Paper Technology International 2024 - Journal - Page 105
PAPERTECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL
Success factor 1: Finding the intersection of provider, MES and
requirements
First of all, companies should answer for themselves what
exactly the system should do and why an introduction makes
sense. After all, an MES can do so much more than just report
back production data. At Greiner Packaging, a specialist in plastic
packaging, for example, the core task of the MES is to uniformly
record machine and reporting data for analyses. The system gathers
up to 10,000 sensor data per minute from the connected machines.
Hence, production managers are informed around the clock as to
whether there are any malfunctions, how quality can be improved, or
what the status of energy consumption is.
Once the central improvements and goals have been
de昀椀ned, companies should work out which requirements and
which processes are involved. A detailed set of speci昀椀cations and
the additional support of an implementation partner can provide
orientation. The partner’s industry and process expertise enables
him to see the big picture in the context of a project and know
the sweet spots. “For companies that are still at the beginning,
we recommend a workshop with the selected provider as a 昀椀rst
step. This ensures clarity and helps to build the necessary trust,”
knows Michael Karl, Product Lead MES CAT from the consulting
昀椀rm T.CON. If you want to be absolutely sure that your favourite
MES meets your requirements, a 昀椀t-gap analysis is carried out and
followed by a preliminary study with proof of concept. Prototypes are
created and feasibility is ensured.
Success factor 2: Establish a homogeneous landscape between
ERP, MES and warehouse
If the MES is functionally capable of supporting all relevant
production processes, the technological basis should be examined.
The crucial questions: Can the MES be integrated into the existing
ERP system? Is the development environment easy to maintain and
further develop? And to what extent is the MES itself functionally
expandable? The goal is a seamlessly integrated MES that
provides fully automated, uniform and seamless data acquisition
for all locations. For example, the delfort group, a manufacturer of
functional specialty papers, uses its MES, which is fully based on
SAP technology, to evaluate around 1,400 international accounting
records and business data in the SAP Business Warehouse
every day. In turn, released production orders from SAP planning
applications, as well as cutting plans and knife settings from
specialist applications, which are also based on SAP technology,
are immediately available in the MES and thus in production. “The
integration of SAP data without the detour via interfaces usually
opens up a lot of potential for companies to produce more costeffectively and ef昀椀ciently,” says Karl. “Machine operators, production
managers and management receive precise information on energy
consumption, personnel expenses, downtimes, changeover times,
quality characteristics, repair and maintenance costs. They can then
derive concrete measures from this.”
Success factor 3: Designate data analysis as a core function of
the MES
In further expansion stages, machines and consumption
data enable data-driven shop 昀氀oor management. Koehler Paper,
a manufacturer of high-quality specialty papers, for example, uses
such functions for predictive quality assurance. By combining MES,
an SAP HANA database, and analytics applications, Koehler is
improving paper quality, reducing scrap, predicting paper breaks,
and avoiding costly rework. Michael Karl: “At T.CON, we advise
companies to think about analytics right from the start in order to
bene昀椀t from the many advantages. Up-to-date, meaningful key
昀椀gures in high quality provide an overview and a clear view of
production. As soon as disruptions or personnel bottlenecks occur,
you are informed and can react promptly and optimize.”
Functionally expanding an MES can also mean, for example,
evaluating manufacturing analyses with the help of AI technology.
With corresponding applications, companies are expanding
production-related IT landscapes into a networked ecosystem
that enables data-driven decisions and optimization. Cloud-based
applications are used to different data sources such as ERP and
MES data with sensor and machine data.
Success factor 4: Focus on everyday users
For the project to really get rolling, motivated users are a
prerequisite. Experience shows that the earlier and more openly
everyone involved is informed about the project, the more successful
the introduction will be. It also makes sense to involve the works
council and top management directly. In this way, employees’
concerns and fears can be eliminated from the outset, and changes
are more readily accepted. It is also advisable to use small, practical
examples to show the overall potential of the solution and how it can
improve the day-to-day work of those who use it on a daily basis.
This is often successful where immediate advantages and
a return on investment can be achieved or where the need for a
solution is greatest. A pilot installation on a few machines allows
employees to test the system and suggest reasonable adjustments
prior to and suggest reasonable adjustments before the roll-out. To
ensure that the project runs smoothly, it is internally important to
put together a cross-departmental project team. The team ensures
that tasks in the project plan are completed step by step, deadlines
are met, and all stakeholders are kept and that all stakeholders
are informed about the progress of the project in regular meetings.
The project team also selects key users who will test the system
intensively and continue to be available as contacts for colleagues
later, after the system has gone live. “Key users take on a central
role. That’s why it’s important for the company’s management
to cover their backs and give them the time they need to work
intensively on the project,” explains Michael Karl.
Success factor 5: Choose MES with modular structure
Connecting the MES to the IT in the ongoing daily business
is a major challenge. To ensure that milestones are reached as
planned, an agile, iterative process model oriented to the company’s
needs is suitable. Individual functions such as quality management
and workforce planning are then added step by step as required.
The prerequisite for this is a modular and 昀氀exibly expandable system
in which new modules can be activated in the MES itself or onpremises and cloud applications can quickly and easily supplement
the core MES functions. “The modular principle, as we have
come to implement with our MES SUITE, is a real game changer
from T.CON’s point of view for modernizing an old, monolithic
architecture,” says Michael Karl. “Companies can future proof their
production in the sense of Industry 4.0. At the same time, employees
use an uniform, intuitive interface and can slowly familiarize
themselves with the new system.” The 昀椀nal result is a contemporary
MES that on the one hand monitors and controls production, and on
the other acts as a data hub for the ongoing adaptation of production
to new framework conditions. In both cases, it ensures fast added
value and future-proof 昀氀exibility.
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