Integrating with a manufacturing execution system

A manufacturing execution system (MES) is designed to help companies more effectively and efficiently execute manufacturing operations from the product order through each step of the manufacturing process to its final point of delivery. Equally important, an MES is a dynamic information system that is key to collaborative manufacturing strategies by providing mission-critical information about production activities to managers across an organization and its supply chain.

The integration between the definition process in product lifecycle management (PLM) and the control and execution process in an MES generates tremendous value for both processes. As part of the PLM process, the bills of process (BOPs) can be fully simulated in digital replications of the factory. These BOPs can be created, tuned, potentially optimized, validated, and then sent as a technical work package to an MES that automatically generates a work plan for the shopfloor. The MES also controls and monitors the execution of this work plan on the factory floor. Therefore, the interoperability between the MES and PLM is critical in closing the gap between simulation in the engineering environment and reality on the factory floor. As production ramps up, information collected by the MES is essential in adjusting the bills of process. This information is fed back to engineering to improve their knowledge of the actual BOPs needed to produce desired results. Continuous improvement initiatives can benefit from the collection of data when the MES is monitoring and reporting what actually occurred on the physical factory floor.

The Manufacturing Execution System Integration collects the bill of process, the bill of materials, and any relevant work instructions into a work package that is released to the MES. The operator can use this information to machine the desired product. If there is a problem with the data, the planner can modify the contents of the work package and release it again.