Circuits Assembly - June 2008 - (Page 28)

Productivity Tools Manufacturing Steps Onto the Enterprise IT Stage Jason Spera Disparate software tool proliferation begs for an integrated solution. Ed.: For the complete article, visit circuitsassembly.com/cms/ content/view/6589. sk almost any worker in a manufacturing company what ERP system they use and the answer is instant – and limited. Perhaps they will say they use one vendor now and are moving to another soon, but that is about the extent of ambiguity across an enterprise when it comes to major business systems. Ask most OEMs what R&D software they use, and you will quickly hear one of the big three PLM software names, no matter who in the enterprise you ask. Now consider the following question: What software system do you use for manufacturing? Normally there is a pause to collect one’s thoughts followed by, “It depends on which site,” or often, “We use A for line control, B for optimization, C from our machine vendor for traceability, D for process planning and launch, X for paperless documentation, Y for test, and something IT built for quality information and reporting.” Or, from those who have accepted the issue as the problem it truly is: “We don’t use one system for manufacturing.” The concept of a single, comprehensive information solution collapses when one enters the manufacturing, quality and process engineering offices, and certainly the factory floor. Software product proliferation is rampant in electronics factories. Fortunately, as business leaders in manufacturing enterprises look for better “time-to-value,” quality and visibility to the operations that actually produce their value, a new 28 Circuits Assembly JUNE 2008 A focus is on manufacturing information technology. This focus has led to a new category of “enterprise level” software called manufacturing operations system (MOS) software. To explore the purpose and value of a MOS system is to consider first how it naturally emerged – as result of market needs and conditions. The value of consolidating software solutions was appreciated long ago on the manufacturing enterprise’s business side. This drove the scope of ERP into virtually every aspect of business and financial management operations. The past decade has seen massive investments in such systems by business leaders in all forms of manufacturing enterprises. Today, these companies would likely shudder at the thought of not having a single integrated solution for their business operations. The next evolution involved R&D. Once the financial and business operations were running more efficiently as result of ERP investments, business leaders turned their attention to time-to-market. Taking a product concept to a finished design affected competitiveness. Product lifecycle management (PLM) systems brought design, collaboration, version control and simulation under one massive software system. Millions of dollars were invested in these systems as well. Then came the final problem: Manufacturing enterprises, having invested hundreds of millions of dollars in ERP and PLM, began to consider why they continued to have key business issues. The business offices ran well. Financial reporting, customer management, accounting, sourcing, even HR were improved. R&D was turning out better designs faster and under better control. Information access was greatly improved. But despite all this, the enterprise was still too slow in ramping to a quality, full speed circuitsassembly.com http://circuitsassembly.com/cms/content/view/6589 http://circuitsassembly.com/cms/content/view/6589 http://circuitsassembly.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Circuits Assembly - June 2008

Circuits Assembly - June 2008 Contents Letters Caveat Lector Industry News Market Watch Talking Heads Screen Printing Better Manufacturing China Goes ‘Upmarket’ Out of the Garage Improving Production Line Performance Manufacturing Steps Onto the Enterprise IT Stage Measuring and Controlling Wave Height and Dwell Time Wave Soldering Tech Tips Test and Inspection Process Doctor Pb-Free Lessons Learned Getting Lean Eastern Advances Semicon West Product Preview Product Spotlight Ad Index Assembly Insider Technical Abstracts

Circuits Assembly - June 2008

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