Acquaintance with the factory
We are greeted by blockages of semi-finished products, inaccurately laid out in the workshop. Planning at the plant is when merchants make up a plan from the sales forecast for a calendar month.
Contract manufacturing, several different brands are produced simultaneously on one production line.
Production - the "black box". Material is transferred to the input of the “black box”, products are shipped from it within a month to the warehouse. Of course, records are kept, as without him! Only materials at the entrance to the workshop and products shipped to the warehouse are taken into account, excluding movement inside the "black box". The consumption rate of materials is overestimated to cover incorrigible marriage and maintain stocks of semi-finished products in the workshop. In production, it is not possible to track how much and what kind of supply the material was used in a particular product. Yes, this is not required until accounting all converges.
The master receives a monthly plan in the form of an Excel table and turns it into a mono-nomenclature release plan, making manual adjustments for each workplace. The production plan is a table indicating the brand and / or size and quantity.
Workers with a pencil mark what has been done and the master brings it manually into a general report.
The planning and dispatch department did not find a place in this business process.
The system works, but the picture spoils the marriage.
At the hydraulic test bench, part of the production goes to the manual defect correction section. Some defective products can be fixed, the rest is not. The correction takes time, after which the flow of the corrected semi-finished products, lagging behind their production tasks, is wedged into the next task. To cover the semi-finished products that left the marriage site, the current task is suspended on the line, the line is reconfigured, shortage is issued, the line is reconfigured again and the current task continues. As a result, in the best case, in each standard size a certain amount is produced in excess of the plan.
Elements of lean manufacturing and theft are visible to the naked eye. Check is almost impossible. Only the master can guess how many products were actually released and how many materials were spent. Replenishment of materials and output is shared a month.
Management sets the task
The management sets an ambitious task - to switch to production strictly under the buyer's order, minimize the amount of materials and semi-finished products stored in the workshop, reduce inventory to a minimum, and keep a record of production costs as part of the buyer's order.
In general, the digital industry 4.0, lean manufacturing, best practices and "ahead of the rest."
It is clear that the old methods cannot solve the problem. But no one seems to understand how much changes business processes will have to face in realizing this task.
The generalized expectation looks something like this - “the big blue button“ MAKE GOOD ”. You press it and all the problems in the past!
We decide together
Several software products are widely presented on the MES market. All of them allow you to plan the release accurate to order and, in general, have approximately the same set of functions. Conventionally, they can be divided into three categories:
- The goal is the correct write-off of costs for an order in accounting
- The goal - operational planning of production
- The goal - the operational management of the production process in a step-by-step mode
The first two options involve paper workflow at workplaces - again the same tables, but now passing through MES. Again, the efficiency and reliability of the data depends on the speed of paper workflow. Therefore does not fit!
To solve the problem, choose the third option. It provides a workplace for the employee (terminal) and automatic calculation of products and no paper.
During the year, they searched, tested various options, and eventually opted for the SKAZ Integrated Automation System, consisting of interconnected SCADA and MES.
Start to implement
The first step is to prepare the hardware platform. We carefully study the electrical circuits of machines and conveyors. Fortunately, the equipment is quite modern everywhere and the installation of product counting sensors was not required anywhere - they already exist everywhere, and you can connect to them. Somewhere these are sensors, somewhere actuators actuators.
Each workplace is equipped with a computer terminal and a product counting module. Network connection of devices is organized by the IT service of the factory.
In the corporate server of virtual machines, we deploy SCADA and MES servers.
To connect the machine sensors, we use, perhaps the most common in Russia, ADAM modules from Advantech.
We integrate all machine modules through a network in SCADA. Special SCADA SKAZ scripts prepare the received information for sending to MES SKAZ.
We install computer machine terminals for the delivery of work tasks and electronic reporting to employees.
The first stage is completed.
Perhaps everything is ready to start! Just some 9 months. Could have been done faster - of course, but not in the real world.
Cooking MES
By tradition, we start with the NSI reference book. We describe the structure of the enterprise, work schedules, warehouses and many others. Everything is pretty obvious here, any missing information can be “go and see” in the workshop.
