Due to regulations and requirements from retailers, the demands placed on the production of foodstuffs are increasing.
Of course, your organization will comply. Only at what cost? There is always a solution: extra forms, another new spreadsheet or perhaps a stand-alone control or registration system. But is it manageable?
How do you prevent that you do not get stuck with the next new requirement, that the information can be retrieved quickly if necessary, that your organization remains “lean” and the costs can remain low?
There comes a point where it is necessary to start looking at integrated IT solutions. An IT solution that has been used more and more successfully in recent years is the Manufacturing Execution System.
A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) enables information exchange between production (people and machines on the shop floor) and the office environment (ERP). Production orders, consumption, revenue, quality data and stock levels are monitored in real-time in this way and production processes are optimally controlled.
The Manufacturing Execution System is integrated with the machines (from valve to packaging machine) and stock locations (from tank to pallet location). The Manufacturing Execution System can set up and control machines based on production orders from the ERP.
All data created during production is then transferred to MES. Revenues and consumptions are sent back to the ERP. The operator has to perform fewer administrative tasks and can concentrate on making the production process run optimally.
The Manufacturing Execution System provides the operator with the right information at the right time in the right place.
The operator uses the latest version of a recipe or work instruction. The production floor will be “paperless”. By scanning and automatically adjusting machines and processes, errors are prevented and the changeover time is shorter. The percentage of “first time right” goes up and less time and product is lost.
Every production company works on “continuous improvement”. The improvement projects are often difficult because it takes a lot of time to unlock the correct data.
The Manufacturing Execution System provides a wealth of data on raw materials used, settings, equipment, times and process parameters. The Manufacturing Execution System makes this data available; so that improvement processes lead to results faster.
Manufacturing Executions Systems are based on best practice working methods; working methods laid down in international standards (eg ISA-88 and ISA-95) and which have proven their usefulness in practice.
Introducing the Manufacturing Execution System and adapting these best practices will contribute to the further professionalization of the production organization.
A MES application consists of different functional modules that are configured according to the needs at that moment.
Important functionalities in Manufacturing Execution Systems are:
Curious about what a MES can do for you?
Get in touch with Jos
To achieve the benefits of the Manufacturing Execution System, a number of conditions must be met:
The management is convinced that good IT systems are needed to further improve production processes. With a good Production ICT Strategy it is clear which systems are needed and how they must work together to optimally support the business processes. The order in which the systems will be implemented is laid down in a multi-year plan.
One of these systems is a Manufacturing Execution System. An essential condition for a successful implementation of the MES is that management has faith in the MES and directs the entire process, from orientation to implementation. The CEO and the CIO play the key role here.
A question that always comes up is: where is the demarcation with the ERP system and where is the demarcation with the operating systems and SCADA? When we look at the functionality of the Manufacturing Execution System, there are many ERP suppliers who say “we can do that too”.
When we talk to the controllers we hear “yes, but the process should not become dependent on the Manufacturing Execution System. We can solve that better in the control system.”
Both solutions offer possibilities, but sooner or later a limit is reached and we enter the area of “add-ons” and customization. Two years later, a definitive limit has been reached and the wishes of production can no longer be fulfilled.
Laying down a clear demarcation in advance that fits in with the chosen strategy is an essential condition for success.
In a production company that has been working on continuous improvement for a number of years, operators and support services are used to looking critically at their own processes and used to working in multidisciplinary teams.
They see the effects of change beyond the boundaries of their workplace. This is a good basis for the introduction of the Manufacturing Execution System.
For many companies, the Manufacturing Execution System is a new area. The Manufacturing Execution System affects many processes and departments, involves a large number of people, leads to changes and requires considerable investment and effort.
In order to go through the entire MES process effectively and efficiently and to achieve the objectives within time and budget, engaging the right experience and expertise is an important condition.
“Greywise plays an important role by providing Avebe with highly professional support, advice and project management, both in the design and rollout of the MES system”
Jan Spijkerman
Avebe
There are a large number of suppliers of Manufacturing Execution Systems specifically for the processes in the food industry. They differ in field of application, functional wealth, size, (growth) possibilities and price. The best solution will have to be reconsidered for every situation and for every company.
