MES/MOM - Don't make the #1 mistake

When you're going to develop an Enterprise MES/MOM Solution, we have to think different!

What you've done in the past will have to change to compete and adopt new technology, in order to compete with the newcomers and ever-evolving competitors.

What's an enterprise-class MES/MOM Solution?

I've written various articles, but here's one I did that encompasses what I think is everything you need in a MOM Solution: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/why-you-need-mes-asap-andrew-sparrow/

But, from that, here's how MES controls your resources and dependencies.

1. Resource Management

There are a wide variety of resources required for any particular production process to operate correctly. If any aren't in place, then the process cannot be executed. Furthermore, in many cases, it is not only the presence and availability of the dependent resource (device/equipment) but also its maintenance. The condition of dependent resources in most cases needs to be managed, not only in terms of availability and setup but also in terms of maintenance, where duty cycles are counted and trigger routine maintenance.

2. People As A Resource

Just as complex is the management of people and their different skill sets along with their personal breaks, vacations, sick days, all of which need juggling to make or achieve production targets, or even to start production at all in some cases.

More advanced MES systems come with superior operational capabilities and guidance that is included in their MES. With these solutions, with the latest electronic documentation, operators can quickly and with low-risk, move from one role to another within the team to greatly enhance production flexibility.

Mobile terminals again can be very useful in this scenario, associated with the operator wherever the resource is needed.

3. Quality Management

Disruption of production is minimized through the fastest possible defect analysis supported by the complete and specific history of the production of the defective unit, as MES records both material and process events.

Statistics can be used to find the unique set of circumstances that lead to this defect occurring, and, identify any other production units that have been made in the same condition. For every production unit, MES provides complete traceability information for compliance and conformance, ensuring through management of dependencies that everything needed is correctly in place, is configured, and set up correctly. In this way, an advanced MES provides active quality management which helps assure the minimum cost of poor quality, both within the factory as well as for products out in the market.

4. Maintenance Management

MES can make a useful contribution to create a more advanced maintenance strategy, utilizing information about the accumulated work performed by each key production process. Preventative maintenance programs are created which minimize maintenance to just that which is required.

Often, you'll have a multi-plant operation that could be developing from similar raw materials, variable finished products, both domestically and internationally. They may be supplying to wide-ranging industry verticals too.

Each plant has two basic needs in order to Digitally Transform:

1. The Enterprise needs - those that come from Head Office that need cascading to each plant, and bringing to the Cloud, together with producing and downloading production orders from the ERP and tracking production on the Shop Floor
2. Plant Specific needs - solving problems at the plant level

These two are usually entirely different needs!

Your plants will have machining requirements to track and manage different products etc but, you still need to run production, track OEE and you need to account for both.

Phases of introduction

Let's discuss the two main steps to the solution that we see often. At the start Head Office/ Corporate gathers their requirements that are typically financially and longer-term planning based:?

1. Design - the concept is put together, collecting the information from corporate. It's designed, and the prototype/MVP developed. It's reviewed, re-developed and sent to production.

Keep in mind, while the plants have their say, it's usually giving feedback on the corporate requirements, not deeply embedded in the shop floor / line demands and here will be the greatest challenge for the entire project. Not only adoption, but directly impacting the implementation schedule and overall program budget.

2. Deploy - At this point, you're taking your production ready solution and introduce to the shop floor. Remember that when you built this, it was theoretically what the?plants needed. Corporate told you what they wanted. You developed that solution. You talked with the plants, but you hadn't talked with the operators yet.

So the 1st thing you'll do is begin with the planning phase that'll combine your MVP and deployment. As you're integrating your MES solution, you'll be bringing your corporate led system and then start to pick-up your shop floor demands as you enter the "real world".

The Delta "dealbreaker"

Here lies the delta between the standard corporate stuff and the actual needs of the shop floors. This is the new functionality.

You connect your machines on the floor and connect your MES. You review and adjust, at which point new requirements "come flying out of the woodwork"!

It's the delta between what you theoretically thought the plants needed and what they actually want.

If you're going to develop an Enterprise MES solution, you have to be able to consider this delta thoroughly. Everyone wants to rush through this stage because it takes people time, and people's attention, both one-on-one and in workshops. It takes time documenting, having those same people review and ultimately sign-off and then be ready for the market to evolve and still having to revisit them.

Failure to do so will uncover dealbreakers and, or lack of adoption after implementation.

No matter what, you're at some point going to have to figure out a way to incorporate these new processes and features. It's here where the software development lifecycle comes in.

You have to think Agile!

If you think like a controls or automation engineer where you've a single scope of work and a sequential operation, you're going to be very frustrated and fall over time and again.

You need to have an Agile mindset, because understanding what you develop for the Enterprise Solution is always fluid and evolving.

The corporate requirements are always merely the foundation of the requirements. Once you reach the individual plants, we roll-up our sleeves and get to reality.

This is when the plant starts telling us there's a whole bunch of requirements that haven't been considered.

Empathy

It's consistent with everything in life - it starts with empathy. When you're installing one of the most critical and complex solutions into your manufacturing business, it's always best to take the time to understand exactly what's needed in the Shop Floors.

Don't expect it to be a quick process nor necessarily one that looks to the future, but instead focuses on the here and now. When you're in the trenches, fighting the fight, you have little time thinking about the next day, never mind the future.

You need to bring everyone together into design for today and tomorrow!

Andrew Sparrow

I'm a huge believer in constant change.

Standing still is going backwards

It starts with People changing their mindsets & Processes, enabled through Technology.

Innovative Products, Smarter Manufacturing all happens through Agile Revolutions - start small, empower people & scale fast.

Oh, I can "boil the ocean" with the best of them, but let's not live there. Analysis leads to paralysis. Dreaming of & waiting for perfection is the enemy of execution.

Do something, get some quick wins and start building momentum.

I like to bring attention to Innovation, Smart Manufacturing, Global People Integration & Human Sustainability - I Blog, Vlog, Podcast, host a few Live Shows and love being involved in your revolutionary programs.

I love & thrive in working with some of the world's largest companies & most innovative organizations.

I'm a big people-person & have spent my life meeting as many people & cultures as I can. At my last count, I am lucky enough to have visited & done business in over 55 countries