MES systems implementation projects bring a very tangible economic effect. Thus, a project at a Flender plant in Germany, where the MES system managed approximately one and a half hundred pieces of equipment based on heterogeneous CNC systems and was integrated with the SAP ERP system, paid for itself within a year, with an increase in equipment utilization reaching 5%.

At first glance, there should not be any serious problems when integrating IT systems to support the production process. Any modern numerical control system is built on the basis of an industrial computer equipped with a network card. Many enterprises have local computer networks that connect the workplaces of specialists from the level of production managers to the level of technologists and operators. It would seem that nothing prevents the integration of all services involved in the production circuit into a single information space. Why are full-fledged implementations of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems so rare in Russian enterprises today?

The problems that arise in enterprises when implementing MES systems can be divided into organizational and technical.

Organizational reasons

“The client is not mature.” Often an enterprise is not ready to implement an information system. This is manifested in many ways: organizational turmoil, lack of infrastructure and specialists, but the main thing is the lack of motivation among staff to develop and increase efficiency.

"The Three Nails Rule" An employee of the department of one of the universities spoke about this rule, which existed during the Soviet era. In the boss's office, three nails were hammered into the wall. A paper with the text of an order to carry out a particular order was hung on the first nail. If a reminder came, it was moved to the next nail. As you might guess, they performed only those tasks for which the reminder “reached” the third nail. This was about 20% of the tasks. In the context of the article, we will formulate the problem as the reluctance of staff to carry out management orders. The reasons for this may be different - from the lack of proper explanations from management to the reluctance to fulfill their immediate responsibilities.

“You will never have a project in this enterprise.” This is what we were told on the sidelines at one of the large Russian enterprises. It turned out that during the third shift the equipment was not used for production tasks at all. At this time, the machines were working, but they were producing products in the interests of the shop manager, who was engaged in commercial activities “to the left.” Of course, with the introduction of MES, such a situation could not arise in principle. Unfortunately, this example is not unique.

"For check". The reasons for launching MES implementation projects often have little to do with the need to manage the production process. Such projects often serve the interests of individual responsible persons, rather than the interests of production. An example is the recent implementation of MES at a large Russian enterprise. Sensors installed on the equipment made it possible to record hundreds of conditions. However, in this project, only two states were recorded for each piece of production equipment - “on” and “off”. It is clear that with such primitive measurements there is nothing to talk about production management. Of course, the implementation of MES was considered a success, and the subsidiary that launched the pilot project received an order to expand it.

Technical reasons

Inconsistency of software modules. Often the ability to integrate information systems declared by the vendor is imaginary and serious modification of the program code is necessary.

Expensive integration. It is quite possible that the cost of integrating a manual machine with an MES will be comparable to the cost of the machine itself.

Closed CNC systems. It is possible that the integration of MES with a CNC system is highly complex, information about which is either closed by the equipment manufacturer or lost and cannot be restored.

Equipment warranty. There are situations when everything is ready to implement a project, but the equipment manufacturer has prohibited making changes and installing additional software into the CNC system.

Lack of functionality. We are talking about the lack of an implemented solution for integrating MES with ERP and PLM systems.

Success Factors

Let us formulate the necessary conditions for the successful implementation of the MES implementation project.

First of all, analyze the need to implement an MES system in the enterprise and set a goal for implementation. The goal should have measurable criteria: increasing productivity, reducing costs, improving quality and reducing downtime. Determining the overall efficiency of equipment, optimizing production or implementing MES itself are good and useful ideas, but they must be backed by concrete numbers and profits.

Find allies - those who will help you implement the solution at all levels of production. The top manager and the workshop foreman are, to a certain extent, equally interested in the availability of operational information and the implementation of the production plan.

Define the scope of the project. For existing production, it is recommended to start with a pilot project of 10–12 machines. However, think about where you will receive production orders, process programs, tool data, etc. Keep in mind in advance the possibility of expanding the project from site scale to plant level, from transferring orders in Microsoft Excel format to receiving them from ERP. systems through integration.

Purchase and use completely unified equipment based on one or two control systems. Each system must be able to connect to a network based on a standard protocol. When purchasing new equipment, require the manufacturer to create electrical automation data blocks for subsequent automatic data collection, in addition, require electronic maintenance regulations, as well as tool management functions for subsequent collection of tool data in the MES. There may be other conditions required for network integration.

All of the above will significantly reduce project costs and allow you to quickly implement such important MES functions as condition monitoring and resource allocation, efficiency analysis, production process management, maintenance and repair management, etc.

Every commercial project must pay off and make a profit. Prepare in advance for management a case for the project and a return on investment (ROI) calculation.

Minimize risks - use standard products with proven processes. It is desirable to have reference projects both in Russia and abroad. The use of non-standard, untested solutions is doubtful from the point of view of achieving results and is fraught with loss of time in the future.

Use the implemented solution with a view to further integration between ERP, PLM and MES systems to create a complete IT infrastructure. What appears to be an attractive guide to the future now may become relevant tomorrow.

There are various motives for introducing information systems in production. Regardless of them, it is necessary to be aware that the MES system will be an effective tool for increasing labor productivity and reducing costs only if the goals and objectives of implementation and use are clear and supported at all levels of production. The obtained figures and data must be analyzed, organizational problems not only identified, but also solved, and, if necessary, escalated. Remember: success is in your hands.

