AVEVA™ Manufacturing Execution System

An MES, short for Manufacturing Execution System, is an IT solution that facilitates the digital flow of production orders, communication and monitoring the progress of the production plan, and management and supervision over the equipment. The functionalities of the MES are specified in the ANSI\ISA-95 standard. 

Using the MES positively affects OEE and productivity. It helps improve product quality and ensure better equipment availability. Implementing the MES can also contribute to reducing production costs. 

The key functionalities of the MES include: 

• managing the flow of production orders, 
• modeling production processes and bills of materials (BOM), 
• tracking work in progress (WIP) and providing traceability, 
• supporting quality control processes, 
• monitoring equipment performance and status. 

Additionally, the MES should be easily integrable with other IT systems and provide an open data source for preparing reports and analyses. 

The MES offers a variety of integration possibilities. The most commonly recommended option is the use of an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB), which organizes and secures the continuity of communication in key channels, such as retrieving orders from the ERP and posting production or fetching the schedule from the APS and reporting back on plan execution progress. Other integration examples include setting up tasks in the CMMS for maintenance departments after a workstation failure is detected, or reporting component demands in the WMS. 

The revolutionary Model Driven MES approach involves a shift in mindset. Unlike the traditional approach, where organizational processes are tailored to fit the system’s operations, with MDM, processes within the organization are first studied and modeled. Subsequently, MES functions are implemented precisely in those areas and moments where they are required by the process. In this way, MDM promotes a company’s best practices and experiences, rather than enforcing a one–fits–all solution. The Business Process Modeling (BPM) utilized in this approach allows for versioning and modifying established standards, facilitating their transfer to other areas.  

Just like any other project, the MES implementation project begins by defining the problems, needs, or challenges the system should address and to what extent. Only after establishing these matters can we begin the work with identifying key users, project stakeholders, taking inventory of existing machinery and systems, and specifying the requirements. At this stage, involving an external consultant can be beneficial. 

Starting the construction of the MES is best initiated by preparing a demonstration version, such as a Proof of Concept or Proof of Value. This involves implementing a version of the system limited in functionality or scope, showcasing that it will be capable of fulfilling the project’s main objectives. This phase serves as the business justification for the investment and results in the delivery of the Minimal Value Proposition (MVP). 

The cost of the MES varies based on many factors and can range from tens of thousands to several million PLN. Key factors determining the MES cost include the number of connected machines and automatic signals, user count, functional scope, licensing approach (perpetual or subscription), and hosting method (local, cloud, hybrid). 

A typical MES implementation project should outline the following cost components: 

• pre-implementation analysis service, 
• programming work related to system installation, configuration and customization, 

• integration with shopfloor equipment, 
• integration with other systems, such as ERP or APS, 
• costs, or at least hardware requirements, necessary for deployment (server environment, client terminals, and peripherals if needed), 
• MES licensing fees, 
• third-party licensing fees, e.g., database systems (or at least requirements for such), 

• scope of IT-related tasks for the ordering party, e.g., ERP system maintenance, 
• warranty costs and terms, 
• SLA and post-warranty costs (maintenance). 

When selecting an MES provider, it’s important to consider whether their proposed solution holds a strong market position, as well as the provider’s own reputation. You should verify whether they consistently release software updates, have a product development roadmap, and offer support services for patches and fixes. Additionally, it’s valuable to assess the availability of implementation partners for the chosen solution, so that you are not limited to collaborating with a single company, which could potentially jeopardize the system’s operational continuity. 

Product training for the AVEVA MES is divided into three main blocks related to the system’s functionalities: 

• perfromance management and monitoring, 
• production processes and operations modeling, 
• quality control and SPC. 

Additionally, the training program includes workshops on the AVEVA System Platform, which enables integration with shopfloor equipment, SCADA functions (including visualization), and the Enterprise Integration tool (data bus for communication with other business systems). These training sessions are conducted by certified AVEVA training centers worldwide. 

MES are used in all industries related to manufacturing, encompassing process, batch, and discrete manufacturing. 

