ERP SOLUTIONS FEATURE
INVESTING IN ERP IS CRITICAL D
Post Brexit industry needs to continue investing in the latest technology and Paul Bennett, managing director of Fascia Graphics explains the benefits of installing an ERP system
espite all the scaremongering connected to Brexit, the CBI reported
in November that the UK’s manufacturing sector has enjoyed strong order books throughout 2016. However, it said that the industry needs to continue to invest in the latest technology to adapt to the fastest rise in factory gate prices for two years due to the fall in the value of the pound. Backing this up was a major survey
released by the EEF. Publishing their Q4 Manufacturing Outlook survey and revised economic forecasts, the manufacturer’s organisation pointed to early signs that the sector is now seeing opportunities from a resilient UK market and a brightening in export prospects as a result of Brexit. This report says that better conditions are spurring a rebound in recruitment intentions and a turnaround in investment by the manufacturing sector to fulfil customer requirements and secure productivity gains. We believe in continuous improvement as a key to our success and as a result recently invested in a UV flatbed printer and MIETrak Pro ERP system. The new print line will ensure that we remain at the forefront of the market for high quality, fast-turnaround membrane keypads and graphic overlays often used for pre- production, trade shows and exhibitions. However, to fully capitalise on this
investment we needed a front and back- end system that would help us respond to customer requests more quickly, simplify front and back office management while improving visibility across every aspect of our operations. The MIETrak Pro ERP system has allowed our business to consolidate five software packages into a
times for future work. Furthermore, we have been able to raise the bar of our incredibly high quality customer service using the system. Sales and customer service staff can now interact more quickly and effectively with customers as they now have more accurate access to customers’ information and history. There will be a more detailed analysis of
single system, providing enhanced visibility and control of all aspects of functions by seamlessly integrating sales, accounts, production planning, purchasing, production, HR and QA.
UNRIVALLED PRODUCTION PLANNING VISIBILITY Instead of having data distributed throughout several separate databases all information is now located in a single location. Data is kept consistent and up-to-date. The system has eliminated repetitive processes and greatly reduced the need to manually enter information. Unrivalled production planning visibility
enable our business to load and plan to capacity; ensuring products are turned around efficiently. The MIETrak Pro records all aspects of material and labour usage, automatically analysing past manufacturing data to provide quotations that are more accurate (and very often competitive) and more precise production
Stock control and purchasing has been transformed with the ability to see the requirements for hours, days or weeks
Fascia’s lean manufacturing programme with overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and bottle-neck analysis built in as standard. The MIETrak Pro has transformed our stock control and purchasing with the ability to see the requirements for the coming hours, days or weeks. This enables the business to automatically call-in material when needed without having to hold stock for longer than required and risk damaging or exceeding shelf-life. For suppliers there is the advantage of improved information on upcoming requirements. When it comes to reporting, the new system has made it more customisable, allowing us to respond to complex data requests with ease. Users can run their own reports without
relying on help from IT, cutting time and cost. Having market leading front and back end systems are critical to future success and our latest investments have ensured the service we offer to our customers remains the very best in the industry; a service we need to consistently offer to capitalise on all the benefits of operating in a post Brexit world.
Fascia Graphics T: 01249 460606
www.mie-solutions.co.uk
SCALABLE MES REDUCES BARRIER TO ENTRY FOR SMART MANUFACTURING
New and expanded applications from Rockwell Automation help reduce the cost and time-to-value of a manufacturing execution system (MES). An MES allows companies to connect, manage, validate and optimise production to help achieve smart manufacturing but can be too expensive for many. Scalable FactoryTalk ProductionCentre MES applications from Rockwell
Automation address specific manufacturing challenges like quality, machine performance, track/trace and genealogy. Solutions can start at the machine or work-area level with a single application and with minimal infrastructure requirements and scale to an integrated MES solution as ROI is realised. Rockwell Automation has released the following applications: FactoryTalk Production: manufacturers are challenged to optimise
production processes, lower structured costs, improve productivity and achieve a near zero-inventory system. A scalable MES solution, it addresses the challenges associated with enforcing processes in manufacturing; integrates with ERP; tracks the order and recipe parameters necessary for production and supports end-to-end production management within a
facility, offering a vital platform for continuous improvement. FactoryTalk Quality: this application allows manufacturers to easily and
efficiently model and enforce their plant’s in-process quality regimens at a scalable rate. It supports a facility’s efforts to deliver a timely, quality product and react quickly to quality issues. Manufacturers can use this application on a project basis and scale up when value is proven. It can be expanded to include other functionality within the system or run as a standalone. FactoryTalk Performance: performance is a modular application that assists
manufacturing companies with factory efficiency and production improvement. By providing visibility into the operations performance this allows for lean and continuous improvement, preventive manufacturing, improved asset utilisation and operational intelligence. Each expanded MES application is implemented on thin clients for a
modern user experience and reduced IT infrastructure cost. Rockwell Automation T: 0870 242 5004
www.rockwellautomation.com
FACTORY EQUIPMENT | FEBRUARY 2017 33
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