Arkady Dilman, project manager at Siemens; [email protected]

29.11.2013, Fri, 12:11, Moscow time

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We are engaged in production automation based on MES mainly in the interests of oil companies, electric power enterprises, mining and metallurgical industries. Here we are helped by strong partnerships with global manufacturers of MES platforms - OSIsoft and Wonderware Invensys. We have developed the highest level of expertise in oil refining and petrochemicals. We have been implementing MES in this sector since 2009, with some of our experts working in the industry for over 20 years. Therefore, we can “boast” of a well-thought-out methodological approach and solid implementation experience: the systems we have created operate at several large oil refineries with a total refining capacity of more than 22 million tons per year.

CNews: Tell us more about projects in this area. What business problems are solved by MES deployment?

Anton Sushkevich: Our team implemented one of the largest projects on the market at the Bashneft oil refinery. First, the MES solution was launched at one of the customer’s main processing plants, and then successfully replicated to other enterprises.

At the first stage, our specialists conducted a detailed examination of the refinery’s technological facilities and flows, then created a mathematical model of production and implemented it in an information system based on the PI Systems OSIsoft platform. The information system is integrated with the entire complex of automated process control systems of the refinery, and the transfer of planned data from SAP ERP is configured. Process control system data enters the database in real time, and the interested services are provided with operational information for the reporting day (with accumulation for the reporting month, if necessary) about how the production process is going: how the installations are loaded, what is the output of petroleum products, what are the quality indicators of petroleum products . Today, the implementation of MES continues - the development of an information system is underway, which has already become an integral part of production management.

The result is obvious. Firstly, all technical and economic services of the refinery receive reliable and structured data on all production processes in real time. The model underlying the system provides a single source of information about current processes. All levels of users - from plant operators and engineering and metrological service employees to the chief technologist, chief mechanic and chief dispatcher - work with the same data. This greatly simplified and accelerated the interaction between all services of the plant.

Secondly, refinery management has received a powerful analytical tool, thanks to which managers quickly receive production data online and see the implementation of assigned tasks.

In addition, the use of MES allows you to create an information base for statistical analysis and forecasting, as well as training of production personnel. This part is not related to direct operational management, but is very important for building and optimizing production processes.

CNews: Are there any special requirements for the customer’s infrastructure? What are the factors for successful implementation?

Anton Sushkevich: The quality of MES work directly depends on the level of equipment of installations, machines and other equipment with automation equipment, a fleet of control and measuring equipment, etc. It is important to use modern sensors and devices. Unfortunately, many Russian enterprises have controllers that are 30 years old. This not only complicates the implementation of MES, but often calls it into question. In such cases, it is more important to install new automation than to create a top-level system.

There are special wishes for the work of the team of the contractor and the customer. It is important that the customer is interested in the final result and provides high-quality data for conducting surveys. Practice shows: the more the customer’s employees are involved in the implementation process, the higher the degree of satisfaction with the result. The other party should also not do the project “for itself”; the integrator should be extremely attentive to his client at all stages. In the project for Bashneft, the joint team worked well together: despite the scale, the implementation was carried out efficiently and on time. The system continues to develop under the supervision of both parties.

CNews: Can continuous production automation projects be called typical?

Anton Sushkevich: I have already noted the uniqueness of each specific production and the need for personal modification and configuration of systems. Using the example of the oil industry, we can say that after successful implementation at one of the plants, the customer decides to replicate the positive experience at similar enterprises and focuses on copying the already implemented functionality. In most cases, the same software and hardware platform and the same implementation team are chosen as the basis.

CNews: How much does it cost to implement MES-level systems and what factors does the price depend on?

Anton Sushkevich: The cost of creating an MES, like most IT projects, consists of the cost of software, hardware and implementation services. The cost of the software depends on the amount of functionality and the number of integrated sources. The final price of an MES solution varies from several hundred thousand dollars for basic functionality to several million for a unique, full-featured solution.

The MES system is demanding on hardware resources, but the share of hardware costs in the total costs is insignificant. Ideally, the software can be hosted on virtual servers in the company’s own data centers. And many large enterprises usually already have such resources.

CNews: How can you evaluate the profitability of projects to deploy MES systems?

Anton Sushkevich: A direct consequence of the implementation of MES is the accurate implementation of the current production plan, compliance with product quality requirements, minimization of defects, unscheduled equipment shutdowns, and reduction of energy costs. Everyone understands perfectly well that even a slight improvement in these parameters directly affects the financial performance of the enterprise as a whole. It is also important that MES provides statistics, the analysis of which helps companies reduce the risk of equipment failures, which in one way or another lead to economic losses.

According to generalized data from the international association of manufacturers and users of MES, the effective load of equipment when using such systems increases by 30-60%, the reduction in energy costs approaches 40%, and the payback period reaches 6 months. Of course, it is quite difficult to assess all the positive effects for each specific case in advance, but we can say that it is MES systems that directly affect the economic performance of production.

CNews: What, in your opinion, are the prospects for the development of this area in Russia?

Anton Sushkevich: Certainly the most cheerful ones. These systems have already become widespread in continuous production - oil and gas production, oil refining, petrochemicals. Oil companies at most of their refineries have already completed the implementation of the basic MES functionality and are now moving on to creating analytical applications and tools for optimizing production processes. According to our forecasts, in the coming years, solutions for balancing material and energy balances, as well as for improving technological processes, will be in demand in the industry.

