05/25/2023 | News release | Distributed by Public on 05/25/2023 04:45
There are several pressing reasons manufacturers need to act now to become data-driven organizations. But perhaps at the most fundamental level - data helps manufacturers become better at what they do. Let's look at some tangible ways data helps manufacturers drive smart, sustainable and resilient operations.
Given the wide-ranging benefits, many manufacturers are exploring how to become truly data-driven enterprises. In my work with manufacturing clients, I find that, broadly, there are two areas manufacturers are currently focused on:
While this is a promising start, many manufacturers falter on the next steps. Where do we go from here? How do we scale successful data initiatives and expand them to other locations?
To be data-driven, manufacturers require data. While there is no shortage of data, data silos across people, processes and machines make accessing and integrating all relevant data difficult. Different data historians*, definitions and management frameworks result in data that is not usable, traceable or comparable across assets and plants. Critical information that provides valuable context to machine-generated data may even be "lost" in spreadsheets or other documents.
Here's where a manufacturing execution system (MES) comes in. According to the Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA), an MES is a dynamic IS application "that drives the execution of manufacturing operations, and by using current and accurate data, MES guides, triggers and reports plant activities as events."
An MES has two critical roles to play in a data-driven organization. The first is to collect data in a way that it can be processed to provide insights. An MES gathers data from all the machines and operators and makes the data comparable across plants, production units and machines by standardizing aspects like energy consumption data and reason codes for machine breakdowns. Access to comparable data across plants and machines hugely accelerates the ability to benefit from advanced analytics.
The second critical role is as the interface back to the shop floor. Once you have all the data and use it to optimize processes - from energy efficiency to quality - the MES returns the data to the machines and production process. Here's where the rubber meets the road. Updated, optimized machine settings are communicated to machine control systems through the MES or displayed to operators to guide them in fine-tuning the production process.
An MES is critical to close the loop - from data to analytics to the production process.
An MES ensures manufacturers have the right information and insight to make the best possible business decisions and improve performance levels across the supply chain. Apart from being the foundation for implementing data-driven manufacturing, on its own, the top five benefits of an MES include the following:
Unfortunately, there are no "silver bullets" to improve your manufacturing performance; however, implementing an enterprise-wide MES is a must-have and a key step in becoming a data-driven manufacturer. What's your view? Contact me to have a discussion.
As Vice-President, Consulting Expert for CGI in The Netherlands, Marcel Mourits helps CGI's manufacturing clients transform their supply chains and ecosystems using data, analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). In this role, Marcel drives discussions and decision-making on manufacturing strategies at CGI's manufacturing center of excellence ...