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Manufacturing Management Systems for SMEs
A set of PC-based resource- and manufacturing-planning tools offer improvements in the flexibility and efficiency of small-scale manufacturing operations. The system's low-cost and ease of implementation make it particularly attractive for SMEs.
As markets become more and more demanding, companies need the flexibility to respond quickly and accurately to customers' requirements. This means that SMEs, as much as larger companies, need to organise and manage their shopfloor processes efficiently and flexibly. A set of PC tools has been developed under COMPRESS to support the management and operation of shopfloor processes. The ease with which the system can be implemented and interfaced with existing systems should make the technology attractive to SMEs. The software draws on a database of information covering materials, suppliers, processes etc. From this the user can schedule the production process according to requirements. It is also possible to generate different scenarios, and thus find the optimal schedule for a particular order. The user can thus respond more easily and quickly to changes in demand, and advise more accurately of delivery dates. The tools evaluate trends and provide a mechanism for continuously evaluating performance while recording suggestions for improvements.
COMPRESS technology offers manufacturing companies an opportunity to improve the operation of their production processes through the shopfloor. It allows the manufacturer to advise more accurately of delivery dates and respond more flexibly and efficiently to changes in demand. By continuously monitoring and analysing the work flow over time, COMPRESS provides a clearer understanding of the development of the business and supports the manufacturer's ability to remain competitive. While COMPRESS can interface with existing systems such as manufacturing resource planning (MRP) and manufacturing planning system (MPS), it runs on PCs. This should prove particularly interesting to SMEs, where cost is a major consideration in the implementation of new technology.
The COMPRESS toolset has been designed to support the management and operation of shopfloor processes from a PC platform, capable of interfacing with existing systems such as MRP and MPS. It comprises a database or Data Int tool where 
information on materials, suppliers, processes etc. is stored. Drawing data from the Data Int tool, the COMPRESS Interactive Scheduler allows the user to schedule the work flow according to particular needs. A Scenario Manager allows the user to generate different options and suggestions as to the optimum schedule given the details of the specific order. Two further tools, Trend Analysis and Continuous Learning, support the identification of problems over time and assist the decision-making process by suggesting possible solutions.
The COMPRESS tools are in place in two Irish SME sites and are used in conjunction with their live production planning systems. The tools extract data from these databases to do their off-line analysis. Current applications include forecasting and fault analysis.
tel +44-1932-226-516 -- fax +44-1932-232-449
e-mail sharron@kgcs.demon.co.uk
Graham Marshall Kewill Group Consultancy Services Woodside Park Chelford Road Congelton Cheshire CW12 2LY UKtel + 44-1260-280-601 -- fax +44-1260-270-295
e-mail graham@kgcsn.demon.co.uk
Research Area Integration in Manufacturing
Project COMPRESS
Related Results CIM-REFLEX; FLEXQUAR; SCOPES
Keywords production planning software;shopfloor data updating systems; simulation; SMEs;
| Project Participants |
|---|
| CIMRU IR |
| Kewill Group UK |
| Logstrup IR |
| Pirelli IT |
| Royal Tara IR |
| Universität Stuttgart DE |
| VTT |
home page | Results Zone | IT Solutions | Application Areas | Research Areas | Integration into Manufacturing The URL for this page is /esprit/src/results/res_area/iim/iim8.htm
This page was last updated on 22 November 1996, and is maintained by esprit@dg3.cec.be