The future on the shop floor has begun – digital and powered by an MES. The connection of AI tools, energy monitoring and the ERP offers further efficiency potential. We were able to demonstrate what these trends actually mean and how mid-sized companies can use the tools and systems for their own benefit at our Future Forum Shop Floor on September 18, 2024 in Wuppertal. The focus was on digital production management in the form of an MES system and its successful selection and implementation with great practical relevance.
Convincing: That's why you need an MES!
Alexander Harder, Head of the MES Business Unit at Böhme & Weihs, convincingly explained why companies need an MES. For this purpose, he went through a typical daily routine in production step by step. Without a production management system, many work steps involve a lot of effort. For example, data is often imprecise or not up-to-date, and gathering meaningful analytical data and documents needed for a meeting takes valuable time. Our guests' reactions showed: They are familiar with these efficiency blockers in their daily business. With a digital control center, the start of the morning looks quite different: The digital production cockpit delivers the required data with one click, live data is now available for detailed order planning, etc. By now it was clear: having no MES is more expensive than having an MES, because there are numerous saving potentials, from reduced planning effort to less setup effort and significantly less time spent on feedback and reporting to an increase in OEE. Our sample calculation resulted in an ROI of 0.5 years – an eye-opening result!
The 6 phases of implementation – personally accompanied
And the introduction? No problem, because our MES team accompanies every introduction and provides valuable tips for a successful implementation. This essentially consists of 6 phases: the kick-off, go-live, machine connection, employee training, the test phase and acceptance of the MES system as well as the productive operation – Böhme & Weihs is always by your side. The 2-day MES walk will lead to a good decision, creating transparency and thus a clear starting point, including our support during investment planning.
Lively discussions with knowledgeable guests
Our guests proved to be an expert audience, actively engaging and asking questions after the exciting presentations. This led to lively discussions about the right digitization strategy and the first steps towards the Manufacturing Execution System (MES).
Connected shop floor: AI tools and energy monitoring
Our guest speakers Gunnar Schug (Nemo) and Pascal Benoit (Enit) explained the possibilities of connecting digital production management with AI tools and carbon and energy management. As an AI specialist, Nemo primarily offers an intelligent data warehouse, supported by an open dialog to develop customer-oriented AI innovations. Analyzing huge amounts of data can provide deeper insights that shed light on error sources and further efficiency potential. Enit helps industrial companies to identify, understand and reduce emissions, consumption and costs and brings all energy data into the existing infrastructure. When MES and energy monitoring are connected, companies use up-to-date, real-time consumption data to make informed decisions and increase efficiency, identify the largest energy consumers, and create transparency about energy consumption per work step to further optimize the production process.
MES implementation: Now is the best time!
Our conclusion: We were able to open the doors to the MES for our manufacturing guests and explain how an MES lays the foundation for future-proof production, how it is implemented step-by-step and used efficiently, and why now is the best time to introduce an MES system.
MES – Your benefits at a glance
- Increased productivity through efficiency
- Full transparency & increased data availability
- Increased delivery reliability
- Reduction of down times
- Optimized utilization (machines & personnel)
- Reduction of expenses and costs
- Increased sustainability
Learn more about our MES.
Böhme & Weihs: The personal digitalization partner
The fact that Böhme & Weihs is also the ideal partner for all digitalization and networking in mid-sized companies was the subject of the opening presentation, with which our CEO Jörg von Ploetz welcomed the attendees. He introduced Böhme & Weihs as a driver of digital transformation by connecting the real world with the digital world and the various systems on the shop floor with the top floor (corporate management). On the shop floor, in addition to the MES, this is primarily the quality management that we have been controlling with our CAQ software CASQ-it since 1985, expanded to include the tools and systems of our partners within the Proalpha Group, of which we are a part of. This affiliation gives us, among other things, direct access to the top floor system ERP and to the tools and systems for AI and carbon and energy management mentioned above. This gives our customers the future-relevant assurance that, as part of the Proalpha Group, we will always be on the cutting edge, always be able to offer the latest technologies and integrate them into the existing IT infrastructure. Or to put it another way: With us you manage the shop floor – today and in the future!
Would you like to learn more?
We happily send you the handout of the presentations from the Future Forum Shop Floor. Contact us:
Alexander Harder
Email: harder@boehme-weihs.de
Phone: +49 202 38434-0
Or download our information material on MES in our media center.