Certain suppliers provide software that can be widely used within the food industry. Others focus on specific sectors, for example the meat processing industry. We often see that these suppliers also supply process equipment for that industry.
For example, there are MES applications that only focus on packaging lines. Or on a specific aspect of a packaging line, such as OEE.
Certain MES applications focus on registering and tracking the flow of goods, while other MES applications focus more on quality assurance and registration.
These are Manufacturing Execution Systems that can be widely used in various industries, for example discrete production, process industry, semi-conductor or automotive. Certain System Integrators have developed a solution specifically for the food industry based on a generic package.
A number of suppliers have developed a Manufacturing Execution System specifically tailored to the needs of the food industry. These packages offer rich functionality and often cover the entire production process, from receipt to delivery.
There are also System Integrators who have been active in industrial automation (PLC and SCADA) for many years and who over time have built a number of custom solutions for their customers and reuse these solutions at other customers.
The applications in below are delivered in the Netherlands and have also been implemented several times under our guidance:
| Naam van de leverancier | Naam van het MES-pakket | Industrie | Referenties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MPDV | MES Hydra X | Food, Farma, Machinebouw, etc | Timmerije, Rena Casting, JAEGER Group, Grohe AG, Melitta, Duni, Playmobil en Phoenix-Contact | |
| GE Intelligent Platforms | Proficy MES | |||
| RBK Group | FOBIS MES | Food | Adri & Zoon, ENKCO, Royal Smilde, Zwanenberg, Maasland | |
| Objective | Objective MES | Milling, Pharma & Medical, Fruit & vegetables, Dairy, Plastics & Rubber, Sweets & Bakery, Chemical industry, Beverages, Animal nutrition, Metal Processing, Machine Construction, Wood & Furniture, Electro & Electrical Equipment, Automotive (spare) parts | Milcobel, Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods, Euroma, Duivelaar pompen, La Lorraine Bakery Group, De Paauw Brood & Banket | |
| Siemens | SIMATIC IT MES, Siemens MES | Food & Beverage, CPG & Retail, Automotive, Machinery, Electronics, Semiconductors, Aero & Defense, Medical Devices, Pharma & Cosmetics, Chemicals, Energy | ||
| Onprove | DPS / het DPS-systeem | Food & Beverages | Johma, Marne, Market Food Group, Cérélia | |
| Brighteye | Momentum MOM | Food & Beverages, Batch production, Discrete production | Unilever, Mydibel, Farm Frites, Verstegen, Poco Loco, Kim’s Chocolates, Ardo, Mulder, Teijin, Haaht, McCaim, Agristo, Puffin, Savencia Fromage & Dairy, Olom, Westmalle Trappist | |
| Hellebrekers | Visual Link Software MES | Food | ||
| Aveva (Voorheen Wonderware) | AVEVA MES | Food, Building Materials | ||
| Rockwell Automation | FactoryTalk | Food, Farma, Machinebouw, Building Equipement | ||
| Act-in | Act-in MES | |||
| Flexware Innovation | Flexware Innovation MES | Food | ||
| EQUANS | EQUANS MES | Food, Farma, Sustainable Energy, Commercial Real Estate | ||
| Inductive Automation | Sepasoft MES Modules for Ignition | Food, Electronic Solutions | ||
| iTAC Software | iTAC.MES.Suite | |||
| VKS Lite | VKS Lite | Alles | ||
| Ultimo | Ultimo’s Maintenance Management software | Manufacturing, Healthcare, Government & Infra, Logistics, Utilities | ||
| BlueStreak | Bluestreak’s MES | |||
| Lighthouse | Shopfloor-Online MES | Alles | ||
| Progmatic | IPS: Integrated Production System | |||
| Katana | Katana MES | |||
| Mapex | Mapex MES | |||
| Qualitas Informatica | NET@PRO | |||
| Aegis Industrial Software Corporation | FactoryLogix | |||
| Plex | Plex MES | Alles | ||
| Critical Manufacturing | Critical Manufacturing MES | Electronic, Farma | ||
| Parsec | TrakSYS | Alles | ||
| SAP | SAP Manufacturing Execution | |||
| Creonis | CSD MES | Food & Beverages, Pharma, Cosmetica | AB-InBev (29 Europese brouwerijen), Palm, MSD (Heist-op-den-Berg) | |
| Körber Pharma | Werum PAS-X MES | Farma, Biotech | ||
| Rockwell Automation | FactoryTalk® PharmaSuite | Life Sciences |
Listed below are a number of System Integrators that provide MES solutions for the food industry:
If you are missing an application or system integrator, please send us an email. We believe it is important to keep the list complete and up to date.