We turn to the nomenclature reference book and immediately encounter problems. The recommended mechanism for filling out the directory is synchronization with 1C via web json. But in 1C the nomenclature is much wider, although it does not contain semi-finished products and does not use a “single” classifier. So, the Nomenclature is not at all adapted to the needs of MES.
We begin to develop a common classifier.
The materials, purchased components and products used in the production get their groups. The name is now formed according to a single formula for 1C and MES.
Simple external processing in 1C synchronizes the MES Product Directory. And the directory is full. Manually supplement the directory with semi-finished products obtained at each workplace.
Now we “teach” MES to manage the issuance of work orders. Consider the actions in the reverse order - to plan, describe the production technology of each product, describe the operations performed at each workplace, prepare technological documentation for each product.
The problem appeared immediately. Instead of technological maps, the company uses a product composition map. That is, instead of actions, a sequence of semi-finished products is recorded in the card.
To compile technological maps, we go down to the workshop with notebooks and stopwatch.
We fix the time of operations, volumes of materials and other features. Large-scale work is hidden behind one line of the text, because there are thousands of semi-finished products! We are limited to a small sample, the rest of the plant will do it in the image and likeness.
Workplace of the storekeeper
Now everything is ready for the storekeeper to be able to reflect in the program the actual placement of materials and semi-finished products in the workshop and fulfill orders for the supply of new materials. Until the mechanism for the automatic movement of goods has been launched, the storekeeper will have to periodically update the status of the warehouses manually. It is not so difficult, and it will accustom to order. Indeed, up to this point, nothing really was considered in the workshop.
For convenience, a mechanism for sending a purchase order in 1C is provided, and the receipt, movement and shipment are accompanied by the automatic formation of invoices.
Workplace of the technologist
We proceed to the formation of the technology tree, the structure that, as a metronome, will dictate the sequence of actions to employees, will become the basis for planning and forming security and controlling the movement of materials and semi-finished products in the workshop. Technology is the heart of MES.
Immediately make a reservation, in technology you can combine several operations into one, if there is no need or ability to take into account the semi-finished products between them. This simple trick will help us conduct the implementation in stages, without immediately causing a lot of changes and shocks in the team.
They say that eating a dinosaur as a whole is difficult, you need to cut it and start eating from the tail. We will do the same.
Let's create technology from one last, tail operation. Take the operation “Release of the radiator”, indicate the total time norms of all previous operations and write down all the materials and components necessary for the production of the radiator in the input products. This corresponds to the current level of accounting at the enterprise.
Production Planning Engineer Workplace
Now we are ready to move from work to the warehouse to work under the order, that is, to plan and execute production orders. While excluding marriage and scrap, but not all at once!
While merchants operate on a monthly sales plan, we take it as a basis. In the future, at any time, we can replace it with a separate customer order.
We are preparing an external processing in 1C for transferring to MES a purchase order that should contain a unique number, a list of goods with quantity, a start date, an end date and, of course, a deadline.
Now, customer orders are accumulated in the MES input buffer.
At the first stage of planning, the Planner sorts orders, for example, by the “simple” actions, generates mono-nomenclature production orders from them, i.e. Orders for one item name. Created orders fall into the planning buffer. This procedure is done a day or two in advance.
At the second stage of planning, production orders from different purchasing orders are accumulated in the buffer and, in general, may contain the same items of item or size.
By filtering the orders that have accumulated in the buffer by size and / or nomenclature, the planner drags the orders onto the Gantt chart, thereby determining the order of the orders.
At the time of the tug, MES automatically calculates the lead time. Upon completion of the formation of the sequence, the scheduler can manually place orders or use the auto-compaction function, while orders will be placed as tightly as possible, but taking into account the calendar of working hours.
At the third stage of planning, a material requirement is formed to cover planned orders with materials. If the material requirement contains semi-finished products of its own production, then production orders will be created for them. From the material requirement, a purchase order is formed, which I mentioned above.
Upon completion of planning, orders are transferred to execution status, work plans and shift appointments are generated. Documents can be printed and handed out to employees, but it is better to use a work terminal!
Workplace of the employee
For the employee provides the most simplified interface. The employee is invited to enter his personnel number and select a work center. Not difficult for an employee of any age.
Next, the terminal will prompt the employee to proceed with the next task according to the plan. All that is required of the employee is to press the button “accept the task”.
