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46 SMT007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2023 made. Companies find it difficult to invest in manufacturing and have been quite happy in many cases to see the responsibility of such placed with a third party in a location on the other side of the planet. Not the greatest way to form the state of the art. A Modern Approach Composable manufacturing is a more mod- ern approach. Rather than fighting and resist- ing patterns of customer demand, compos- able manufacturing embraces them. Driven by digitalization, it hits the sweet spot between mass produc- tion and Lean cells. Compos- ability allows work to be freely assigned across capable produc- tion stations, exactly as needed, including high volumes, mixed lots, and even individual tai- lored products. Composable work instructions are derived directly from design data, fol- lowing composed user inter- face and machine program tem- plates. Based on a product-cen- tric data model, flexibility to choose the best production con- figuration can be done quickly and easily without engineering burden. Both operators and machines simply follow the indi- vidual set of tasks. During execution, traceabil- ity information is continually gathered, with confirmations of each completed step, ensur- ing that no mistakes or omissions are made. Traceability information, in the form of data collection from both manual and automated operations, brings visibility and control when composing the flow and distribution of work allocation, and materials on an internal just- in-time basis. Adaptive planning ensures that the entire hierarchy of manufacturing assem- blies and final products exactly meets shipping requirements without the need for a stock of excess finished goods and with an almost elim- inated risk of delivery delays. is is the core principle driving Industry 4.0, addressed pre- cisely and uniquely by composable manufac- turing. A factory based on composability can make any product efficiently, in any quantity and con- figuration, whenever it is needed. e potential effect on the business is significant. Sales and marketing are no longer compromised by the need to sell out excess stock of near obsolete products stuck in the distribution chain. Fac- tories can take advantage of competitor weak- nesses throughout the product lifecycle. Using new or updated technologies can be introduced far more rapidly. Composable manufac- turing enables locating man- ufacturing back to the target market, eliminating multiple hidden wastes in the distribu- tion chain. Composability is the natural choice for indus- tries that need to be close to their customers by eliminating distribution cost wastes and being both agile and efficient. e modern MES solution does not simply automate what is already there. It does not just gather data and leave the customer to decide how to use it. Modern MES drives the best new manufacturing prac- tices that meet the evolving customer demand patterns, and that emphasize quality, availabil- ity, value, and cost performance—in contrast to the environmentally challenging, cheapest, and discardable products. Composable man- ufacturing is for the factory of the current, as well as the factory of the future. SMT007 Michael Ford is the senior director of emerging industry strategy for Aegis Software. To read past columns, click here. Composable manufacturing is a more modern approach.