In a non-ETO environment, products and their associated Bill-Of-Material (BOM) and Bill-Of-Labour (BOL) are typically set up and maintained in the ERP system. This information does not change that often. The Manufacturing Execution System syncs this information from the ERP, potentially enriches the retrieved information, coordinates shop floor execution and reports critical production data back to the ERP system.
The ETO Challenge: Moving Beyond Static Data
An Engineer-To-Order company works differently. There is no such thing as a product with a fixed BOM and BOL. Every customer order is treated as a project where the design BOM is made in the CAD system and potentially enriched in the PLM system together with the BOL.
Below, we propose an architecture where the CAD system or PLM system directly integrates with 24Flow (that acts as an MES). 24Flow then orchestrates not only the shop floor execution of the project but also the information exchange with the ERP system.
Orders and projects are created directly in 24Flow, and 24Flow syncs the bill-of-material and the bill-of-labour directly from the CAD or PLM system. 24Flow will then sync the project related data to the ERP system, including components, such that these can be ordered with suppliers.
Why Use 24Flow as the Orchestration Layer?
This approach has the advantage that you can manage the project and orders in a much more flexible way in 24Flow than is possible in the ERP system, which has been designed to work with a more static setup of products, BOMs and BOLs. The ERP keeps its key roles in sales, procurement, warehousing & finance.
Centralized Project Planning and Execution
24Flow also helps ETO manufacturers with Project Planning and Execution
✓ Advanced Planning with Gantt Charts: 24Flow is used for project planning with its powerful Gantt chart as well as for production scheduling and shift scheduling. The visual planner is intuitive, provides a high level of automation and a direct feedback loop from the shop floor to confirm the actual status of operations.
✓ Team Cockpit: Once in production, 24Flow’s Team Cockpit is the single interface for operators to execute projects smoothly and empowers them to assume more ownership via more accurate and real-time data.
✓ ERP Synchronization: 24Flow syncs shop floor registrations back to ERP for project cost calculations, such as time registrations, quantities produced, scrap registration & components consumed.
✓ Onsite installation: Finally, 24Flow can also facilitate, planning and time registrations for onsite installations.