MES solutions are in demand in the mining industry, metallurgy, metalworking, and mechanical engineering, but there are still few projects. Enterprises in these industries, for the most part, need to install modern automation equipment, increase the degree of intelligence and controllability of technological processes. However, there are also a lot of limiting factors: a reduction in investment programs due to the slowdown in global economic growth and increased competition from imports. But without relying on production efficiency, it is impossible to maintain market share and profit growth, so I think that in the near future MES systems will take their place in the IT landscape of any enterprise.

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The pilot project for the implementation of an operational production management system, specially developed by Siemens AG for discrete production, has approached the main working stage with the delivery of the prototype at OJSC Proton-PM, one of the largest enterprises in the rocket and space industry of the Russian Federation.

The MES implementation department of SITEK LLC (SITEK Group), which is a certified Siemens Competence Center in the field of production management systems in mechanical engineering, and the Russian enterprise Proton-PM OJSC implemented the next stage of the project, completing the development of a successful system on December 23, 2010 passing a test case on the MCIS (Motion Control Information System) prototype. The project is aimed at improving the efficiency of production process management, ensuring dispatch and transparency of production through continuous automatic monitoring of the condition of technological equipment and production in general, productivity analysis, maintenance management and parts processing technology. As part of the creation of a unified MCIS information system, three modules will be introduced at Proton-PM (Perm Motors): MDA (collection of data on the state of equipment and production), DNC (administration of CNC programs and data), TPM (equipment maintenance management). The demonstration model of the information system included an MCIS server and equipment simulating the Customer’s real equipment, operating under the control of SIMATIC industrial controllers and Sinumerik 840D numerical control systems from Siemens.

The start of work on the project became possible thanks to the announced tender for the implementation of a pilot project of the MES system, which was won in 2010 by the industrial holding SITEK, which began work on the implementation of MCIS. The holding's MES and APS systems department specialists have successful experience working on large projects both in Russia and in the CIS countries. An agreement was concluded for the implementation of a pilot project to create an information system based on MCIS in one of the production workshops of the enterprise. As part of the contract, a pre-design inspection of all metalworking equipment equipped with Sinumerik 840D CNC systems, purchased by the enterprise since 2007 as part of the “Program of technical re-equipment of production”, initiated by the General Director of Proton-PM Igor Aleksandrovich Arbuzov, was carried out.

“The aerospace industry is of great political and economic importance; it determines the industrial potential and prestige of the state. Making effective management decisions in modern production requires a complex interaction of financial, economic and production components. One of the most important areas of development of Proton-PM today is the construction of an ERP-class information system, improvement of the enterprise management system, which ensures prompt solutions to the entire range of problems. We hope that the MCIS system integrated by SITEK will successfully help solve these problems,” commented Vitaly Anatolyevich Semenov, Deputy General Director for Development and Information Technologies. ─ “Currently, all preparatory work has been carried out, the functional layout has been accepted. The next step, within the framework of the agreement, provides for the deployment of the system directly on the equipment, which will be completed in the near future.”

“In accordance with the terms of reference, it was necessary to monitor the current operation of the equipment and generate a number of analytical reports, control the implementation of equipment maintenance and monitor compliance with the processing parameters. In accordance with the listed requirements, the MDA, DNC, TPM modules are being implemented at this stage. Plans for the future include expanding the functionality of the system, scaling it and implementing communication with the SAP R3 ERP system being implemented, noted Dmitry Valerievich Shchenyatsky, chief engineer of Proton-PM.

Over the past years, Russia has held half of the global launch services market. As of August 1, 2010, 9 launches of launch vehicles produced by GKNPTs im. M.V. Khrunichev." These are 7 launches of Proton launch vehicles, as a result of which 9 spacecraft were launched into orbit: 5 spacecraft Intelsat-16, Echostar-14, AMC-4R (SES-1), Arabsat-16 5B" (BADR-5), "Echostar-15" in the interests of a foreign customer; 3 Glonass spacecraft in the interests of deploying the satellite constellation of the same name; 1 spacecraft in the interests of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation; 1 launch of the Rokot launch vehicle, as a result of which the Japanese Servis-2 spacecraft was launched into orbit; 1 launch of the Cosmos-3M launch vehicle, as a result of which a spacecraft was launched into orbit in the interests of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

Reliability in everything

According to Alexey Egorov, head of the research and development team of the Proton - Perm Motors enterprise, where, along with propulsion systems for Proton launch vehicles, parts and components of RD-191 rocket engines are produced for the new family of Angara launch vehicles and gas turbine components Ural power plants, the crisis was a catalyst for the modernization of internal business processes.

The events of the end of 2008 laid the foundation for two large-scale projects at the Proton - Perm Motors enterprise: the implementation of a set of SAP ERP and SAP ERP HCM solutions, designed for the next three years, as well as the MCIS MES system from Siemens.

Insufficient regulation of business processes, a subsystem of operational production planning and production progress accounting that does not correspond to strategic plans, and the lack of a unified platform for existing automated information systems led management to the decision to implement a unified information system. The MES system implementation project is aimed at increasing the efficiency of production process management, ensuring dispatch and production transparency. The implementation of MES and ERP systems required the active involvement of consultants. “Considerable time is spent on understanding the business logic embedded in the ERP system, and the involvement of consultants significantly speeds up the process. When implementing an MES system, we also have to rely heavily on the experience of our partners from the SITEK company. Unfortunately, industry enterprises are not yet mature for MES systems, and there is little real experience in implementing such systems on the market,” explains the implementation features Egorov's projects.

