Page 40 - MetalForming July 2013

ERP to the Cloud
This Plex production-reporting screen lets the operator see how many parts have been placed in a container, how many parts can be stamped from the
remaining coil of material and the num- ber of fasteners remaining in the bowl feeders. He also can use data from the system to look ahead and prepare for when the coil will run out, and the loca- tion within the plant of additional coils.
up the line. This all occurs automati- cally, and each step in the work flow has its own deadline for completion. This ensures the process moves quickly and efficiently through the system, rather than stalling in someone’s in-box for days or weeks. Any step that fails to occur on time triggers automatic e- mail alerts.”
The impact of automating work flow on E&E’s business has been significant. Purchase orders, for example, that used to take 10 days or more to complete now are finalized in 2 days or less, on average.
“We also plan to use the work-flow functionality to improve the APQP process. And, Plex includes an engi- neering-change rollout (ECR) system that uses work flow,” says Swanson. “Using e-mail notifications through- out the ECR process will enhance inter- nal communications, and we’ll soon expand the Plex implementation to include customer and supplier PPAPs.
“This Phase II of the implementa- tion,” continues Swanson, “also will include supplier portals into the sys- tem, with the ability to create corrective actions. Using the customer PPAP mod- ule in Plex Online will help us eliminate repetitive actions in the process. Rather than creating control plans and FMEAs (failure mode and effect analyses) out- side of the ERP system and entering them into the system for online checks, these documents will reside within the system from the beginning, central- ized for everyone to view.”
Plex on the Plant Floor
Walking the plant, we spied Plex ter- minals scattered throughout, where machine operators can check the sys- tem and immediately learn of all of the
jobs scheduled for the day. They also can see how much raw material and incoming subcomponents are required, and what’s available and where it’s stored. If required, the operators then can call material handlers to ensure they have the materials needed to com- plete their work.
“In the past, operators had no access to the real-time production schedules, only the paper-based routers received at the beginning of each shift,” says Swanson. “But sched- ules can change hourly, or more fre- quently in some cases. If they needed material for a new job, material han- dlers would scramble to find it and move it to the required work area. That often led to expedited shipping and made the customer-service rep’s (CSR) job more difficult.”
The enhanced material- and inven- tory-tracking capabilities and inte- grated labor reporting of Plex Online have, once again, made a significant and notable impact on the business. While E&E has grown by approximate- ly 20 percent in the last few years, it has been able to consolidate positions and redeploy employees, reducing indirect labor costs.
For their part, material handlers use scanners mounted to their hi-los for
access into Plex. This allows them to process inventory moves in real time, simply by scanning the serial numbers of any containers moved. They also can merge and split containers at the shipping docks when needed, and immediately update inventory records within Plex.
Emphasis on On-Time Changeovers
In production, E&E’s new ERP sys- tem has triggered an increase in man- ufacturing capacity, by helping to reduce job and tool changeover times. As a result, job start and end times have become more predictable.
“We set the ERP system up so that the standard changeover time for a given tool is finite,” says Swanson. “And, we have established a set of standard downtime reasons—setup, machine or tool maintenance, waiting for materials, etc. In production, then, if changeover time exceeds the stan- dard, Plex automatically switches the job from ‘setup’ to ‘excess setup,’ and the e-mails start to fly. Our operators have become more motivated to report setup issues, and the supervisors react more quickly and aggressively to ensure we get the right people addressing the issues as quickly as possible.” MF
38 MetalForming/July 2013
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