FLEISCHWIRTSCHAFT international 6/2017

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Fleischwirtschaft international 6_2017
Organization
Factory ERP optimallysupports
the staff in their day-to-day
operations. This applies to
planning and control activities
as well as to the operational
tasks at the production and
packaging machines.
Transparency leads to more efficiency
IT systems built on recipe-based meat production create practical added value
Nothing goes without IT at today’s meat processing facilities. On the
contrary.Ultimately,software and hardware serve as the key contributors
to cutting costs, improving quality and becoming faster and more flexible.
The prerequisite is that the IT systems, in particular ERP and MES, are
seamlessly interconnected. The Belgian Colruyt group has realized this
connection with the Factory ERP solution by CSB.
By HermannSchalk
Ifacompany has many stand-alone solutions that do not speak the same
“language”, management loses the transparency of its business. Data is
inconsistent, cannot be compared and, consequently,isnot very reliable.
Moreover,costs increase: The lower the level of IT integration, the higher
the expenses for operating diverse IT systems. This constantly calls for
the installation of updates, adaptation of interfaces and implementation
of improvements in several systems. In these cases, the software turns
from helper into inhibitor –and from cost reducer into an increasing
cost factor.Also for factory managers, business software can become a
constraint if it does not meet industry-specific requirements or integrate
machines.
Classic “Group ERPs” are exhausted
The importance of industry-specific functionalities in an enterprise
resource planning (ERP) system is illustrated best by an example: The
meat industry with its multitude of products and intricate manufacturing
processes is extremely complex. Recipes are the heart of many meat
processors. This is where all pieces come together,from product development
and costing to material procurement, coverage planning and production.
During production, variable factors like raw material quality,
shelf life and proportions must be considered just as well as possibly
resulting joint products that are processed further in other products.
This poses areal challenge for the software system in use.
Consequently,systems that have been developed specifically with the
complex recipe-based meat production in mind have ahead-start. Only
industry-specific systems with integrated recipe management are capable
of managing recipes in an optimal way and thus planning the production,
calculating the costs of aproduct, optimizing mixing proportions,
identifying allergens, nutritional values and ingredients, as well as securing
traceability.Other field examples calling for real industry know-how
include the entry of operational data, as for instance unit quantities,
quality grades and variable weight data, as well as batch processing
during production and labeling or weigh labeling of the finished products.
Classic ERP systems initially developed for unit production are
exhausted when it comes to covering the production of foodstuffs of
animal origin. In many cases, adequate key data is missing for proper
production planning, statistical evaluations and weak spot identification.
Pure MES systems have reached their limits
The purpose of an MES (Manufacturing Execution System) is to enable
the vertical integration of the shopfloor level with the planning level and
to combine all production-related systems. These production management
systems have an interface to the superordinate planning and automated
data capture entities; however,the business administration “intelligence”islacking
in such MES systems. While an ERP solution handles
company-wide planning, control and logistics processes, aManufacturing
Execution System handles industrial production. An MES is thus the
executive branch of an ERP. Yet, it does not have all the ERP functionalities
that are required for many practical applications in meat factories.