The integration of these systems will allow the enterprise to increase the efficiency of management decisions through the interaction of financial, economic and production components. But these projects are considered not only as a way to optimize the management system, aimed at ensuring financial stability, but also as a way to increase the reliability of the company, as an opportunity to obtain an effective tool for doing business in a globalized economy. (© CIO.RU: “Mechanical engineering has not yet come out out of the crisis”, M. Polyakova, “Director of Information Service”, No. 03, 2011).

Implementation of Zenith SPPS MES system in various manufacturing industries

Sergey Vysochin, Yuri Smirnov, Andrey Boyar-Sozonovich

The versatility of the core, a customizable and ergonomic user interface, flexibility and openness are important conditions for the successful implementation and use of modern information systems. These requirements, often voiced by users, are also relevant for operational dispatch control systems, which include Zenith SPPS. This system can be adapted for various industries and business processes - from instrument making and mechanical engineering to printing and the food industry.
In this article we present several examples of successful implementation of the Zenith SPPS system at a number of enterprises in various sectors of the economy.

Production of cable and wire products (using the example of Alur LLC, Velikie Luki)

Features of the cable and wire products market are a wide range of manufactured products and a large number of their characteristics, which can be measured in various units, such as the weight of the product, its length in linear meters, cross-sectional area and number of conductors, test voltage, electrical insulation resistance, etc. .d. The production of cables and wires is characterized by partial process continuity, a relatively small number of technological operations, and the use of various planning methods (both for warehouse and to order).

The cable plant Alur LLC has been operating in the market of cable manufacturers since April 1996 and is considered a dynamically developing enterprise (Fig. 1). Today the plant produces more than 300 different brands of cables and wires: power cables, control cables, household wires, installation wires, connecting wires and cords. The products of Alur LLC comply with Russian and international quality standards; the company has a quality management system certified for compliance with the requirements of GOST R ISO 9001 - 2008 (ISO 9001 - 2008).

During the development of the enterprise, its management realized the need to automate operational planning and dispatch control at the stage of direct production of products. To solve this problem, the company considered purchasing one of the few executive production systems, or MES systems, available on the domestic market. The main goals of introducing the system at the enterprise were to increase the degree of transparency of production processes and create conditions for completing the optimal possible number of orders on time.

Considering the interest shown by employees of structural divisions and the management of Alur LLC in the Zenith SPPS system, employees of the company that developed the Soff Trade system went to the enterprise to present the product and inspect the enterprise. During the business trip, the main wishes were identified and possible implementation bottlenecks were identified.

For example, it was found that the range of products manufactured at the enterprise is very standard, the technological chains are practically unchanged, and orders differ only in the nomenclature and quantity of products. In this regard, there was great interest in the Zenith TECH technological preparation module, which allows you to create order templates with a set of standard products and technical processes, and during everyday use of the system, create new order files based on the templates, making the necessary adjustments (usually small ones). It turned out to be important for Alur LLC that the use of Zenith TECH allows you to start working with the system immediately after training end users, without any additional adaptation settings of the system.

It is also important that Zenith SPPS uses generally accepted technologies for accessing information and exchanging data (Fig. 2).

As a result, the company's management decided to purchase the Zenith SPPS system for further use.

The process of transferring the working version of the system to the specialists of Alur LLC took several days. To acquire skills in working with the system, the technologists and dispatcher had enough information available in the accompanying documentation; no special training was required. After the preparatory work associated with entering data about areas, workplaces, types of work, production standards, etc., the first trial planning of a real production order was carried out with a planning horizon of two weeks. Overall the result was positive: Zenith SPPS could be used for production planning as is.

During further operation of the system, it turned out that the main problem in planning was the need to indicate the start of some operations before the complete completion of previous ones. This need arose when some of the products had already been processed and needed to be transferred to the next operation to minimize equipment downtime. At that time, Zenith SPPS did not have such an option, and each subsequent operation could only be started after the previous one had been completed. In practice, the enterprise had operations that were only partially dependent on each other and could be performed on different equipment simultaneously. Only a higher level operation required the complete completion of all previous operations.

The initially proposed option of cloning operations turned out to be not very convenient, since the production of one product had to be split into two or even three products, and this despite the fact that a typical order consists of an average of 150 items, each of which has from three to seven reprocessing steps.

The developers of Zenith SPPS took this circumstance into account in the next version of their system. Subsequently, the enterprise purchased an update to version 2.1, where the set of possible dependencies between operations was significantly expanded (Fig. 3). There is now support for the “finish-start” and “start-start” dependencies most commonly used in production at all stages of operational planning and dispatch control. In addition, a wide list of additional conditions was proposed: the start of the operation with a delay or advance, on a certain day of the week, not earlier than a fixed date, etc. (Fig. 4).

Consequently, as a result of cooperation with ALUR LLC, Zenith SPPS made it possible to more simply and correctly model the following processes:

• initializing the continuation of processing of a part of the manufactured units until the completion of pre-processing of the entire batch;
• delay in the start of the operation for technological reasons (for example, drying or cooling of the semi-finished product is necessary before performing the operation);
• modeling of periodic (cyclically repeated after a certain period of time) operations.

This function allowed the enterprise to most accurately and correctly model the technological process and calculate the schedule, and also proved useful to other enterprises.

