
communicate the overall design and architecture that will be implemented as well as
quality assurance methods and commissioning schedules. It is essential that management
be fully engaged to ensure the project is widely adopted and promoted. Management
should make sure the users are allotted the proper time to assess the solution and for
training. If management does not make this a priority and schedule accordingly, it is#p#分頁標題#e#
unlikely users will take time from their busy day to adopt the system. The design phase
should also be used to develop work plans, milestones, exit criteria and a quality
management plan.
The design phase determines:
• Detailed business requirements
• Overall solution design
• Required technical architecture
• Development plans and controls
Once the objectives of this phase have been met, projects often leverage pilots at this stage
to determine solution feasibility, to secure additional funding and executive support, or to
further mature estimates and timelines before moving forward into a complete rollout.
Goals for
Define Phase*
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Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
Pilot versus Complete Rollout
After management has agreed on the objectives which the MES solution needs to achieve,
it must then determine how to implement the solution. There are basically two approaches
for implementing an MES solution – performing a pilot or doing a complete rollout.
While a full rollout may appear similar in time, the full rollout involves more effort and
significantly higher organizational risk than a pilot. It is important to remember that
expanding the MES solution to other production lines and plants can be done more rapidly
and less expensive after a successful pilot.
Most companies chose to implement the MES solution in a plant or one part of a plant as
a pilot that can then be replicated across the business. Therefore, we will refer to the
following stages as part of a pilot.
Choosing the Pilot Location
When selecting the area for an MES pilot, you should examine several characteristics:
1. What location best represents the other locations for the planned rollout?
2. What location has the most progressive personnel who welcome new ideas?
3. What production area is fairly contained?
The third question is very important because you need to select a location in which the
results from the MES solution will be most evident in the quickest time. For example, a
packaging line is often a good choice because it deals with finished goods with very little
input from needed from other production lines.
In general, a pilot should not take more than three months to complete.
If you choose an area that is too large, implementation will take a very long time.
Conversely, an area without network access or outdated hardware will require additional
costs and make the pilot more risky. Ideally, a small functional area of the facility where
operators, maintenance and support staff interact with the system on a daily basis is the
best candidate. All users can be trained at one time so they will help reinforce each other’s#p#分頁標題#e#
knowledge of the new system.
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Championing the Pilot to All Participants
After selecting the area in which to implement the pilot, attention turns to the workers
who will be affected by the pilot. Once again management must be involved just as in the
initial project phases to promote success. Communication is crucial because some workers
may feel burdened by the new system or fear it will measure individual performance.
As many industrialized nations must compete against the developing world for
manufacturing jobs, workers are keenly aware of the importance of quality and
productivity as determining factors for keeping their operations from being relocated to
other countries. Management and workers alike can benefit from understanding an MES
solution helps them remain competitive by increasing productivity and quality with the
equipment they currently have.
It is very important to create a communication plan that motivates the people impacted by
the pilot. The plan should communicate clearly the pilot is intended to measure and
improve processes, not individuals. If the participants understand the pilot will not be a
value judgment about their performance, the likelihood of getting good feedback and
clear measurements increases greatly.
Operations
The operations team will be the first group impacted by the pilot. MES systems can appear
as management checking up on operators. Consequently, honest and ongoing
communication with this group is key. It is very helpful to create a focus group of operators
who can add an important plant-floor perspective and champion the pilot to the workers.
Any technical issues must be resolved quickly to maintain operator confidence and
interaction with the system.
Other groups that need to be considered are:
• Quality/Continuous Improvement department
• IT/MIS department
• Maintenance department
• Engineering department
Although different companies have different titles and various job descriptions, there is
always someone performing these roles.
Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
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Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
Continuous Improvement Department
This department decides the direction of the pilot. Along with executives, they set the KPIs
that determine the pilot’s critical success factors. They will also be important in delivering
clear communications about the significance of the MES solution.
IT/MIS Department
The IT department is an important technical evaluator of the proposed solutions. IT should#p#分頁標題#e#
be involved to ensure the MES application will integrate with existing systems.
The IT department should also be involved and accountable for specific IT related tasks
during the pilot. The pilot could involve installing new computers and servers that will need
to be managed and maintained. Organizational standards must also be created if they do
not exist, to ensure IT standards for all servers, networks, and security systems are
maintained. This step will make it much easier to support and scale the MES system later.
In addition, the IT department will need to assess the complexity of interfacing with the
higher level and lower level systems.
Engineering Department
The engineering department should be capable of supporting and expanding the MES
system because of the addition of new equipment and upgrading of existing equipment.
Thus, engineering must be consulted during the evaluation process to determine how to
best support the MES system. Off-the-shelf MES software packages usually minimize the
learning curve and allow engineers to easily configure the software. The engineering
department also typically provides possible opportunities for future value-added
functionality.
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Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
Reliability/Maintenance Department
The maintenance department is engaged before implementing the pilot. They need to be
informed of possible changes and additions to the plant floor equipment. The pilot may
include new plant floor hardware and equipment such as network cards, bar code readers
and other input devices whose maintenance will be the responsibility of the maintenance
department.
