Getting the MES model - Methods for system analysis

The object model is an essential part of MES (Manufacturing Execution System). One very powerful approach to determining the model is based upon structured analysis. The knowledge and expertise about manufacturing operations resides in the minds of the production personnel and design engineers. The method described in this paper captures that knowledge in the form of a model for use in configuring the MES. The incremental nature of the modeling approach facilitates continuous improvement of the plant processes. The elements of the resulting model are used directly in the configuration of object oriented MES systems. By focusing on the essential elements of the manufacturing processes as related to the MES there is a significant savings in implementation costs. Operating costs are optimized by visualizing relevant plant information using graphical MES objects and Windows(TM) based MMI technology. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.