Printing industry (using the example of Imaging Print LLC, Moscow)

Most enterprises in the printing industry have fairly fully automated the accounting of incoming orders, warehouses, and accounting departments. Currently, due to growing competition in the printing services market, many companies in this industry are beginning to think about competent production automation.

The main features of the average printing production include:

• wide range of products;
• presence of a large number of different orders;
• many workstations from which orders can be entered;
• the need for accurate production planning in order to inform customers about the availability of orders (given the fact that many orders can be quite urgent);
• dependence of the launch of orders into production on the simultaneous availability of several types of components critical for order fulfillment;
• interchangeability of equipment;
• the presence of different operating modes of equipment.

In general, during the initial survey of the enterprise and modeling of the pilot project, the Zenith SPPS system was able to solve the main tasks set by the enterprise management. Subsequently, during trial operation of the system, a number of bottlenecks were identified, the elimination of which was successfully carried out by the specialists of the Soff Trade company.

For example, the issue of launching a production order subject to the availability of all materials was resolved using one of the innovative features of Zenith SPPS - unlimited jobs. The fact is that starting from version 2.0 in Zenith SPPS it is possible to plan operations without forming a queue for execution at individual workstations (the technological sequence of product manufacturing is preserved). In other words, at such workplaces it is possible to simultaneously perform an unlimited number of unrelated operations (Fig. 5).

These unlimited workplaces can be assigned to operations that do not require labor and expensive equipment, such as drying, tempering, storage, etc. But the main purpose of unlimited workplaces is to simulate cooperation work. In this case, the cooperation partner can be represented as one unlimited workplace or as several workplaces, at least one of which is unlimited.

In the case of Imaging Print LLC, operations for the receipt and purchase of raw materials, materials or components, both for the enterprise as a whole and for a specific order, were assigned several virtual unlimited jobs. Subsequent technological operations of processing and assembly were linked to these operations. The model proposed by Imagency Print made it possible to make serious optimization changes to the Zenith SPPS source code, as a result of which it became possible to simulate the simultaneous execution of hundreds of operations on one unlimited workstation.

Currently, the company is transitioning from pilot to industrial operation of the Zenith SPPS version 2.1 system.

Food industry (using the example of the enterprise ZAO NP Confil)

The main difficulty in using operational dispatch control systems at food industry enterprises is the large share of continuous production in the technological cycle, as well as strict requirements for accounting for raw materials and product quality control.

In this regard, successful implementation of an MES solution is only possible in conjunction with an ERP system (or similar in function), since any MES system primarily carries out planning and accounting based on the “time” parameter.

JSC NP Confil has taken the path of increasing the capacity of the existing accounting and control system through integration with third-party systems. The company uses a proprietary data management system based on Microsoft SQL Server.

The main activity of the enterprise is the production of confectionery products: candies, chocolate, caramel, marmalade, marshmallows, waffles. The range of confectionery products produced includes almost a thousand items.

Since 1999, the following subsystems have been developed and implemented: accounting and tax accounting, finance, personnel, accounting of materials and finished products, warehouses, sales, marketing, planning, production cost accounting, transport accounting, accounting in the canteen and stores, office work. To improve work with customers, it is planned to automate the processes of managing relationships with customers and operational production management, taking into account received applications for assortment and timing.

The Zenith SPPS scheduling and supervisory control system was selected to automate the production site. After setting up and integrating with the Zenith accounting system, SPPS was put into trial operation.

Among the important issues that arose when implementing Zenith SPPS at a food plant was the possibility of installing periodic organizational downtime, for example for sanitary measures on equipment, which is especially important in such enterprises.

This problem is now being solved using the Intermittent Downtime add-on, which was originally created to support furniture manufacturing processes (Fig. 6).

Rice. 6. User interface of the “Periodic downtime” add-on

The add-in is used to quickly enter organizational (planned) downtime in cases where it is necessary to set a special work schedule for one or more workplaces. The add-on integrates with the main software module of the Zenith SPPS automated system.

Working with the add-in begins by creating a new series of downtimes, for which you need to click the button Create a new series. After this, the series will appear in the downtime plan. Next, work stations are indicated for the series, the time interval within which downtime should be located, the duration of each downtime and the period of repetition of downtime. For the interval and repetition period of downtime, you can also specify how the duration is measured: astronomical (ordinary) time or working time of a production unit.

When you press the button Calculate downtime downtime corresponding to the parameters of the current series is calculated and added to the database. In this case, after pressing the button OK downtime is added to the production schedule and becomes visible on the workload graph (Fig. 7). If the series downtime calculation has not been made, then after pressing the button OK Only general information about a series of downtimes is stored. In this case, downtime is not added to the schedule and can be calculated later.

To summarize all that has been said, we note that the use of Zenith SPPS in various sectors of domestic industry is quite successful and justified. Timely and competent consideration of the requirements of different enterprises contributes to the development of the integration qualities of the system, which undoubtedly enhances the economic effect of its use.

The growing relevance of the issues of managing production processes and quality, dispatching and optimizing production routes is evidenced by the fact that members of the CIO metallurgy club decided to devote their third meeting to the problems of production automation at the MES level. Vivid speeches by CIOs of metallurgical enterprises force us to draw a bleak conclusion: the trends in this market are strongly reminiscent of the situation that we already had 10 years ago with ERP systems. The round table was organized with the participation of the Optima-Integrator company.