If the key performance indicator (KPI) is to optimize maintenance against performance to
increase asset utilization as part of an overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) initiative, the
maintenance department will be a key participant in the MES pilot. The maintenance
department can be as important as the operations department in ensuring the MES system
is used properly.
Typically this part of the project includes the components listed in the diagram below.*
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Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
Step 5 – Develop
By the time you reach the development phase, the pilot should have been completed. The
pilot will have provided an important real-world implementation that will facilitate the
development phase beyond the contained area of the pilot. For example, a pilot may have
been performed on a packaging line and the development phase will integrate the
experience from the pilot with the development of a larger solution for the entire#p#分頁標題#e#
production line.
The development phase of the project is the primary responsibility of the MES solution
provider. The provider should maintain an open, but structured environment to ensure
productivity is not compromised. However, it is also critical the end-user community is
involved throughout the process for periodic reviews. Evaluations are conducted to ensure
the business objectives are still relevant and being met. Additionally, regular
communications and workshops should occur to provide further information to the
solution provider and status updates to the stakeholders.
The development phase delivers:
• A solution based on the business requirements
• A technical architecture based on design
Prototype Creation
A prototype in some form is frequently used to ensure users’ expectations are being met
and minimal development efforts have been spent. Information from the pilot is very useful
for creating the prototype. Lessons have been learned, and all early input from the users
helps to determine the basic software configuration as well as the screens the operators,
plant managers and executives (if applicable) will utilize.
Internal Review
Knowledge transfer during configuration depends on a number of factors including end
user skill sets and the amount of ownership the end users will take during the rollout.
One global manufacturer recently discovered the importance of incremental operator
training during an MES solution rollout. This progressive manufacturer believed in placing
the MES tool in the hands of the operators instead of engineers or analysts since operators
have the biggest impact on improving productivity. The goal of making operators use the
MES solution to effect positive change required both training and coaching.
The company initially provided extensive and detailed training showing the operators the
entire breadth of solution’s capabilities. However, management soon found that inundating
the operators with too much knowledge did not help them retain the skills they needed to
use the tools.
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Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
The training was then modified to provide tailored displays and views with simple
interfaces. Daily coaching followed the training. Operators became more familiar with
using the MES solution, but still were not bridging the gap between seeing the information
and using it to make positive changes.
The manufacturer then implemented high-involvement activities that engaged the
operators and provided goals and incentives. A training coordinator was assigned to the
group to answer questions regarding how to best use the MES solution. As soon as the#p#分頁標題#e#
operators saw the MES solution as a tool to provide important productivity information
that they could use to increase output, they began to effectively use the MES solution as a
tool in their daily production activities. The involvement activities were the key in teaching
the operators how to use the relevant information provided by the MES solution. The
operators then could use the information for immediate feedback on the machine
performance and this empowered them to take immediate, corrective actions.
Step 6 – Implement
The implementation phase is used to deploy the solution and integrate the solution usage
into daily business activities. This phase will need to involve change management activities
and training, but most importantly executive support to ensure the implementation is a
priority to the business. The collection of KPIs and other key metrics is irrelevant if not
supported by leadership and process improvements. The MES solution converts data to
information, but the supporting activities are what converts information to knowledge and
this is what initiates the changes that will fulfill the objectives set out in the early phases of
the project
The implementation phase develops:
• User understanding and acceptance
• Executive and operator training
• Improved processes tied to MES information
• Changed behaviors tied to MES information
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Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
Testing and Customer Acceptance
As the solution is being created, iterative testing should occur. The MES solution provider and
the end user should review any changes to functional documents. Once the configuration is
ready to be tested, the MES solution provider should internally perform a complete system
test for review against the FRS (this term is not used in previous sections – need to have it
defined where the FRS is built – I assume this is a Functional Requirements Study maybe?
Not sure where this document is defined/built). This is a key project milestone.
One of the items to consider when choosing an MES solution is if the solution provider has
a proper testing environment that can simulate the production environment. This allows
any potential problems to be identified and corrected before the actual site commissioning
begins. Even though a pilot may have already been performed on site, each location is
different and will require testing before being implemented. While site commissioning is
important and unavoidable even with the best testing environment, a testing environment
separate from the actual site can greatly improve and expedite commissioning.
After finishing the complete system test against the FRS, the next step is to perform an#p#分頁標題#e#
integration test. The integration test demonstrates to the end user the system is complete
and ready for the initial installation. This is a critical step for customer review and
acceptance; it is where problems that could impact the project’s success need to be
evaluated. The customer should include the operations staff that will use the system. This
ensures operational issues are identified prior to installation. Only after everyone on the
project team is convinced the MES solution is ready for installation at the site should the
next phase of the project begin.
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Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
Site Commissioning and Customer Acceptance
While site commissioning can be the shortest duration phase of the project, it is by far the
most critical. Typically during this phase, the users begin operating the system. Other items
that should be covered during this phase of the project:
• Operator training
• Administrative and programming training
• User training on data analysis
• Customer review of information
Once the system is operational, all training and final acceptance testing should be done on
the system to remedy any final issues. As seen in the earlier example of a global
manufacturer, training should begin as soon as possible since it often requires
modifications to be effective.
