Prior to the Global ManuChem Strategies 2014, we spoke to Michael Schwarz, Global Product Marketing Manager for MES/EMI and Batch Software, Invensys/Wonderware; Vice Chairman, MESA
EMEA Board
1. Interview
Invensys / UK
Prior to the Global ManuChem Strategies 2014, we spoke to Michael Schwarz, Global Product
Marketing Manager for MES/EMI and Batch Software, Invensys/Wonderware; Vice Chairman, MESA
EMEA Board
we.CONECT:
In your opinion- what are the main current challenges and
trends regarding management und optimization of chemical
production to achieve operations excellence?
Michael Schwarz: A lot of merger and acquisitions are
happening or happened as a result of globalization within the
chemical industries as well within their customers, which is
changing the competitive landscape from a more local to a
global and much more dynamic environment.
In response we see a significant drive to improve margins and/or
productivity of the value add process - through increased
operational effectiveness, agility and asset utilization, additional
through driving the continuous improvement process and green
sustainability.
The MES (Manufacturing Execution System) concept and
functionality as such has proven to increase operational
efficiency in industries which were similarly facing cost pressure,
competitive threats and the globalization impact. The MES
functional scope includes automation of information flows, plant
to enterprise integration, real time manufacturing information
management and electronic recordkeeping with positive impact
on productivity, repeatability, quality, flexibility, transparency and
cost of regulatory compliance. All of the mentioned contributes to
improved business results and competitiveness and to the
ultimate long term but in reality continuous thrive for operational
excellence.
we.CONECT:
Is MES more “Product” or “Strategy"?
Michael Schwarz: From a Manufacturer point of view the term
MES has become a synonym of corporate strategy execution in
the area of manufacturing operations management (MOM,)
leveraging manufacturing IT and software tools to drive business
results.
This can be also found reflected in one of the most used and
popular conceptual MES descriptions – the MESA
(Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association) MES Model.
The current evolution of the MESA Model relates business
functions and MES functions in corporate strategies context.
Interesting enough it includes the same still valid functional
range and segmentation for manufacturing operations
management of the initial MESA MES Model published in the
90’s.
We find MES often used as a generic umbrella term for a
computer and software aided operations management and/or
manufacturing intelligence functionality and attached enterprise
and process integration.
Nevertheless the MES/MOM strategy has to be turned into a
solution with an IT infrastructure, software functionality by
selected MES/MOM product with the best fit to the industry in
complementing the manufacturer’s processes and integration
capabilities to the operational and enterprise systems at the
lowest total cost of ownership, delivering return on investment
and long term sustainable competitiveness.
we.CONECT
What roles does an integrated MES play for future plant-,
production-, and operations-intelligence?
Michael Schwarz: Manufacturing or Operational Intelligence is a
concept to measure and visualize operational performance as
metrics or KPI’s in near real-time. Such Intelligence provides
awareness of what impacts todays performance, enables better
decision making in alignment with the business, as well allows
analytics to identify patterns, best practices and improvement
potentials.
To be able to calculate and visualize the desired performance
metrics and KPI’s in operational or business context you need to
have sufficient source data at hand. Operational intelligence
typically connects data from multiple functional domains such as
process data, planning and execution, quality and usage of
resources (e.g. energy) to deliver e.g. business context for a
process metric.
Process industries leverage historians for process information
and business systems provide operational planning and cost
information but often lack detailed operational procedures and
execution data. MES functionality complements operational
intelligence as integrating factor between business planning and
the operational execution and physical production process,
generating electronic records of execution events and
procedures and a repository of production history over time
delivering valuable context information required for Operational
Intelligence solutions.
we.CONECT:
Which services and solutions do you offer? Could you
briefly describe those services and solutions?
Michael Schwarz: Invensys offers a powerful software platform
with open connectivity to any process automation for end to end
plant real time data management which is leveraged by a broad
Manufacturing Operations Management and information
2. management software portfolio to integrate to our customer’s
automated processes.
source of data for gaining new insights and new levels of
transparency – which can double or even multiply the initial ROI
over time (2- 5 years).
we.CONECT:
Which question would you like to ask the delegates of our
Global ManuCHEM Strategies 2014?
Michael Schwarz: From a standard software, automation and
services vendor point of view I’d like to gain a deeper
understanding of where their priorities are in MES Scope,
Integration or Manufacturing Intelligence investment in order to
align our offerings and roadmap accordingly.
we.CONECT:
Thanks a lot for this interview!
Interview Partner: Peter Haack and Michael Schwarz.
The software portfolio is complemented by global services for
training & support, solutions and architecture consulting, global
and local project management, implementation and
maintenance. Additional a large global partner network offers
expertise and services for software implementations.
The standard software portfolio covers the full scope of existing
MOM standard definitions like MESA and ISA 95 in functionality
for production, inventory and quality operations, performance
management and plant to enterprise integration. A Workflow
application connects people and systems (third party and
Invensys) for seamless operational procedures and processes
across different functional domains and finally the dedicated
Manufacturing Intelligence application automates the collection,
aggregation, contextualization and historisation of desired
information across multiple plant or company data sources like
the MES, Historian, Enterprise and third party systems. The
broad industrial software functionality and the platform help
manufacturers to either begin their operational excellence
journey with a small step or to implement a completely integrated
MES with seamless data and information flow between the
business and process automation systems.Manufacturing 4.0 –
Achieving Breakthrough Performance with new Processes and
Technologies:
Transforming manufacturing operations using new
innovative processes and technologies including BI, cloud,
mobile, social, and 3D virtualization as a lever
Advanced modular process design and project
implementation strategies for faster time to market facilities
Challenges and demands for developing and managing a
strategy framework at a global and local scale
Realizing earlier returns and revenues by refining crossfunctional integration in the production process
Managing sustainable and comprehensive OPEX programs
and integration in a manufacturing 4.0 concept
World class production in chemical & petrochemical
Industries – challenges for leadership, continuity,
excellence and leadership
we.CONECT:
What is the ROI of your solution – how does this help to
increase plant productivity?
Michael Schwarz: This question does not allow a simple and
straight answer without taking the customers company’s or plant
current status quo in today’s operational efficiency and business
situation into account. Additional our solution can be easily
scaled over time in size and scope in a short time. A typical ROI
of MES functionality is in the range of 3 – 18 month through
direct operational improvement. But MES always comes with an
integration and collaboration factor with synergies for business
processes and facilitation of improvements, providing a new
Invensys is a global technology company that works in partnership
with a broad range of industrial and commercial customers to design
and supply advanced technologies that optimise their operational
performance and profitability. From oil refineries and power stations
to mining companies and appliance manufacturers, our marketleading software, systems and controls enable our customers to
monitor, control and automate their products and processes, thereby
maximising safety, efficiency, reliability and ease of use. Active in
over 180 countries, we employ more than 16,500 people across four
business segments:
Software, Industrial Automation, Energy
Controls and Appliance.
Global ManuChem Strategies brings together industry leaders to discuss
the current state of the industry, the impact of new regulations and the
challenge to increase efficiency in chemical operations and technical
assets.
Information about the event and about we.CONECT can be found at:
http://production-chemicals2014.we-conect.com
Contact:
Henry Fuchs
Managing Director / Product Management & Marketing
Phone: +49 (0)30 52 10 70 3 – 44
Fax: +49 (0)30 52 10 70 3 – 30
Email: henry.fuchs@we-conect.com
we.CONECT Global Leaders GmbH
Gertraudenstr. 10-12
10178 Berlin, Germany
www.we-conect.com