Curious which MES suits you best?
Please contact Jos and make use of his experience!
The success of the project largely depends on the right choice of MES applications and the system integrator. That is why the selection process must be carefully completed and at the same time efficient and effective.
The selection process of a Manufacturing Execution System goes through the steps that we find in every selection process:
That sounds simple, but it isn’t.
A large number of factors determine whether the right choice is made and whether the selection process is completed within time and budget.
We have a good overview of the MES applications that focus on the food industry. In most cases we know the company and the solution. Of course, a good fit with your wishes and requirements is a precondition.
We also look at whether the supplier and/or system integrator suits your company, the chosen Manufacturing Execution System strategy and the budget. References at comparable companies play an important role.
If the supplier and/or system integrator has a good insight into your wishes and requirements, he can also provide a good price indication and global planning. We can help you to formulate the specifications clearly. Which production and business processes must the system support, which interfaces must be realized, which technical requirements must be met, what do you expect to be delivered and what do you want to do yourself (such as testing, documenting, training), what planning do you have in mind, etc.?
We ensure that everything is well documented and that the answers from the suppliers are comparable in a good way.
If the supplier has a demo that is representative for your situation, you can get a good impression of what the system can do and what it can do for you. If that demo is not available, it is good to ask the supplier to build a demo based on a limited but representative subset of your requirements and wishes.
The focus should be on themes that are specific to your company. We can assess well what can be expected as standard functionality and what could be a challenge for the supplier.
A potential candidate emerges from the various offers. Then one or more reference visits can help to confirm the choice. The supplier can help you select companies that are comparable in size, product, market and complexity.
To get a good picture, it is important that the company also uses the modules that you need. Prepare well for the visit and state your expectations in advance.
Go with a representative group, have everyone put their findings on paper and organize a meeting where everyone can give their opinion and where a conclusion can be drawn.
It is important that management is involved during the selection process. Choices are made that can have a major impact on business operations and finances. The correct composition of the steering committee is very important. The team that carries out the selection ensures a fully transparent process and informs the steering group at the right times so that it can make adjustments where necessary.
The quote is usually split into three parts: the licenses, the services and support. Each supplier uses its own licensing model, which often makes comparison difficult. The supplier starts from his standard price list, but there are usually a number of reasons why that price can be lowered in your case. With regard to the services, it is necessary to take a good look at what is offered and what you should do yourself. What do you want or can do yourself and what do you expect from your supplier?
The more risks a supplier sees, the higher the price will be. This risk can be reduced by executing the project in phases. The first quote is based on a number of assumptions and risks and a price is quoted with a certain margin. Based on this, you can decide to work with the supplier to carry out a blueprint phase.
After this phase, there is more insight into the fit/gap with the desired functionality, any customization, the required services, and so on.
The supplier is now able to quote a more competitive price for the implementation. In some cases even a fixed price. If the chosen solution is disappointing or if a good relationship with the supplier is not established, you can still decide not to continue with this supplier.
In the blueprint phase you go through the wishes and requirements together with a consultant from the supplier and a representative part of the desired functionality is configured in the system. You already get a good idea of the system and what the package can do as standard.
You can decide to adjust your business process, so that it fits better with the standard functionality and customization can be avoided. At the end of this phase, the wishes and requirements are determined, the division of tasks between the parties is determined, the desired planning and approach are discussed and the last questions from the supplier are answered so that he can make a good quotation.
Carrying out the blueprint phase is a paid assignment. The results of the blueprint phase are your property.
We have a lot of experience in choosing the right MES supplier. We are happy to help you make the right choice.
The supplier has received the order for the construction of the system and that is where the project really begins. As with all IT projects, a number of steps must be followed:
However, a large number of factors are involved in Manufacturing Execution System projects. In many cases these are not sufficiently highlighted and included in the planning at the start of the project.
