GUI and the Efficient Lean Set-Up in Manufacturing
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) for manufacturing is, in short, the consolidation of a series of interconnected processes that when added together efficiently produce a finished product. In turn, each process has its own certain requirements that are specific to their area function—its own way of “doing things”.
For example, inventory management involves the processes of acquiring, storing, and distributing parts and other raw material to the various aspects of the operation. Shipping entails packaging and transportation of finished goods. In each instance, procedures should be developed in such a way that efficiencies are built into the system to save manpower time and other above-the-line costs. When these efficiencies are realized in the process we are said to be lean and eliminating waste in the manufacturing effort.
On the shop floor, manpower is a valuable resource measured in terms of time-to-task. That is to say, how long it takes a shop floor employee to do something is a direct cost to the manufacturer, and a true cost that must be built into the profit analysis. As the elimination of waste is important for the maximization of profits in any operation, machine set-ups must be considered when building lean production processes. Indeed, it is in the machine set-up period when efficiencies are won or lost.
Today, manufacturers have a distinct advantage in realizing lean set-up through the use of Graphical User Interface (GUI) terminals conveniently located throughout the shop floor. At the GUI terminal, employees can quickly and easily acquire a variety of assembly and schedule data to help them in rapidly setting up a machine for production.
In the past, any process instructions for the set-up and machining/assembly of parts (image and/or text) would arrive to the work center as enveloped paperwork. Depending upon the frequency of use, instruction pages would often be torn, smudged, or missing altogether. Employees would spend valuable time in the search for information or in slowly setting up machines based upon unavailable or inaccurate information. However, with the GUI terminal paper-based travelers are a thing of the past. Set-up and production instructions in GUI are computer-based, with textual instructions stored as files and folders associated with the job.
In addition, finished production goods and/or parts are shown as still images, three-dimensional CAD illustrations, and even video representations. These are accessed through efficient html links found in the GUI screen. With this information always at hand, the employee has a better understanding of the job and how the machine dedicated to the task should be set-up. To this end, the GUI acts as an interactive means by which shop floor personnel are aware of the most efficient (lean) methods for setting up their machine.
Ultimately, the use of the GUI as a job data portal means more accurate and quicker machine set-ups (and even post job break-downs) . With improved set-up times, manpower hours are saved, delivery dates are met more often, and ERP goals are met. The GUI, in this sense, contributes to the lean technique for continuous improvement in system throughput, with the residual effect of a powerful return on ERP investments.