Sustainable MES and Master Data Flow

Over the last fifteen years, many large manufacturing companies, at some level, have invested in a digital manufacturing initiative. With a typical budget of $500K to $10M, these projects range from a strategy for smart manufacturing to implementing a manufacturing execution system (MES).  Successful MES projects have delivered significant value and ROI.  When considering a smart manufacturing project today, it's important to know what designs have proven effective and more importantly, what hasn't worked.

A key design criterion is knowing what future MES products and services are in the pipeline to assure your company’s investment is sustainable, and understanding if what you design now can be upgraded or modified efficiently and effectively.  An effective MES design/build project includes:

• Forming a working team of operators, production managers, IT resources and executives
• Developing manufacturing process design requirements to take advantage of digital technology
• Specifying MES network architecture
• Selecting an MES solution that meets requirements
• Network hardware and server selection
• Software development
• Data acquisition and/or data architecture
• Testing and deployment in a timely, cost-effective manner

Value stream mapping along with a master data flow diagram will assure your MES will work as intended.  The data flow to and from all levels needs to be fast, efficient, secure, and maintainable.  By focusing on a central hub(s) for data exchange, one can connect to a site-based MES server now and, without major changes, reconnect to a cloud-based MES server in the future.  For this data exchange hub, one building block or element that works well is a transaction manager server, as defined herein in noncommercial, academic terms. So, why do you need a transaction manager server, what does it do, and where does it go?

Getting Data Ready for Sustainable MES

Translating data from production automation systems into actionable information has been around for more than 15 years, enabled by data acquisition from process controllers, control sensors, devices and machines into a MES software application.  In the past five to ten years, MES software on the enterprise-level has seen an increase in exchanged data with ERP and other applications like the enterprise supply chain management platform, production scheduling systems, and tracking for manufacturing operations such as OEE systems.  At the automation or machine level, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology has provided another level of digitization and much more data.

From a manufacturing business perspective, the general consensus is:

1. An MES needs to be sustainable and deliver value for at least three years without major upgrades.
2. There are significant advantages to a multi-tenant cloud-based MES (public or private) solution.
3. Security of data within the public cloud is now well-established with documented security designs and practices (e.g., Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services).
4. Companies prefer to pay for MES software licensing as an operating expense on a periodic basis rather than an up-front capital expense. The typical annual cost of “20% of the up-front licensing price” for upgrades and support of MES software has been in question, especially if the company doesn't install the upgrades, and if the support isn't needed.

Whether MES software is cloud-based or on premise, when a new or major upgrade to an existing MES is being considered, choosing the right network framework and keystone building blocks will enable a sustainable MES architecture.  A transaction manager server (TM server) at Level 3 of the Purdue Model is a central communication and transaction hub.  The Purdue Model for Control Hierarchy, originally developed in 1992, remains relevant but should now be considered alongside newer models and frameworks, such as the RAMI 4.0 (Reference Architectural Model Industrie 4.0) and the Industrial Internet Reference Architecture (IIRA).

Typical Transaction Manager Server Features

As companies strive to optimize their data architecture and adapt to evolving technologies, the importance of transaction manager servers in ensuring a robust and future-proof MES design cannot be overstated.  Consider just a few of the critical functions of a transaction manager server:

• Store and forward data to/from MES software or system of record database (ERP or business system)
• Act as communication bridge between SCADA and MES
• Connect to other applications and servers via open standards, such as MQTT, MTConnect, CESMII, OPC-UA, GraphQL, etc.
• Perform protocol translation services among various PLC's, DCS's, or machine controllers
• Provide OPC-UA connectivity, and log data from an OPC-UA server to any industry-compliant database
• Resides (ideally) at or above Level 3 in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) of the network architecture
• Provides connectivity to an MES, either on-premise or cloud

Every architect has a different design vision for a multi-story building, however, when it come to the elevator, the basic functionality remains the same.  We think about the transaction manager in a manufacturing environment the same way — hold and carry people (data) between levels with pre-determined routes, access, and permissions (similar to the IT command structure).  If you need a second elevator, OK, but the basic design remains constant.

Early Steps and Options to Support Sustainable MES

With so many solutions out there today for collecting data, analyzing it, and providing information via dashboards or reports, it is easy to see how companies find it challenging to establish, maintain, and upgrade data architecture. 

Tried and true transaction management software has been available for >15 years from companies like Rockwell and PTC Kepware.  Defining just what data and information you need and where you need it, with a master data flow map, enables an elegant and sustainable MES design.  A software-agnostic hub handles MES data efficiently, regardless of which MES solution you have today, or will have tomorrow and beyond.  For example, that software-agnostic hub lets you use MES software from “Vendor A” today, then switch to MES from “Vendor B” tomorrow, without any need to "rip and replace" or adjust your data architecture.  Now, THAT's the ULTIMATE in sustainable MES.

When setting requirements for your data architecture, the design team should include a senior-level IT group decision-maker.  It's possible that the IT team has a reason why the TM server shouldn't sit in DMZ, and instead has a requirement for it to exist in the manufacturing network.  Or, IT might prefer a direct MES-to-TM server in the DMZ.  Whatever the IT group determines,ease of maintenance and upgrades should guide their recommendations and decisions. Ultimately, the MES team should have a reasonable high-level understanding of the network design.  It should also have access to the network design documentation, including server ports and protocols for communication.

Regardless of the reason your company wants MES — real-time performance metrics, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), recipe management, ERP connectivyt, quality management and assurance, product track and trace, statistical process control (SPC), paperless operations or scheduling of orders — include a data architecture expert to help with value stream mapping, master data flow, and a sustainable MES design.

In conclusion, designing a sustainable MES system requires careful planning, collaboration, and consideration of future technologies. By focusing on key elements such as a transaction manager server, network architecture, and data flow mapping, companies can ensure their MES investment delivers value for years to come. Whether opting for a cloud-based or on-premise solution, the importance of a robust data architecture cannot be overstated. As technology continues to evolve, having a solid foundation in place will enable companies to adapt and thrive in the digital manufacturing landscape. To learn more about how to optimize your MES design and stay ahead of the curve, engage with experts in the field and continue exploring innovative solutions for your manufacturing operations.