Best practices
The key information
The limits of ERPs, MES, and Excel files
The new solutions that foster communication
Conclusion
So what is the key information that absolutely must circulate to break down the silos between the different departments, and what means are available today to communicate it in real time to the right people?
Effective and relevant communication across the entire production chain is a considerable asset for an industrial group.
In a deskless environment, often extended, which includes a number of operational emergencies, communication makes it possible to coordinate and synchronize the different stages of the production process, notably by aligning production objectives and supply chain objectives.
Circulating and giving access to key information during the information routines (daily meeting, load-capacity meeting, S&OP meeting), and also outside them, also allows field stakeholders not only to identify but also to solve a good number of problems.
Whether they are problems of performance, load-capacity, quality, supply, or even safety, this makes it possible to take measures quickly to solve them.
As you will have understood, smooth communication of key information creates a virtuous circle within an industrial site, breaks down the silos between the field and management, and will have a positive impact on the indicators (lead time, service level...).
Yet, effectively reporting the right information according to its criticality to the different levels of hierarchy at the right time proves to be quite complicated.
So what is the key information that absolutely must circulate to break down the silos between the different departments, and what means are available today to communicate it in real time to the right people?
Here is a non-exhaustive list of the information that the different stakeholders of a production chain should be able to easily access in order to move toward optimal flow management as well as toward a continuous-improvement process.
Information concerning production and its pace
Production objectives: Depending on multiple factors, the objectives may evolve; each stakeholder must be able to access them to be aware of them.
Production: The total number of units produced during a given period. The benchmark data, the basis.
The evolution of the load-capacity: Having a view of this evolution allows, among other things, the workshop managers to ensure follow-up and to motivate the operators.
Production priorities : The operators must have a very clear view of the queues and priorities.
Information concerning, first and foremost, supervisors and production managers
The machine availability rate : The percentage of time during which the machines are available for production relative to the total time available. The machine availability rate makes it possible to measure the efficiency of the production equipment.
Raw material stocks: In order to assess the ability to respond to demand.
Unforeseen events / incidents: Being able to quickly report a machine breakdown or an absence at a work center makes it possible to assess the impact on production and to quickly adjust the plan accordingly, especially if these unforeseen events impact the bottleneck workstations.
Information concerning, first and foremost, logistics and supply chain managers
The most delayed parts: In order to prioritize the parts to be processed at each workstation.
Raw material supply : To manage replenishment needs.
Finished-product stock levels : A key element to communicate to smooth out production flows. The operators must be able to ensure that the finished products are available in sufficient quantity and on time.
Information concerning customer satisfaction
The service level : This rate corresponds to the percentage of customer orders satisfied within the allotted time.
The lead time : This indicator facilitates the calculation of production times that impact logistics and sales management.
Information concerning quality standards and other related information
The scrap rate : The percentage of defective or non-compliant products relative to the total number of units produced. The scrap rate makes it possible to measure production quality.
Customer feedback : Reporting negative feedback from dissatisfied customers about a particular product will have an impact on improving the quality of the product in question to meet customer requirements.
Information relating to the company
Press articles, awards, trade shows, new customers, results, seminars, events, etc. : This information is also important because it fosters the sense of belonging and the engagement of employees and must therefore not be neglected.
For most industrial groups, obtaining, managing, and disseminating this information is carried out via an MES or an ERP as well as via several Excel files. But despite the advantages these tools possess, it must be acknowledged that they have limits.
The ERP makes it possible above all to centralize a company's data and processes in a single system. It connects the company's different departments and functions, so that information is shared and processes are optimized.
However, despite the advantages the ERP offers, we nevertheless note several limits to this tool, such as:
Its complexity: Often very complex, it requires considerable training and expertise to be used effectively. This can lead to additional costs and difficulties for companies.
Its lack of accessibility: Not all the company's stakeholders, in particular field stakeholders, can access it easily and on a daily basis.
Its lack of adaptability: ERPs are often designed to meet standardized needs and may not be suited to a company's specific needs. This can lead to inefficient processes and additional costs to customize the system.
Its maintenance and update difficulties: Regular maintenance and updates are necessary to remain effective and compliant with the standards in force, which can lead to additional costs and service interruptions.
MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) connect and monitor production systems and complex data flows at the workshop level. Their objective is to guarantee the effective execution of production operations and to improve output. But they also have limits, often similar to those of ERPs, and also present the following limits:
Functional limitations : They also have functional limits. For example, they may not be able to manage very complex production processes or to adapt quickly to changes in production.
Reliability: MES systems can be subject to technical failures or human errors. The data produced by the systems must be reliable and accurate to be useful.
Regarding Excel files, the limits include the complexity due to the size of the files, but also the impossibility of updating them automatically, as well as the margin of error that manual processing causes. For more details, you can consult this article.
So what solutions exist today on the market to overcome the limits of ERPs and Excel files?
Fortunately, for a few years now, there have been several solutions on the market to take over from Excel files and to offer what a classic ERP does not provide.
Often available as SaaS, these solutions plug into the ERP to optimize the transmission and real-time updating of information at industrial sites (in addition to the other features they have).
Oplit, for example, is a SaaS solution that makes it possible to display clear production priorities, directly on the field via screens, tablets, etc. This tool brings visibility into the pulse of a production site (volume vs. objective, the most delayed orders, shortage risks, work-in-progress level) and creates a common language between the production teams and the supply chain teams.
All the stakeholders of the production chain, from management to the field, can thus track several indicators via a complete and intuitive dashboard, communicate a production plan to the field, and track its proper progress in real time.
The operators can view the queues and the associated priorities at a workstation at any time, communicate the problems encountered, and anticipate the next actions.
The workshop managers can track progress against the production plan's objectives, and the sales administrators will be able to communicate a reliable delivery date to each customer by relying on the estimated work-order completion date calculated by the solution.
Fabriq, also available as SaaS, is a workshop-management solution that makes it possible to capture, store, and share, between the different levels of a company, the information escalated during daily rituals.
Finally, another solution such as Juno will digitalize an operational system, at scale, to capture field data and will make it possible to analyze it in order to continuously adapt a system.
These solutions do not replace an ERP, but they bring features accessible only via digital, and are essential to calmly steer a company toward an Industry 4.0.
If in the past communication relied on rigorous processes that included little or no digital, it inevitably could not be very effective in coping with variability.
There are today several solutions that will make it possible to anticipate and manage it more quickly by offering autonomy to each stakeholder of the production chain thanks to a real-time transmission of the most relevant information to each of them.
