Manufacturing operations management (MOM) has evolved considerably, and now encompasses a broad collection of what were once individually targeted applications to solve very specific manufacturing problems. Today, the trend is toward larger integrated suites of application functionality.
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These suites come in the form of extensions to enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms, as well as part of comprehensive MOM software and manufacturing execution system (MES) platforms. Even with this evolution, the names and acronyms describing each application still exist, which can make staring at a page of today’s MOM applications feel a little like getting lost in a bowl of alphabet soup.
Making sense of the MOM application landscape
For those who are new to the MOM space, this broad range of acronyms can be daunting. To help with this, LNS has created a list of definitions you’re likely to come across. They are grouped with the associated processes in level three of the infographic in figure 1.
Figure 1:here
• APC—Advanced process control provides closed-loop control in process industries to optimize for multiple variables like energy, material cost, and pricing.
• BoM—Bill of materials coordinates the components needed to manufacture a finished product.
• EMI—Enterprise manufacturing intelligence enables the aggregation, analysis, and delivery of real-time, actionable intelligence for production performance.
• EWI—Electronic work instructions deliver product, quality, and engineering specifications to manufacturing.
• HACCP—Hazard analysis and critical control points create an action plan for ensuring products are always in compliance without having to conduct 100-percent finished product testing.
• IEM—Industrial energy management connects the procurement, use, and analysis of energy with production performance.
• LIMS—Laboratory information management systems coordinate the activities of laboratory personnel and connect testing and sampling data with finished product data.
• MES—Manufacturing execution systems deliver critical shop-floor scheduling and shop-floor traceability capabilities.
• MRP—Manufacturing resource planning coordinates the needed assets, inventory, and human capital required to fulfill production forecasts.
• OEE—Overall equipment effectiveness is a composite metric measuring the availability, efficiency, and quality of production assets.
• OI—Operations intelligence is similar to EMI in that it enables the aggregation, analysis, and delivery of real-time, actionable intelligence for production performance, but OI can be extended to include other real-time areas of the value chain such as supply chain or service.
• OTS—Operator training simulators prepare control-room professionals to quickly and effectively deal with dangerous situations in controlled environments.
• RCM—Reliability-centered maintenance moves an organization toward becoming more predictable and collaborative rather than reactive and break/fix.
• RFID—Radio frequency identification allows for traceability at the finished product level.
• SPC—Statistical process control tools are used to gather data, and monitor and analyze variations in processes so that problem solving techniques can be devised.
• SQC—Statistical quality control is a specific-use case of SPC for quality performance.
• TIS—Tank inventory systems monitor the amount of ingredients in silos and other vessels, and manage the flow from one batch process to the next.
• WMS—Warehouse management systems control the receipt, location, and flow of materials in and out of inventory.
Although this isn’t an exhaustive list, it covers the majority of popular MOM applications that are currently available and in use today. The LNS Research Manufacturing Operations Management Best Practices Guide provides additional step-by-step details on how MOM, when combined with properly aligned business and manufacturing processes, can help your company improve its manufacturing operations and better meet overall business goals.
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