Round table participants:

Round table presenter - Konstantin Zimin.

Where to shoot?

Intelligent Enterprise: It seems to me that first of all we need to talk about where, in the words of Igor Sukovatin, to “shoot.” The functionality of MES, at least according to MESA's definition, is very broad: the MESA association identifies 11 main functions of MES-class systems. But you can’t do everything at once; it’s obvious that some tasks must take priority over others. What pressing operational management challenges are your businesses facing?

Lyubov Perepelitsyna
Although specific tasks may vary, production problems must be looked at holistically. Of course, for the management of the enterprise, solving some problems is a higher priority. However, it is necessary to consistently engage in comprehensive documentation and formalization of the production process. And when an MES project begins, it is necessary to consider the production processes of a particular workshop as a whole. Yes, it is impossible to solve all the problems at the same time, but we must at least see all the potential areas of application of the production management system being built.

Moreover, we need to think about this already at the stage of production inspection. Only a survey carried out at the proper methodological level makes it possible to understand not only where to “shoot”, but also, in some way, how and when to do it. The question of where to “shoot” is to identify problem areas in production and its management system as a result of the survey. Unfortunately, today we mostly “shoot” where management tells us. By and large, he correctly points out - based on his experience, knowledge of business processes, ability to see and accumulate problems. But still, the answer to this question should be given by a survey; it should become the basis for justifying approaches and methods for solving a particular problem and at the same time provide a comprehensive vision of the entire set of issues relating to the feasibility of building an MES system.

MES and ERP

The functionality of MES and ERP systems partially duplicates each other. For example, personnel management, quality management, production assets and maintenance management exist in both. Is this due to a real need or the marketing aspirations of software manufacturers? Which tasks are more logical to solve in an MES, and which in an ERP system?

Lyubov Perepelitsyna
Indeed, the MES system is built this way because it meets the requirements of a particular enterprise. This functionality, in principle, is logically integrated into shop-level solutions. At the shop level, it is necessary to understand how personnel are distributed and what quality characteristics of the process depend on each individual employee. However, in my opinion, the applicability of a particular system depends on whether the MES is centralized for the entire enterprise. If it is centralized, then its use for personnel management is logical. If not, and the enterprise has different MES in different production facilities, then it is pointless. Because the enterprise needs centralized systems for personnel management, management of fixed assets and funds. And then the centralized solution must be integrated with MES.

Yuri Sarapulov
Please note that the absence of MES-level solutions in the enterprise greatly affects the functionality of the ERP system. If your ERP system is integrated with a dozen workshop systems, this is one case, but if not, then you will have to do quality management and even traceability in the ERP system. There is nothing else. And ERP system providers shamelessly take advantage of this.

Lyubov Perepelitsyna
Another sign of the separation of MES and ERP systems is temporary. ERP is not a real-time system, which does not allow it to be optimally used for solving production management problems. This is a fundamental divide between MES and ERP systems.

Note that the growth of interest in MES depends on the requirements that management places on production information. Just five years ago, top-level managers didn't expect real-time data. Manufacturers existed separately - they had their own systems that controlled the units, and in order to control, they only needed data from the automated process control system. Today, new management requirements for production management have been formed, and as a result, funds are allocated for MES projects.

Organization of the MES implementation project

Let's now move on to organizing an MES implementation project. The practical recommendations that MESA provides are extensive and include several features. Firstly, quite a long time - the first four stages - is actually devoted to pre-project analysis and the development of clear project goals. And secondly, essentially two lists of advantages are formed and two presentations are made, for top management and production workers. How justified are such approaches?

Boris Slavin
It seems to me that the approaches to implementing MES projects are the same as in the case of ERP systems. This also applies to the need to determine the goals of the project and the gradation of key users of the system. If you are implementing an ERP system, then it is clear that the manager will have one interest, and the sales department will have a completely different one. In my opinion, MES should be implemented just like any other system, and there are no special features here.

Hillel Glazer
The fact that MESA pays a lot of attention to the pre-project stage is quite understandable and correct. It is clear that, speaking generally, without going into specifics, the implementation of a multifunctional MES allows you to have reliable, timely, relevant information about production. Of course, timely, objective and sufficiently complete information allows us to more purposefully and effectively solve production management problems, in particular improving product quality and reducing costs. But in each specific case, you definitely need to see if the game is worth the candle. Is MES needed for this production and at this stage, and if so, which one?

Experience suggests that you need to start with developing the concept of building an MES and process control system, covering all stages from pre-design inspection of production to operation. That is, start by understanding the problem as a whole. First of all, you need to understand what MES is, what we mean by it, since in the literature this concept is interpreted differently. Then - determine the goals and objectives of building an MES. Next, consistently at all stages of creating systems, consider approaches to creating functionality and supporting parts (software, hardware, information, organizational and legal support).

Take, for example, a pre-project survey. To carry it out, you need to decide what and how to examine. It is clear that the control object needs to be examined, but this can be done in different ways. Here you need to think about how to classify this object, according to what components, in order to ensure maximum formalization of the survey process without compromising its completeness and depth.

Having outlined approaches to obtaining an idea of ​​the control object through a certain decomposition, it is necessary to determine approaches to obtaining information about how the object is currently being managed. Here again a certain classification is necessary. Why do all this need to be done? In order to compare the results of a site survey and a control system survey, identify bottlenecks, comprehend the feasibility of a particular MES, select key problems of a particular production, outline the sequence of their solution and the possibility of using standard solutions.