During the project, the surprises surface and the delay, overrun and frustration arise. A supplier is familiar with these factors, and will probably have named them, but often does not have the options to properly highlight them within the organization.
An experienced party that stands on the side of the customer and operates in close cooperation with management can often achieve this. The project runs more smoothly for both parties; the supplier can work efficiently and the goals set by the customer are achieved.
A large number of factors determine the success of the project:
In Manufacturing Execution System projects, the system is specified in three steps:
Greywise has drawn up user specifications for various projects. This has advantages for both the customer and the supplier. Greywise’s method is characterized by:
For the supplier this means that he can get to work faster and more effectively with the functional and technical specifications. It saves time and increases quality.
A Manufacturing Execution System always has a number of interfaces:
Greywise prepares the interface specification, both substantive and technical, and ensures coordination between the various parties during the construction, testing and implementation phase.
There is a risk that a supplier focuses (too much) on the “happy flow” because too little time was taken in the specification phase to map out the exceptional cases.
Now not all exceptions need to be included in the system, but there should be instructions on how operators should act. We take this into account in testing, documentation and training.
The system integrator provides “train-the-trainer” for a few days and then it is up to your organization to bring all future users up to the right level. It often turns out that the client cannot free up enough people with the right level and skills to do this.
We know the subject matter and know what the training must meet. We make the training program and can also provide the training. It is important that this knowledge is secured in your organization.
In addition to classroom training and training on the job, we also provide complete E-learning programs tailored to the needs of the customer. We provide the content that can be included in the customer’s E-learning environment and can also deliver a fully working E-learning environment.
The supplier expects the customer to test the system. For this, a test plan must be written and test scripts drawn up. In many cases, the customer does not have the expertise and the time to do this right. Because we have also drawn up the specifications together with the customer, we are also well able to write the tests that must show that the system meets these specifications.
We do this together with the future users (often operators) who perform the tests. The tests are performed in a test environment that approaches reality as closely as possible. We ensure that the system integrator also resolves the errors and imperfections.
The better tested, the fewer problems during the go-live. This prevents unplanned downtime and increases acceptance.
The user documentation must be practical. No bulky books, but clear instructions on an A4 sheet, which are easily accessible and tailored to the needs of the user. Where possible, we try to integrate the help function into the system. The users, often operators, are involved in drawing up the documentation.
The documentation is drawn up before the test and tested for practicality during the test. The use of the documentation is also part of the training.
After a thorough test of the system, there is little chance that something will go wrong during the start-up, jeopardizing production progress. But this situation must also be taken into account and it must be considered beforehand whether it is possible to go back to the old situation or to keep production going through workarounds.
It is very important that the MES system is not the cause of unplanned production downtime. Various factors play a role in this. One of these is the technical IT infrastructure, the servers and the network on which the application runs.
There are several options for setting up this infrastructure. Usually, the more reliable, the more expensive. It is important to make the right choices here.
A lot of energy is put into training the operators and good manuals are available. Still, operators will feel insecure for the first few days. If there is extra support, this contributes to more confidence, a steeper learning curve and better acceptance.
In case of problems, there is adequate support and operators can be guided in contact with the support department.
Primarily, of course, a good specification is important in which all requirements and wishes are included. Nevertheless, during the preparation and implementation, new insights will arise and new wishes will emerge.
Saying no to every question is impossible and saying yes to everything leads to delays and budget overruns.
Decision-making about this will have to be well organized and involvement of management is a must.
Especially in the first months after go-live, the Support department is regularly called upon. Then it is important that the support staff are well trained and have the correct query scripts. Often the support staff are involved in the start-up phase of the project so that they get to know the system, the processes, the organization and the people.
Our experience is that after go-live it takes too long before the Support department is at the right level. This leads to unnecessary production downtime and frustration among users.
The proper functioning of the MES depends on a large number of factors. The application must not stop unexpectedly, the various servers must function properly, the interfaces must work reliably and the network with routers and firewalls must be properly configured.
If a problem occurs somewhere, it is very important that this is detected in time and preferably automatically. It is possible to monitor the different parts for their proper functioning. The status can be displayed on a dashboard that is visible, for example, in the control room and at the support department.
