Manufacturing Operations Management

Today, companies require manufacturing operations management and execution tools that work across multiple sites and regions. In response, there is a growing trend for Operations Management solutions to extend beyond the scope of traditional applications such as production management, in-plant logistics, maintenance, or laboratory information systems, and to support a number of applications in a coordinated manner. Newer operations management or execution software delivers real-time, event-based information about people, processes, information, machines and material, and provides tools for taking operations to a higher level of enterprise performance.

To improve performance, companies need a way to drive specific process improvements at each plant, while at the same time monitoring activities and facilitating appropriate operating decisions among complex hierarchies, regions, business units, and operating structures. They need to rationalize spending for maintenance of systems and applications, and at the same time improve information and business process support for their increasingly complex, competitive environment.

The focus on operating industrial facilities is to maintain steady-state operations despite frequent disturbances, with operators performing whatever is necessary to keep the facilities running and meet production schedules in a safe and environmentally acceptable way. Traditionally, whether the facility is fully manned, minimally manned, or unmanned; its operations are typically coordinated from a central location in a rigidly hierarchal fashion.

Next Generation Manufacturing Operations Management and Execution Systems (MES)

The next-generation of operations management and execution software is here. The economics of steady-state operations have been replaced with a dynamic economic environment in which adapting to changing supply and demand are the norm. Tighter production specifications, greater economic pressures, and the need to maintain supply reserves, plus more stringent process safety measures, cybersecurity standards, and environmental regulations further challenge this dynamic environment.

Managing these challenges requires more agile, less hierarchical structures; highly collaborative processes; reliable instrumentation; high avail-ability of automation assets; excellent data; efficient information and real-time decision-support systems; accurate and predictive models; and precise control. Uncertainty and risks must be well understood and well managed in every aspect of the decision-making process.

Perhaps most importantly, everyone must have a clear understanding of the business objectives and progress toward those objectives. Increasingly, effective remote operations management requires real-time decisions based on a solid understanding of what is happening, and the possibilities over the entire operations cycle.

Choosing the best path forward in Operations Management, for your particular circumstances, is a daunting task and one you will need advice for.  ARC delivers global market intelligence and best practices for topics such as: Operational Excellence (OpX), Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), Quality Management, Lean, Six Sigma, Process Optimization, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), and Collaborative Operations Management (COM). ARC's industry leading experts closely monitor operations management solutions from all major suppliers around the world. Please visit market analysis page for recent ARC research related to Manufacturing Operations Management.

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