ERP systems were designed to support high-level management of enterprise resources, primarily in the areas of inventory management, order management, and financial transactions. As a result, they operate with data aggregations over longer periods, often considering not only days but weeks, months, or even years. On the other hand, MES were developed to address the growing needs for operational management of manufacturing processes, leading to more detailed data and shorter timeframes, such as a day, a specific shift, or hours. Additionally, MES can provide real-time information for selected processes. 

Post-implementation support is divided into warranty and post-warranty (maintenance) phases. Irrespective of the period, post-implementation support involves handling Service Requests (SR), which include preparing patches and workarounds for reported errors, software version updates, system performance monitoring, and other issues to ensure continuous operation according to SLA provisions.  

Another stream of requests is Functional Requests (FR), aimed at introducing improvements, optimizations, configuration changes, adding new features or areas – in essence, expanding the system. Additionally, during Gemba walks in the facility, consultants assess system usage and gather feedback directly from users. 

Common areas of MES development include: 

• adding new functions not yet implemented, 
• expanding the system to new areas, such as previously undigitized departments, 
• integrating with external systems lacking communication channels. 

Naturally, these areas can occur in various combinations and scopes. 

Modern MES offer robust security mechanisms, beginning with standard protections derived from the database engine used. For AVEVA MES, this engine is Microsoft SQL Server, and its security is managed by Microsoft. AVEVA MES allows configuring user authentication processes using both an internal mechanism and Active Directory, which significantly simplifies the process of managing access and permissions from the IT department. What is more, AVEVA solutions provide encrypted communication through Archestra Identity Manager, facilitating data transfer between AVEVA systems.  

Recording the history of product creation, known as genealogy or traceability, is one of the MES functionalities as outlined in the ANSI-95 standard. However, it is important to note that not all MES offer a complete range of functionalities, and specific functions may require corresponding modules. 

AVEVA MES stores data in a standard Microsoft SQL database, which is accessible to users with appropriate permissions. This accessibility allows the MES database to be seamlessly connected as a data source to any BI solution and other tools, including Excel spreadsheets, Google Sheets, Minitab, or Statistica. 

The MES serves the purpose of managing production execution and monitoring the equipment. This functionality is achieved with Device Integration Platform (DIP), which acts as a middleware between the deterministic OT world housing the machines and automation systems, and the event-driven IT world where the MES operates.  AVEVA System Platform is an example of such a solution, offering native integration with both the MES and the execution devices and control systems. This setup provides a wide array of communication drivers available as standard. 

The MES serves as a valuable source of accurate manufacturing data for departments focused on Continuous Improvement, Lean, and SixSigma. These departments can leverage this data to identify sources and root causes of losses, plan corrective and optimization actions, and monitor progress. 

A typical MES provides information on various indicators, including Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and its components: performance, availability and quality. It also covers Mean Time to Repair (MTTR), Mean Time Before Failure (MTBF), and for quality modules, metrics such as % Out of Scope (OOS) determining the percentage of samples outside specifications, as well as Cp and Cpk (process capability). The MES’s openness to reporting allows for the calculation of additional KPIs that can be defined in custom reports using the rich data source provided by the MES. 

Tracking Work in Progress (WIP) is another function of the MES outlined in the ANSI/ISA-95 standard. However, an MES doesn’t always provide this functionality, or it may require specific modules. 

Quality modules within the MES enable the definition of in-line process control quality tests according to predefined patterns. These tests can be conducted cyclically based on production volume or in response to specific events. Each test specifies a set of measured characteristics (quantities) and corresponding limits for interpretation. 

SPC/SQC control cards are part of the MES’s quality module. The AVEVA MES includes a set of frequently utilized cards for numerical evaluations and alternative evaluations (non-compliance). This enables monitoring of both continuous and discrete processes. 

Operator instructions are an integral component of the MES. Depending on the chosen interface, these instructions can be presented in various formats, such as PDF files, presentations, videos, or CAD files.