Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1483130
34 SMT007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2022 materials. ey must be "somewhere," maybe in discarded, part-used carriers, perhaps taken for test or inspection, or even allocated to another work order. Instead, consider recover- ing and re-working spoilage or even scrapped parts, find alternatives or substitutions. In the physical world, many of these actions become tiresome and expensive fool's errands, as there simply isn't time to do all these things without affecting operational or quality performance. In the end, a solution is not likely to be found. With MES-based digital transformation, all these actions are accelerated by the intrin- sic knowledge because they detail the precise location and status. is would obviously help, and in many cases the day could be saved, but this is hardly the very best practice that we can create with these tools. e above scenario, with a Smart MES in place, would never have happened. Knowledge of individual materials based on IDs allows automation of data collection related to pre- cise instances of consumption and spoilage of materials (whether from machines or human operations), logistics (which includes ware- house management), assignments to produc- tion stations, part-used material returns, test, and inspection. is is set into context with the production requirements, including the prod- uct data, allocations of work to production sta- tions, and the intended schedule. Any mate- rials shortage is then predicted, in most cases long before commitment is made to start the work order. is provides time to find alternate materials, including ordering replacements through the connected ERP, and becomes an event that is invisible to the operation itself, which is not disturbed. Accurate inventory data shared with ERP creates more opportu- nity to source materials so as not to constrain planned output for the customer, even where materials are in short supply. We now have our new, digital best practice. ese are just two examples where manual practices based unrealistically on optimized operations are replaced with digitally based best practices that address consequence of change. I was told recently that the modern, single-platform IIoT-based MES solution has around 60,000 functions, all of which are work- ing together to represent a mature ontology and enable such improvements and best prac- tices. Digital transformation, with the modern MES solution at the heart, contains a mature data model and ontology that enables the complete re-writing of existing best practices to deal with challenges driven by undesired changes, even before they become issues. is illustrates the key difference between compa- nies showing real-world business-enhancing solutions, as opposed to solutions that focus only on technologies. Don't hesitate to reach out to me with any such examples that you may have or seek to discuss. No one will ever be the final expert here, as we learn more, and see more changes, every day. SMT007 Michael Ford is the senior director of emerging industry strategy for Aegis Software. To read past columns, click here. In the physical world, many of these actions become tiresome and expensive fool's errands, as there simply isn't time to do all these things without affecting operational or quality performance.