EZ-MES: Manufacturing Execution System Functions
Dispatching Production Units
According to
MESA International a Manufacturing Execution System
contains a number of functionalities. Dispatching Production Units is one of these
functionalities. This page will summarize the EZ-MES Dispatching Production Units,
and how they comply with the MESA definitions.
The Dispatch Function tells which actions on the production floor happen next. Beside
the production floor it provides information and action requests for different parts
of the Enterprise. It can manage supply by managing Inventory levels (for both RMI
and FGI)
Short list of features
The main EZ-MES Features for Dispatching Production Units are:
- Flexible product routing through configurable and revision controlled Flow Definitions
- Work Orders that can contain multiple Requested Items
- Requested Items can be used for creating Actions, Travelers and Purchase Orders
- Prioritization of travelers based on due dates and current situation in production
- Buffer management for potentially constrained resources
Feature Table
The following table shows the EZ-MES features with respect to Resource Allocation
and Status. This table can be used to navigate the online help pages that will explain
how the feature can be configured and how it can be used.
|
Feature |
Description |
Manual |
Config |
Use |
|
Work Orders |
Work Orders can be generated based on customer or internal requests. Each Work Order
consists of a list of Requested Items with individual due dates. Each requested
Item can be connected to a traveler or an action. |
More...
|
|
|
|
Traveler Configuration |
The sequence of steps on a traveler is defined by the Flow Definition. |
|
|
|
Original MESA Description for Resource Allocation and Status
Manages flow of production units in the form of jobs, orders, batches, lots, and
work orders. Dispatch information is presented in sequence in which the work needs
to be done and changes in real time as events occur on the factory floor. It has
the ability to alter prescribed schedule on the factory floor. Rework and salvage
processes are available, as well as the ability to control the amount of work inprocess
at any point withbuffer management.
MESA Examples of MES Characteristics
This part will take a couple of examples from the MESA White Paper #08: MESA's Next
Generation Collaborative MES Model. Based on these examples, the features of EZ-MES
will be checked.
Operator Information
Operators will have access to a list of tasks (Travelers and Actions). The tasks
will be prioritized based on the current situation on the factory floor, the user
rights of the operator.
- materials are pre-processed and ready
- tools and fixtures or vessels are ordered, reserved or manufacturedand are available
as needed
- program/recipes for equipment areprepared and released for execution