This conceptual approach allows us to develop a standard survey methodology that can reduce its time without sacrificing completeness and quality. Without considering what should be reflected in the concept for the remaining stages of creating MES and process control systems, I only want to note the advisability of using GOSTs and RPDs for the design and implementation of information systems, such as, for example, process control systems. Developed in the USSR in the 80s of the last century, they, in my opinion, have largely not lost their relevance today. Of course, the concept should not include their texts, but should contain instructions at what stage, which GOSTs and to what extent must be adhered to.

The role and place of consultants

Then let's talk about the role of consultants in MES projects. What is it and is it possible to involve them in speeding up various stages of work, for example, pre-project surveys?

Dmitry Glushich
In almost every project, we first conduct a technical audit, the task of which is precisely to examine the object and describe its current condition. External examination allows you to speed up the work somewhat. But there are also a number of problems here. Firstly, customers are not very willing to do this: “What, exactly, are we paying for? For you to walk around the plant and write something there?” Secondly, the assessment of the cost of this work from the customer’s point of view and from the contractor’s point of view is very different. For the contractor, this work is extremely expensive; it requires a lot of time and the most qualified specialists with a comprehensive vision of the tasks. But for the customer it is not at all obvious whether this work will give a practical result, and he is not inclined to adequately evaluate it in terms of cost. However, we have experience increasing the pace of pre-project work. The most important thing is that the client and contractor work together on the project. In this case, a joint understanding of problems and a vision of solutions for both of them is formed much faster.

Hillel Glazer
Yes, it’s probably possible to somehow speed up the pre-design work. However, in my opinion, it makes sense to work with a contractor after the concept has been written, when the enterprise has understood for itself what and why it needs in terms of production management. In the absence of methodological materials and domestic experience in creating MES systems (there is only fragmentary one), it is the creation of a concept that allows us to both speed up the work and ensure its certain quality.

Yuri Sarapulov
Unfortunately, according to my observations, not only in the field of MES, but also in the IT market in general, there are a lot of, as I call them, “IT chatterboxes.” It seems to me that today’s market for ERP and MES systems is filled with such “talkers” - people who know and can do everything, but have never done anything. Consultants who have no experience in metallurgy come and begin to categorically offer universal solutions. This happens very often. But I think that this “chatterology” will soon end and in four to five years truly experienced specialists will appear.

Lyubov Perepelitsyna
In my opinion, we have already gone through this with ERP systems, everything was the same there. Consultants also need to gain experience, and, unfortunately, it accumulates not over months, but over years. And then, for MES, industry specifics are still very important. Moreover, even within the industry there are specific features - for example, pipe production. In addition, in recent years, universities have not paid enough attention to engineering specialties. As a result, the level of knowledge of specialists is very far from the practice of enterprises. This means that practical experience can only be gained in specific projects. And to gain this experience, a certain time must pass. I think that industry system integrators will gradually emerge that can be attracted to this kind of projects.

Natalia Sarapulova
From my point of view, the role of consultants is knowledge of the tools of the system being implemented. When a consultant comes and carries out standard business processes - sorry, I don’t need him. How can you implement the standard functionality of a specific system in a specific enterprise? It is possible, of course, but only to the detriment of the enterprise, since each is unique. But when a consultant tells you what capabilities the system has, how you can solve this or that problem with the help of this tool, this is a completely different matter. We have experience working with consultants who knew both the system and the facility in detail, and were always able to find a solution to the problems that arose in huge numbers during implementation. But, unfortunately, experience shows that there are only a few such consultants.

Therefore, in my opinion, only a consultant who knows the tool perfectly is in demand. Of course, he must know standard business processes, but the main thing is the tools and joint creativity with enterprise specialists.

Tool selection

What are the criteria for choosing a tool for implementing MES?

Hillel Glazer
Now the situation with the creation of MES is similar to what we had in our country with ERP systems about ten years ago, with the exception of one “but”. At that time, at least some ERP systems were already functioning at individual enterprises, which made it possible to understand how the tool works, not only by its description, but also by observing and assessing its functioning in specific conditions. When you see a tool in action, it is easier to evaluate its advantages and disadvantages. But as for MES, we do not have the opportunity to see the tool in operation, evaluate it, or “touch” it. We do not have any MES implemented at enterprises, with the exception of individual fragments. To see the practical implementation of MES systems in metallurgical and pipe production, we are offered to go to Brazil, Germany or Italy...

Natalia Sarapulova
In my opinion, examining a working system also does not answer all questions. Around 2002, we traveled to the Czech Republic to an enterprise where one system was successfully operating. They showed it to us, and I saw a half-rewritten standard product. All that we were shown were non-standard processes. It turns out that you can’t draw conclusions about a tool even after looking at a working system.

Secondly, I believe that in this case the tool is of secondary importance. Remember: some time ago, all metallurgists chose a tool with which they could automate accounting processes at the enterprise. Some went by implementing SAP R/3, others by implementing Oracle e-Business Suite. So what's the difference now?

Hillel Glazer
However, we need to make sure that it is the right tool. We need to know why it is poorly used, why it is necessary to add functionality and other things. This is simply necessary so as not to repeat the mistakes of others.