A common problem is a stuttering interface. If the consumption and revenue no longer come through in the ERP system, the stock in the ERP system is no longer displayed correctly. This may not be noticed until hours later. If only then a start is made on solving the problem, this can lead to production stoppage.
The project manager of the system integrator will naturally strive to make the project a success.
He can’t do that alone.
This also requires a good project manager on the customer’s side, who keeps internal affairs on the right track:
In the first weeks after Go-Live, the operators were guided in the use of the system. The project team was then disbanded and they were dependent on the key users and the support department in the event of malfunctions.
In the course of time, various developments take place that ensure that more and more matters have to be arranged “outside the system”. People are very creative in developing workarounds.
Over time, the benefits that people wanted to achieve with the Manufacturing Execution System are diluted again and a new system is once again considered, even before the technical lifespan has been reached. Maintaining and improving the system is cheaper in the long run.
An annual scan is important to maintain the added value of the MES at the right level and to maximize the return on the investment. A large number of points are taken into account in this scan:
The scan can be performed by your own management organization. If this is not there or if there is a need for a fresh look from the outside, we can perform this scan in a limited time. The result is a clear overview of the improvement potential.
By default, MES contains more functions than necessary at the start of the project. There are also built-in functions for rare situations that are not properly exposed during training.
Then you often see that the users, usually out of ignorance, come up with their own solutions. Certain registrations are then again on paper or for a certain calculation we use a spreadsheet. That’s too bad.
If we had used the system properly, this would save time and reduce the risk of errors.
Over time, adjustments are made to the process. This can be installing a new tank, making an extra connection between two process parts, placing an extra printer on the packaging line, and so on.
With a new tank or extra connection, the control and the SCADA system are adapted, but the Manufacturing Execution System sometimes not, resulting in “gaps” in the Manufacturing Execution System in the registration and tracing.
This can work through to the ERP system. Here too, additional administrative actions are required by the operator and the risk of errors is greater.
An example: when converting a packaging machine, the settings from the Manufacturing Execution System are downloaded into the machine. During an overhaul, the packaging machine has been adjusted and there are now more options for setting the machine automatically.
Adding the new parameters in the Manufacturing Execution System and adjusting the interface was not part of the overhaul.
After the overhaul, operators had to manually enter certain settings on the packaging machine. Extra actions, longer changeover time and greater chance of errors.
The supplier of the Manufacturing Execution System regularly releases a new release. The new release often contains new functionality that has been developed on the basis of practical experience and specific customer questions.
It may well be that this new functionality is also of value to your process. Since you are entitled to the new release because you pay maintenance costs for it, it is worth looking into this carefully.
New users have not had the training given when the system was commissioned. They learn from their colleagues. They know the most common actions, but often not the exceptional cases. This can lead to incorrect input or even loss of production capacity. Training can be useful for this group.
We also often see that support departments, such as planning, inventory management and quality, are increasingly seeing the possibilities of the Manufacturing Execution System. Adapted training can also be useful for this group, so that they can make optimal use of the data present in the Manufacturing Execution System.
The Manufacturing Execution System contains more and more (historical) data of the process, such as material transactions, quality information, process details, down times and causes. This is valuable information for, for example, trend analysis and improvement projects.
In most cases, this information can be easily retrieved and made transparent with the included reporting software. Often the capabilities are not known to the users and data is retyped into spreadsheets or in the worst case not used at all.
Developing some new reports or providing training in the use of the reporting software contributes to the improvement of the processes.
At the end of the project, a contract has been agreed with the supplier in which it is stated what support the supplier offers. The aim of the support is to prevent or limit production downtime in the event of a (technical) problem in the Manufacturing Execution System.
Whether this is successful depends to a large extent on the support organization of the supplier. But also of the internal organization; the users respond in the right way, they already do the necessary analyzes themselves and they contact the support department on time.
It must be periodically evaluated whether the supplier has fulfilled its obligations and whether the users are following the agreed procedures correctly. If necessary, the contract with the supplier can be adjusted and users can receive refresher training.
Curious about what MES can do for your organization?
Please contact Jos and make use of his experience!
