An Example of Data Processing Software: Guardus ™Mes

Over the past few weeks, we have discussed about the 6 Sigma process and the key elements to carry out this type of process in the best efficient way. One of these key elements is the processing of SPC and other sample data, that can be made with more precision and effectiveness through the use of a data processing software.

This article was sent to us by Daniel Vaudrin, from the Canadian office of the Guardus group. It presents the data processing software developped and commercialised by this company, Guardus MES.

Let us introduce you to GUARDUS. Through its Manufacturing Execution System, GUARDUS™MES, the company offer ONE solution encompassing all the disciplines of quality and production management critical to business success.

Guardus answers all these questions:

• What is required to make quality the key to your organizational success?
• What tools increase quality in products and processes whilst reducing the cost of controlling quality?
• How can production and quality managers coordinate different sites, languages and international standards with an ever growing variety of products?
• How can the enterprise increase quality and reduce complexity?
• What is required to ensure full traceability in a regulated environment?

What kind of business needs a Manufacturing Execution System?

Spending money on scrap, rework, call-backs and re-calls is not the best investment for hard-earned capital, and reputation. An important key to realizing a company’s full potential is the production and quality control teams. GUARDUS’ Manufacturing Execution System provides every employee with the tools they need to implement and control a Zero-Defects-Strategy – from development and implementation, to supply chain and value management to production management and customer service. Every service needs to work together to reduce costs. With GUARDUS™MES all of these departments can be on the same page, wherever a company is located, anywhere in the world. A MES system is a must for companies that rely on a high level of quality in the products they produce. Various MES systems are commonly found in the automotive, electro-technical/electronics, metal, plastics, medical technology, aeronautics engineering, and space technology industries.

What makes GUARDUS™MES different?

GUARDUS thinking is not only functional, but process-oriented. What is the use of the best system, if it is not an integral piece of the solution? An application that cannot fully mirror the complete quality assurance processes of an enterprise is not a solution that facilitates cost reduction.
GUARDUS designers put an end to the fragmented functional parts and disconnected pieces of information that are commonplace in the acquisition of computer data from production, machines and quality processes. In GUARDUS™ MES, production and quality information is stored through one simple user interface that is adapted to individual manufacturing processes for every user to use. This feature, unique to GUARDUS™MES, allows organisations to trace all aspects of finished goods, from the receipt of raw materials and pre-built components to quality inspection reports controlling production batches and lots.

Our vision of an effective Manufacturing Execution System is a single and integrated solution to optimize quality and production practices in the enterprise. GUARDUS™MES modules mirror all company processes without exception, while intelligent, standards based services integrate all ERP systems commonly used, including SAP. By having one system that controls production and quality, data is entered once, and thus everyone works hand in hand to deliver higher quality goods faster. GUARDUS™MES then delivers every quality relevant detail, crucial to the quality-focused enterprise to the people that need to know facts fast. With GUARDUS™MES, companies secure an efficient control over quality and create better information to make the right decisions from the production floor to upper management.

This interface was designed for users who must simply collect quality data.
The training time is reduced significantly since the user must simply learn how to press a few buttons.

This interface is quite comprehensive. Yet, it intuitively collects and informs
production floor workers on manufacturing, quality and performance issues.

GUARDUS™MES optimizes the complete manufacturing process by decreasing error rates and production costs and increasing throughput. Interfaces for different parts of production and quality can be quite different. However, every interface feeds the same information database. Data from production and quality measuring devices can also be collected and stored in the same database for current and future reference. If performance or quality issues arise anywhere in production, the right people can be informed immediately through e-mail or other means. Managers can then log on to GUARDUS™MES and have access to all production and quality information necessary to make an informed decision.

Production, quality, availability and performance are available in one intuitive interface.

What factors should be considered when choosing a highly dependable MES?

• Holistic approach: one technology and one data model
• Extensive standard functionality including inspection plans for statistical process control (SPC) and sampling, inspection orders based on production bill of materials, etc.
• Flexible and maintainable configuration of specific user interfaces.
• Easy data collection
• Fast access to information.
• Integration with the periphery (ERP system, measurement and testing systems, equipment data, intranet, PDM and CAD systems, office applications)
• Capable of handling of a colossal amount of data.
• High availability of the system (paperless, online management, 24/7 anywhere access, secure)

What are the advantages of Guardus™MES over other systems?

• GUARDUS™MES is five systems in ONE:
  + Computer Aided Quality (CAQ)
  + Production Data Acquisition (PDA)
  + Machine Data Acquisition (MDA)
  + Traceability
  +Key Performance Indicators
• GUARDUS™MES is ONE system:
  + ONE system to enter all manufacturing data,
  + ONE system to correct any errors
  + ONE system for high quality manufacturing
• A lean user interface adapted to individual requirements—from a simple pedal to count completed components to highly specialized data collection tools
• Centralized repository of all data: a prerequisite to product assembly process transparency
• Individualized and enterprise-wide performance indicators; for a process and beyond a process, always current through automated workflows and available on demand
• Increased productivity through online reporting of production, quality, and performance data
• Faster reaction times to deviations and performance issues
• Traceability from raw materials to finished goods and beyond
• Increased operational flexibility in manufacturing
• Increased process stability through optimized collection of quality data, data analysis and automated workflows
• Built-in flexibility in the standards based software infrastructure secures investment for the future
• Totally paperless solution
• Ready for 21 CFR Part 11 validation

How does Guardus support international companies?

As enterprises move more capacity to all four corners of the globe, production and quality challenges multiply. In a global enterprise, production must be coordinated and supervised in an efficient and orderly manner.
The current trend of moving significant portions of production activities to more cost effective regions poses a number of challenges for those responsible for production and quality. A few examples of these are, production locations and projects must be coordinated and supervised in a real-time environment. Different technical and cultural backgrounds must be harmonized and language barriers must be overcome.
To overcome these hurdles, GUARDUS provides its customers with an extensive support for globalization by:

• Establishing international system structures
• Using modern technologies to connect to systems (Browsers, Virtual Private Networks, Terminal servers)
• Implementing GUARDUS™MES either centrally or in a distributed architecture
• Offering multilingual interfaces and multilingual catalogues

What are the first steps to implement GUARDUS™MES?

The range of services offered by GUARDUS covers consulting, implementation, data transfer and is extended to customization and user training. This range assures customers that their processes in production and quality management can be completely and, above all, thoroughly and continuously covered by its dedicated staff. The Result: Quick and flawless information flow, as well as a vertical integration from the production floor to the executive office in a complex universe of technical and economic inputs.

Why Guardus?

More than 20 years of industrial manufacturing experience has made GUARDUS Solutions AG a reputed name in quality and production management. The core of the internationally recognized enterprise is based on the Manufacturing Execution System GUARDUS™MES. This software solution covers the complete strategic and operational components of modern manufacturing enterprises, including the seamless integration into business processes. GUARDUS™MES is found in every corner of the world in more than 150 companies in the following industrial sectors: automotive, electro-technical/electronics, metal, plastics, medical technology, aeronautics engineering and space technology.

Information: www.guardus.de