May, 2019
www.us-
tech.com
“Must Haves” of a Contemporary Manufacturing Execution System
Michael Fischer, Director of Product Marketing, iTAC Software AG N
ot all manufacturing execution systems (MES) are alike. A sustainable MES has interfaces to leading IoT/IIoT (Internet of
Things/Industrial Internet of Things) platforms and contains features that support administra- tion, control, data collection, and analysis. This results in multilayered comprehensive systems for the smart factory. So, which functions should an intelligent MES contain? High transparency, safety and efficiency, as
well as an increasing degree of automation in pro- duction are indispensable in many industries today. For example, the electronics industry is sub- ject to strong competitive pressure. The tremen- dous speed of innovation, an ever- increasing mix of variants and high regulatory compliance requirements set the pace. The classic core functionality of
an MES is management of the pro- duction process. Around this core, the systems keep developing further in terms of digital transformation. A new generation of intelligent solu- tions for networking and automation of the production process is emerging.
MES Meets IIoT By using MES solutions, pro-
duction processes can be controlled and monitored in real time. The sys- tems are increasingly being expanded by applications that also include warehousing, shipping, manpower and much more, whereby additional data is being recorded and evaluated. This creates the basis for the direct execution of production orders and enables dynamic reactions to changes in the complex connected factory. The combination of adaptable IT
architecture and IoT/IIoT capability plays a central role for an MES. In this way, it is possible at any time to act accordingly to rapidly altering requirements in ever-changing facto- ry environments. An intelligent MES, like the
iTAC.MES.Suite, includes such basic functionalities as advanced produc- tion planning and scheduling (APS), production management, quality management, materials and logistics, traceability, tools for analyzing and evaluating data in real time, as well as tools for an automatic notification in case of problems. The
iTAC.MES.Suite provides
the so-called structured data from the MES data room (order data, material data, serial numbers, etc.). The MES ensures a continuous flow of informa- tion to guarantee transparency and evaluation of production processes based on standardized and customer- specific KPIs. Interfaces to leading IIoT-plat-
forms, in which so-called unstruc- tured data in the form of sensor data (e.g. vibration, temperature, etc.) are stored, result in intelligent overall solutions. In combination with the analytics functionalities of iTAC, individual use cases can be imple- mented for the specific requirements of the electronics industry and other branches.
Seven Critical Capabilities There are seven core areas that
a sustainable MES should fulfill:
Production management, work- flow, execution and in-process quality. This describes the ability to control and monitor the entire pro-
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With MES software, production processes can be controlled in real time, with a high degree of visibility and traceability.
duction process, from order release through work in progress (WIP) and on until final completion.
Data collection, data management and inte- gration. In order to map these processes, the MES must be able to collect and manage data, as well as exchange it bidirectionally with the shop floor in real time. In addition, it must have a mature inte- gration model.
Traceability, including process interlocking. The MES should enable the tracing of the entire production development. This is made possible by tracing all production and process data. Serial or
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