Page 16 - MetalForming April 2011

Software for Manufacturing
reliable data-collection systems such as barcode readers on wireless net- works, in concert with an ERP system, allows a company to make decisions quickly, based on real-time and accurate data.
Production Scheduling
Production scheduling can become
a real headache for companies trying to manage a dynamic process with a static tool. ERP software can compute all of the many variables affecting pro- duction scheduling, helping a metal- former answer these and other critical questions:
• When do I need to start producing a component to meet my deadline?
• What should the sequence be to meet production requirements today, this week or over the next several months?
ERP software not only helps opti- mize production and eliminate delays and nonproductive activity, it also allows a metalformer to run reports that help explain slow production periods. However, the real cost savings from employing an ERP system for scheduling compared to a manual process reliant on spread- sheets typically come thanks the decreased time required to not only schedule production but to adapt the pro- duction schedule on the fly to changing customer demands.
For example, at Ada Stampings, LLC, in Ada, OH, plant manager Gary Wicker explains how the company sought a competitive advantage through cost- effective production. “That’s what we got,” he says, “with a new ERP system that helped decrease our changeover times to accommodate smaller volumes. Our older system was purchased by accountants, and lacked a focus on manufacturing and shop-floor activities. Also, our new system includes a sched- uling and planning module to level equip- ment utilization by incorporating histor- ical order patterns.”
Newer nongeneric ERP systems such as those referenced by Wicker and Franklin offer features specifically designed for metalformers, including bar- coding functionality, wireless network- ing, EDI data transfer, integration with the toolroom, and scheduling engines. These advanced software algorithms accept the myriad of variables that impact production scheduling, right down to the strokes-per-minute capac- ity of a company’s equipment and the loss codes at each work cell. A metal- former can even integrate all of its tooling requirements in these newer, ver- tically designed and industry-specific ERP systems.
Information provided by Bruce Dunning, president, ShopEdge Software Inc., Kitch- ener, Ontario, Canada: 877/417-1212; www.shopedgesoftware.com
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MetalForming/April 2011
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