SmartWIP Features

• Product Genealogy - The platform provides tools to track and trace the evolution of a product from raw material through all work stations within the production process. Minimally, the platform tracks product genealogy information, which is the ability to identify all processes performed on a part during manufacture.
  Using RFID within the traceability process the platform tracks very detailed process-related information, such as exactly when and where a specific part was assembled, which machine or device was used and which tool performed the operation. With this information, the system identifies real-time errors that have occurred during the manufacturing process: such as a product skipping a particular process within production. This level of traceability more precisely determines the root cause of defects.
  RFID additionally provides the ability to capture information about the process even within manufacturing tools such as reading the product when it is being washed in a chemical bath.
• Production Inventory - Accurate WIP inventory data can help reduce overall inventory, prevent process starvation and move work away from bottleneck resources.
  The platform captures data about every product that is processed by station and time. The availability of this information in real time determines production velocity including inventory available to the process and to the next process in the route.
  Accurate inventory date helps manufacturing make improvements in cost, quality, flexibility, and speed are commonly sought.
  • Reduce work-in-process inventory - reduces lead time.
  • Add additional resources to increase capacity of the bottleneck. For example, an additional machine can be added in parallel to increase the capacity.
  • Improve the efficiency of the bottleneck activity - increases process capacity.
  • Move work away from bottleneck resources where possible - increases process capacity.
  • Increase availability of bottleneck resources, for example, by adding an additional shift - increases process capacity.
  • Minimize non-value adding activities - decreases cost, reduces lead time. Non-value adding activities include transport, rework, waiting, testing and inspecting, and support activities.
  • Redesign the product for better manufacturability - can improve several or all process performance measures.
  • Flexibility can be enhanced by postponement, which shifts customizing activities to the end of the process.
• Production Routing - The platform supports tools that enable the definition of simple or complex routes across multiple production lines. Routes can be defined for production and also for repair and rework. Products are monitored at each step in the route providing the ability to reroute and manage assets more efficiently reducing delays in production
• Defect Tracking - The platform supports tools to assign defect and rework codes which can be captured in real time at predetermined stations to aid in quality control and yield determination by process or station. The platform also supports the real time re-route or quarantine of products based on defect codes at any station in the manufacturing floor.
• Equipment Utilization and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) - The platform supports the collection of WIP data at all stations both at the beginning of a work process and at the completion of the work process. In addition to the WIP data collected at every station, the platform also captures the equipment state. This real time WIP data capture combined with the equipment state provides users with the ability to accurately monitor equipment utilization and productivity
• Lot validation - The platform supports tools to perform real time data validations on all products. Lots and products that pass preset tolerance thresholds can automatically move to the next process step. Lots can also be routed for rework or placed on hold based on defined tolerances providing for more efficient work flow on high velocity products leading to better utilization of available production equipment.
• Enterprise Integration - The platform developed on the Microsoft .NET 2.0 infrastructure has a service oriented architecture for data collection, reporting and system administration. The platform provides the ability to integrate with supply chain management systems and existing MES implementations for increased communication across the entire production facility.

Screenshots

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