Processing Talk, which covers the latest news for engineers in the process industries, recently addressed the topic of how an “Efficiency system improves factory operations.” More specifically, the publication detailed how a factory floor efficiency system was “helping to ensure smooth running” at a U.K. ice-cream plant. But indeed, a real-time data collection system that provides job tracking and factory floor control can “bring improved control, visibility and efficiency to key parts” of almost any factory.



“Overall plant control at the Gloucester site comes under the auspices of … [an] ERP system. An Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) and finite scheduling system that visually improves the sequencing of production (and raw materials) through a PC-based system completely interfaces with most ERP and MRP systems like the one in use at the ice-cream plant. Such a system uses a drop and drag electronic board and an unlimited set of scheduling rules to afford shop floor managers greater control.

The Processing Talk article went on to point out, “Although efficient when correctly implemented, it is widely accepted that ERP systems suffer from what are termed as ‘unaccountable losses,' typically emanating from discrepancies in raw material usage and wastage.” That's where a lean paperless manufacturing execution system can pick up the pieces. In particular, it can “counter these shortcomings by continually updating systems such as SAP with live data from critical control points on the factory floor.”

A partnership with a SAP Integrator can ensure floor managers that the efficiency system they've selected will provide them with the results they're seeking. The factory floor capabilities afforded them through a touch–screen-based, intuitive factory floor system leads to an overall seamless operation. Such a lean manufacturing execution system extends the capabilities of SAP for control and monitoring of activities on the factory floor. Full integration with SAP further delivers the ability to communicate effectively with increased floor visibility and a minimum of implementation costs. Just as SAP turns supply chain activity into real-time business information, a shop floor system turns factory activity into actionable management information. Its open-systems design delivers real-time information to individual work centers, supervisors and management.

Some of the benefits shop floor management will realize from a product with full SAP integration include:

• Improved visibility into production, work orders and jobs that are currently on the floor

• Real-time management alerts to user-defined problems, such as poor efficiency, too much scrap or non-conformance to quality requirements

• Work scheduling capabilities (e.g., job sequencing by using finite sequencing logic to line up work in all work centers based on finite capacity and user-defined rules)

• Highly accurate shop floor accounting with no operator data entry

• Better visibility and labor tracking

• Document and communication control, including paperless messaging on the shop floor and access to critical documents such as CAD drawings, set-up instructions and video clips

An efficiency system has given the ice-cream plant “an environment where [it] now [has] total control, total reportability, less mistakes and one where every action is logged.” A real-time data collection system utilizing touch screen capabilities can do the same for most factory floors.