Effects of MES implementation

What are the expected effects of MES? According to MESA, the implementation of MES has the following effects:
productivity growth 5-20%; reduction in the total cost of raw material processing by 12-20%; reduction of defects 10-30%; reduction in the volume of work in progress by 30%; increased productivity of managers (before implementation, 80% of the time is spent collecting data, after - 20%); reduction of inventories 20-40%; increasing the accuracy of cost accounting by 15-30%; no waiting for material to arrive, increased awareness and introduction of paperless circulation - savings of 30-40%; increase in equipment utilization by 45%; reduction in maintenance and repair costs by 15-30%; reduction in downtime by 10-20%; increase in service life 10-30%; reduction in spare parts inventories by 15-20%.
According to AMR Research, changeover time is reduced by 35%, the duration of production preparation stages is reduced by 22%, and the amount of waste and defective products is also reduced by 22%. Do you agree with these estimates of the future effect? Do MESA's integrated assessments, based on global experience, apply to your situation? What effects do you expect from implementing MES?

Lyubov Perepelitsyna
I believe that similar quantitative effects are possible. This is confirmed by the experience of Igor Sukovatin at NTMK. Another thing is that everyone has different production and the results may vary. Especially in the pipe industry, where there are fewer redistributions, it is impossible to expect a 20% reduction in inventories in workshops and “unfinished materials.”

Yuri Sarapulov
In my opinion, the real effect is much less. I would divide the given numbers by ten. If, for example, a company came to us and offered to make an MES with their own money, and we would give them a certain percentage of the resulting effect (an honest approach), then, I assure you, the figures for the planned effect would be significantly less.

Boris Slavin
I wouldn't fetishize MESA information at all. The fact is that the members of this association primarily promote their decisions. They believe that the MES level is the core of the information system, and therefore the functions of ERP systems also fall into it. You also need to be calm when assessing the planned effects. I think many CIOs know that during the boom of ERP systems, integrators also cited huge figures for the effect of implementation. This type of marketing is understandable and should be taken calmly.
On the other hand, today's metallurgical market in Russia is developing very rapidly. And many plants have not yet reached 100% of their maximum capacity. There are serious reserves: we can and must use them effectively. And if we are now opening any projects in the field of MES, then we must take into account how to properly use the capacities and reserves that already exist. Whoever can do this will win, and the effect can be very high. But almost all metallurgical enterprises are now carrying out projects to modernize their equipment, and in two to four years many new production facilities will appear. And here it is advisable to immediately do so in order to optimally use the new capacities. Then we will move to the level of units, and not tens of percent, of the effect from solving MES-level problems. Therefore, I believe that we can talk about large percentages of efficiency, but taking into account the realities of today's market.

Dmitry Glushich
I agree: unfortunately, in most cases this is exactly the case. Issues of production management at the design stage of new production facilities are often simply not considered. Meanwhile, investments in IT infrastructure are also capital costs, which can reach 10% of the cost of design and construction (if you comprehensively take into account such issues as instrumentation and control systems, automated process control systems, ASODUE, ASKUE, MES, LIMS, ERP, etc.).

As for efficiency, I’ll give you an example. The company's management believes that production is operating at maximum capacity. However, our survey showed that shop managers artificially reduce productivity by 8-10% in order to have a reserve in case of an accident, and keep an abnormal supply of finished products so that accidents do not affect the plan. The production director tells me: “I have a dispatch report, which indicates that the furnace is operating at full capacity, and I reliably know from other sources that this furnace was idle on such and such a date and there was an accident.” And in the workshop report there is a figure showing that everything is fine. In such an enterprise, 10% productivity efficiency is an achievable value.

Boris Slavin
I note that in my opinion, it is easier to calculate the business case for MES projects than for other process automation systems, for example, for the implementation of an ERP system. In particular, if we are talking about pipe traceability and identification, then with insufficient automation in this area, there are often cases of “loss” of pipes in a warehouse. Of course, it is lying somewhere, and then we will find it and sell it, but the extra time while it was lying is money that was diverted from production. You can always make a feasibility study and understand what effect we will get from implementation. And this is the specificity of MES level tasks - as a rule, we can calculate the planned effect. For the implementation of ERP systems, calculating the feasibility study of the effect is complex and may not always be necessary. But at the MES level, we need to know what kind of return we will get from this project. This can and should be done.

Lyubov Perepelitsyna
I don’t entirely agree, it still depends on the specific project. For example, in the current project at the Vyksa Metallurgical Plant there are no quantitative estimates of the reduction in raw material reserves, because these problems are solved in another application. The MES project has only planning and management tasks, and we were not able to accurately calculate and evaluate the economic impact.

Hillel Glazer
In general, the given indicators of the effect of introducing MES are very controversial. But as far as savings due to improved quality and reduced costs are concerned, they seem quite real to me. Knowing the operating parameters of technological equipment and the parameters of the product at each stage of its production, you can meaningfully manage quality, specifically influencing processes and technology. Yes, it is difficult to quantify the effect a priori, but an approximate estimate is still possible. By increasing quality, we reduce costs by reducing defects and second-rate products. Direct cost reduction is associated with ensuring accurate and total accounting as a result of the implementation of MES and process control systems. For example, with the actual assessment of waste by equipping the production with certain weighing equipment, which makes it possible to obtain accurate data before and after heating the workpiece, i.e., accurately assess the amount of waste. And not theoretically, throwing on him, if I’m not mistaken, 3-5%. And the difference in percentage, relative to tons of products, is far from small.