The project implementation occurs when the entire project team performs all required
tasks, the operators are using the system and management is seeing benefits. The diagram
below* shows how all parties are involved in this stage:
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Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
Improved Processes Tied to MES Data
Crucial information gathered should have been documented to make a “best practices”
document. The MES solution provider’s project manager may use these documented
practices to replicate prior successes or make adjustments to accommodate any challenges
recognized during the implementation phase.
For example, a milk processing plant is concerned about quality issues and spoilage. The
plant measures how long it takes for the milk to move from pasteurizing to bottling to
determine if there is an unseen delay. After implementing an MES solution, they find a
high level of spoilage by tracking quality. Root cause analysis shows that bottling is running
at 100% without delays and therefore nothing they can do to reduce delays in the
process. Instead of finding a delay however, the MES solution shows the bottles are
moving too quickly through the pasteurization process. The pasteurization line problem is#p#分頁標題#e#
corrected so the milk is delivered to bottling with the proper processing time. This was
identified by the MES solution tracking when the milk left pasteurizing department to
when it was received in bottling versus spoilage rate. The extended time is the root cause.
This information led to a process improvement, slowing down the pasteurizing
department, as a result of the data provided by the MES solution’s tracking of the process.
Changed Behaviors Tied to MES Data
Lastly, a benchmark should be taken at installation for measurement purposes. Periodic
reviews and workshops will need to be done to ensure optimal use of the system. By
having this benchmark in place, the business will be able to chart progress, uncover hidden
problems and ensure the system is used to the optimum performance.
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Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
Step 7 – Optimize the solution
The optimize phase is used to fine tune the new solution and how it is being used now as
well in the future. Critical KPIs change over time as operating improvements occur and
make new priorities more visible. Frequently, businesses do not realize they had a problem
‘B’ until problem ‘A’ is fixed. Therefore, it is very beneficial to have a solution provider with
business and technical expertise to ensure the solution’s capabilities are maximized. At this
point in time, the partnership formed throughout the project synergizes as the lines that
originally existed between the two companies are no longer visible. The MES provider
assumes the role of a new trusted advisor to assist the company in optimizing the solution
to meet new challenges.
The optimization phase develops:
• Fine tuning the solution and its outputs
• Improve levels of competence around the currently configured solution
• Periodic analysis of data and challenges to provide new roadmaps
Fine Tuning
MES projects, just like process improvement initiatives, are continual. MES solutions offer
even bigger returns when they are used to drive continuous improvement, not just for cost
reduction measures.
The initial implementation may need optimization and fine tuning. This fine tuning should
be done in conjunction with the MES solution provider because it has the best
understanding of how to analyze and optimize the solution.
This part of the project needs to be viewed more as a long-term transition to rollout. The
MES solution provider should do an extended handoff to help the users understand how to
interpret the data and how to modify the system to meet their future needs.
Periodic Analysis of Data and Challenges to Provide New Roadmaps
The continuous improvement team will continue to analyze the results and data to improve#p#分頁標題#e#
process and behaviors. As a result of teamwork and training, they should feel confident
enough with their MES solution to implement small changes themselves. By this time, it is
also hoped the MES solution provider has become a trusted advisor who can be called
upon for larger changes or updates.
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Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
Conclusion
As industrialized nations feel increasing pressure to compete with lower operating costs in
the developing world, the importance of continuous improvement strategies and
automated visualization tools that enhance these strategies will achieve paramount
importance. While it has been shown that adding automation tools to continuous
improvement plans often exponentially increases results, it is important to apply a
methodology to determine exactly what is to be achieved through the use of the MES
solutions tools and how to select the right MES solution. Perhaps as important as the MES
solution itself is the relationship between the customers and solution providers. This
relationship manifests itself in their collective commitment to partner together to develop
the best MES solution to meet the customer’s goals and objectives.
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Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
Authors
Christine Lesher,
Citect
Ed Patzsch,
Citect
30000 Mill Creek Avenue, suite 300
Alpharetta, GA 30022
Tel: 770.521.7511
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Applying a Phased Approach for a Successful Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Project
About MESA: MESA promotes the exchange of best practices, strategies and innovation
in managing manufacturing operations and in achieving plant-floor execution excellence.
MESA’s industry events, symposiums, and publications help manufacturers, systems
integrators and vendors achieve manufacturing leadership by deploying practical solutions
that combine information, business, manufacturing and supply chain processes and
technologies. Visit us online About Citect: Citect is a global provider of industrial automation, real-time intelligence,
and next generation manufacturing execution systems (MES). Leveraging open
technologies, Citect's solutions connect to multiple plant and business systems. Our
CitectSCADA/HMI, Ampla, Nexa and Meta solutions are complemented by Professional
Services, Global Customer Support and Educational Services. Our solutions are found in
over 80 countries and numerous industries: mining, metals, food and beverage,#p#分頁標題#e#
manufacturing, facilities, water, gas pipelines, power distribution and pharmaceuticals.
(由留學生dissertation代寫網整體提供）Headquartered in Sydney Australia, Citect has representation in Oceania, Southeast Asia,
China and Japan, North and South America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.