In this way, MES will link the shift, employee, order and product for accounting and create a production registration record.
From this moment, the account of the released products will begin. SCADA reads the readings from the product account sensors at the given workplace and updates the value in the registration record. At the same moment, the system forms and prints a label for personal product identification, which indicates the name of the employee, date and order number.
Upon reaching the planned amount, the system itself will offer the employee to accept the next task and close the completed one.
Workplace of the master
The wizard sees a list of all registration records and, after checking the work performed, accepts the registration records.
At the same time, the released products are transferred to the warehouse, and the materials are written off into production, and invoices are automatically generated.
Thus, as a first approximation, all the goals set by the leadership are achieved. So we are on the right path, comrades!
Already at this stage it is clearly visible on what basis each unit of output is produced. And immediately from the side of the Customer, a counteraction group appears. There are a number of reasonable comments on why the plant should not use a mechanism for personal product identification. Firstly, the printer is chewing paper. Secondly, we have a corporate standard and we buy only such printers, and they all chew. Thirdly, in the line of this manufacturer there are no printers for use in the workshop, because we use an office printer in the workshop conditions and therefore we get both first and second. AND! The director decides not to use the tracking mechanism.
Well, turn off the module and continue on.
The following steps are required to fully achieve the goal:
- Over and over, detail the technology and start by dividing it into sections: the main production - press production parts, then in the main production highlight the welding line, highlight branding processes;
- Automate the hydrotesting business process and transfer to the reject elimination site;
- Create a software service and start maintaining a repair calendar and take into account repair costs.
We get down to business together. Fortunately, the workplace of the technologist has already been created, all the metrics are already there. The staff is trained, although they still do not understand what they are doing.
We single out the whole section of press equipment from the only operation “radiator release” into technology. The main products are brackets, which are used in the production of any product sizes.
Also, the site produces side and top radiator covers. These products already have a division by brand and size, therefore, should be tied to a specific order.
All these products have one common feature - they accumulate in the place of production and move manually to the place of use. those. these are components of our own production. Each of them has its own technology, which does not intersect with the “radiator release” - it does not have common jobs.
For each product we create a personal technology.
Now, when planning an order for a “radiator release”, MES at the stage of forming the material requirement will offer to create linked orders for the missing components automatically.
Yes, the planning engineer has increased work, now we need to calculate the production time for each order with sub-orders. Rather, MES will do this in a semi-automatic mode by itself, and the engineer only needs to check and correct if necessary.
But such a need arises. For example, if the cover and bracket are made on the same equipment. Orders for the system are equivalent and MES will mark a potential conflict in red and will suggest that the engineer himself move one of the orders with the mouse.
We showed enough that the workers themselves laid out a detailed description of the technology. The next step, the allocation of the welding process, is impossible without formalizing the business process of the rejection site. The plant is again not ready for a change in the business process. Cadres decide everything.
As a way forward, MES already has a mechanism for generating an order for the defect elimination section from the employee’s terminal and the workplace of the defect elimination section master, the workplace of the software engineer. It remains only to start working on a new business process.
Completion
We are completing our mission with trial operation of the system on a limited range. In the hands of the Customer was a powerful tool for transforming his enterprise into an Enterprise that meets the latest requirements of “Ahead of the Planet.” Whether the will and the administrative resource is enough to complete what has been started and to achieve ambitious goals has been set, time will tell.
The experience of this project shows that the technical implementation of the production management system is only half the battle.
The second half is no less difficult - to start working according to the new rules. Instead of the big blue “Do well” button, the company gets the need to make staff work in a new way.
The most difficult part in such projects is to change the current business process. People get used to “simple” paper circulation and “without notice” changes, and the new seems incomprehensible to them. MES allows deviations from the plan, but changes must be made to the system. If necessary, changes in the sequence of products - the change in the plan is recorded in MES. Workers in enterprises with MES work only through terminals. The master does not take word of execution reports, he personally checks the release counted by the machine and accepts employee records in MES. Unfortunately, when implementing it is far from always possible to maintain the existing team. People are very sensitive to the fact that they are being watched and even worse if they manage at every step. But the profit is at stake. And those who overcome the perseverance of the staff are “in the black.” The main thing is to keep your line and go to the goal. What we wish to our leaders!