Manufacturing Planning

28 Feb 2017

Manufacturing Planning, Manufacturing Scheduling Diames 0 comment

How to Optimize Your Production Scheduling System

The main goal of any company should be to have the quickest and most efficient manufacturing process. This not only means every machine has to be running efficiently, but the technology and systems in place must be top notch as well. Optimizing your production scheduling systems is one of the clearest ways to create a more efficient process. Some systems will use a scheduling system based on the best production conditions, but those conditions rarely occur. However, unexpected obstacles always occur on the production floor, so optimizing production scheduling can create a more efficient workflow.

Advanced Production Scheduling

Manufacturing execution systems (MES) with an Advanced Production Scheduling (APS) function combine to make a smoother production process. From a production planning and scheduling standpoint, the APS looks at what’s going on currently and does short-term planning based on those facts and figures. Since it looks at real-time data, you can make adjustments accordingly. Production managers also can feel confident making scheduling decisions since the data is provided under any and all shop floor conditions.

Automated Systems Are Critical

Companies who still use manual scheduling are way behind in the game. Not only does manual scheduling leave the door open for human error, but it also makes workflow less efficient. Automated production scheduling takes care of all the nuances of scheduling, which frees up more resources and increases productivity.

The best thing about automated systems is they can be installed at any and all stages of the manufacturing process. It’s important to have automated scheduling from the planning stage all the way through the end product. This leads to quicker turnaround times and an overall better product.

Impact of Automated Scheduling on Business Operations

Having automated production planning and scheduling systems help companies produce products in higher volumes, limit downtime, improve response time to unexpected issues, raise price margins and generate more profit overall. A bump in the scheduling process can often send the whole day off the rails. However, when you have an automated scheduling system in place, any issues can be addressed and corrected almost instantly to the point where you don’t even notice a dip in production.

Optimizing your production scheduling system is a necessity for your company to remain efficient. The great thing is automated scheduling can run with the current systems and setups you have in place. For more information about optimizing scheduling systems for your company specifically, be sure to contact us.

21 Feb 2017

Diames manufacturing operations management

Manufacturing Planning, MES Applications, Production & Operations Management Diames 0 comment

Leveraging Manufacturing Operations with Automation

Some companies still operate under the assumption that automating a single machine on the production line will create higher productivity and better ROI. However, large companies ultimately don’t benefit at all if they have multiple machines at the plant, but only choose to automate one of them. When it comes to manufacturing operations management today, automating the entire system and processes is critical to having better productivity and efficiency. The good news is there are applications available to improve the entire complex immediately, without changing the existing infrastructure.

Automated Solutions Lower Costs

Automating your existing infrastructure by incorporating MES applications can provide an immediate impact to costs. Simply put, having a reliable automation system will reduce errors on the production line. With the help of MES applications, the root of a potential problem can be identified and corrected immediately. A human worker would still likely be able to identify an issue, but it would take longer to diagnose and pinpoint the issue’s origin.

In manufacturing, time is money. The longer it takes to produce something, the more money is lost. If there is any sort of downtime, money is going down the drain every minute. Automating the entire production process will eliminate downtime and keep everything running efficiently, which will lower the overall production cost and increase profits.

Improves Productivity

One of the challenges of manufacturing planning is trying to anticipate the unexpected. Machines could be damaged and have to be shut down for a certain amount of time, or there could be a variety of other issues influencing planning and inventory. When you incorporate MES applications into your processes, productivity and efficiency will increase to the point where managers can make better business decisions. There are still no guarantees, but the increased productivity with fewer errors makes it easier to plan.

MES Creates Efficient Workflow

The best thing about MES applications is companies don’t have to alter their infrastructure to incorporate them. A business can immediately become more efficient in their processes and manufacturing by incorporating manufacturing execution systems. From the planning stage all the way to packaging the products for shipment, MES can make companies more efficient every step of the way.

Companies always look for ways to become more efficient. Automating your machines can help you leverage manufacturing operations and put your company ahead of the game. Be sure to contact us to learn more about how automation can improve your business immediately.

21 Nov 2016

Manufacturing Planning, MES Applications Diames 0 comment

How a Manufacturing Execution System Supports a Sustainable Increase in Shop Floor Productivity

All manufacturing companies permanently need to increase productivity and efficiency. Most of the time, this is not as easy as flipping a switch. With a state of the art Manufacturing Execution System (MES) application, your company sustainably increases efficiency and productivity within a short time. An MES provides managers, supervisors and workcenter operators with real-time production activity information wherever they are. It allows you to proactively manage manufacturing processes and immediately prevent non-required down- and wait-time. An MES provides many additional functions and features besides increasing productivity and efficiency. For example, it also provides proactive quality management and optimized maintenance and repair organization.

Improve All Stages of the Supply Chain

One of the main benefits of an MES is the strict execution of an ERP and optimized production schedule. An MES immediately recognizes business-critical deviations between the plan and the execution and automatically alerts those responsible. One part of the supply chain around the manufacturing processes may be slacking, but the reason could be from another area. An MES application provides an on-line real-time data view about the whole supply chain and enables the differentiation between symptoms and the effective cause.

When such information is collected at every stage and location of the supply chain, it’s easier to determine where immediate alterations need to be made in order to boost the overall productivity. The DIAMES Manufacturing Execution Manager (MEM) and the Shop Floor Manager (SFM) applications are such tools that enable users to look at the entire plant on one screen at their own workspace. It’s applications in context with many others provides the opportunity to drill down to the cause of a problem from the department to the single workcenter or operator level.

Reduce Costs and Waste

One of the key efforts for efficiency optimization with MES is to reduce waste in time/material and also the cost itself. Without an MES application, a company may not be able to identify the cause of any waste until the damage has effectively happened.

With the DIAMES-MEM and -SFM, users can easily tell where issues are occurring and work diligently to correct the problem immediately. The DIAMES real-time data feature is a critical component to this application and is a significant factor in maintaining cost-saving efforts.

Quickly Identify Problems

When plant managers have a full view of the entire manufacturing process for a particular product, it’s easy to identify where a problem is occurring. Sometimes it may be a technical issue with machinery or just a human error. An MES will immediately alert users of potential backlogs or production errors before major problems occur.

Nothing slows productivity more than a malfunctioning machine. An entire day or more of manufacturing planning could be wasted if the proper MES solutions aren’t integrated within the systems of a company.

The DIAMES-MEM and -SFM support several companies for an immediate sustainable increase of shop floor productivity. These applications are the front-end tools of DIAMES and therefore, also the complementary extension of an existing ERP.

Once you commit to use a state of the art MES platform, you’ll be able to improve and sustain your shop floor productivity and efficiency.

Contact us for more information on DIAMES Manufacturing Execution System and how it can increase your shop floor productivity.