Product knowledge

In the practice of manufacturing workshop management, low management efficiency is a common problem faced by many enterprises, which directly affects production progress, product quality and operational costs. The low efficiency of workshop management is mainly reflected in chaotic production scheduling, poor process connection, insufficient resource utilization, delayed data transmission, and inefficient handling of abnormalities. The traditional management model relying on manual experience and paper records is difficult to meet the requirements of modern production for refinement and efficiency, and has become an important bottleneck restricting the development of enterprises. MES (Manufacturing Execution System) serves as the core hub connecting the upper-level management system and the workshop site execution. By integrating data, optimizing processes, strengthening collaboration, and precisely controlling, it can build a scientific and efficient digital execution system, solve the pain points of low workshop management efficiency, and promote the transformation of workshop management from “experience-driven” to “data-driven”, and from “coarse management” to “fine control”. This article, based on the actual situation of workshop management, explores the core causes of low workshop management efficiency, elaborates in detail the core paths and implementation key points of building a digital execution system with the MES system, and provides references for enterprises to improve workshop management efficiency and achieve digital transformation.
I. The core causes of low efficiency in workshop management
The low efficiency of workshop management is not caused by a single factor, but is the result of the combined effects of various issues such as processes, data, resources, and collaboration. Considering the actual situation of workshop production and operation, the main causes can be summarized in the following four aspects.
(1) The production scheduling is overly simplistic, with a disconnect between planning and execution.
In traditional workshop management, production scheduling mostly relies on the experience-based judgment of management personnel, lacking scientific data support. This often leads to unreasonable scheduling, as well as a disconnection between planning and execution. On one hand, the scheduling personnel cannot obtain real-time information about the workshop’s production capacity, equipment status, and material supply, resulting in a lack of targeted production plans, which leads to unreasonable task assignment and chaotic process arrangement. On the other hand, after the production plan is issued, it is impossible to track the execution progress in real time. When abnormal situations such as equipment failures or material shortages occur, the scheduling adjustments are not timely, causing production interruptions and process waiting, which seriously affects production efficiency.
(2) Data transmission is delayed, and decisions are made without proper basis.
During the production process in the workshop, various data such as production progress, equipment operation, quality inspection, and material consumption are mostly transmitted through paper records and oral reports, which have obvious problems of lag and fragmentation. Data statistics and summarization are completed manually, which not only has low efficiency but also easily leads to situations such as incorrect filling, omission, and inconsistent statistical standards, preventing the management from obtaining real and complete workshop operation data in real time. Decision-making is mostly based on experience, making it difficult to precisely identify efficiency bottlenecks and lack targeted optimization measures.
(3) Inefficient resource allocation, with prominent waste phenomena.
The allocation of core resources such as personnel, equipment and materials in the workshop lacks scientific planning, resulting in obvious waste and affecting management efficiency. In terms of personnel, the division of labor is unclear and there is no proper match between personnel and positions, leading to idle personnel in some positions while lacking personnel in others, and poor work coordination; in terms of equipment, there is a lack of a complete maintenance plan, with frequent equipment failures, long downtime, and low equipment utilization rate; in terms of materials, the inventory of materials is disconnected from production needs, resulting in production stalling due to material shortages or waste of resources due to excessive material accumulation, and at the same time, the material distribution is not timely and the circulation path is unreasonable, which also affects production efficiency.
(4) The collaborative mechanism is lacking, and the connections between various links are not smooth.
There is a lack of effective coordination mechanisms among various processes and positions within the workshop, as well as between the workshop and related departments such as storage, quality inspection, and equipment operation and maintenance. Information silos are prominent. There is no real-time information synchronization among processes, resulting in poor process connection and long waiting times; the division of responsibilities among positions is unclear, and when problems occur, they tend to shift the blame onto each other; the information transmission between the workshop and relevant departments is not timely, such as material requirements, quality abnormalities, and equipment failures, which cannot be quickly synchronized, leading to low coordination efficiency and affecting the overall efficiency of workshop management.
II. The core path for constructing a digital execution system in the MES system
The core of building a digital execution system in the MES system lies in leveraging “data empowerment, process optimization, resource management, and collaborative linkage” to break through the information barriers between production planning and on-site execution, achieving digitalization, visualization, and controllability of the entire production process in the workshop, thereby enhancing management efficiency. The specific construction paths mainly manifest in the following five aspects.
(1) Establish a data collection system to lay a solid foundation for digitalization
Data is the core support of the digital execution system. The MES system collects the entire production process data of the workshop in multiple ways and from multiple dimensions, achieving real-time, accurate and complete data, providing a reliable basis for subsequent scheduling, decision-making and optimization. First, automatic equipment data collection, connecting various production equipment, sensors, industrial gateways in the workshop, and collecting data such as equipment operation status, startup rate, downtime, process parameters, fault information, etc. without the need for manual intervention, ensuring the real-time nature of the data; second, production data collection, through workstation terminals, scanning devices, etc., collecting data such as production progress, completion status of work orders, process reporting, output and working hours, etc., achieving dynamic tracking of the production process; third, material data collection, connecting the WMS system, collecting data such as material inventory, requisition, circulation, distribution, etc., achieving full-process monitoring of materials; fourth, quality data collection, real-time collecting data such as inspection results of each process, defective phenomena, handling measures, etc., associating production batches and processes, providing support for quality control; at the same time, standardize the data collection process, clearly define collection nodes, responsible persons and standards, ensuring data quality.
(2) Optimize the production scheduling process and achieve precise scheduling
The MES system optimizes the production scheduling process through data linkage and intelligent scheduling functions, addressing the problems of traditional scheduling being overly simplistic and the separation of planning and execution. It achieves precise scheduling and efficient execution. Firstly, it automatically generates scheduling plans, connects with the ERP system, synchronizes real-time production plans and order information, and combines real-time data such as workshop capacity, equipment status, and material supply to automatically generate the optimal production scheduling plan, clearly defining the priority of work orders, process arrangements, personnel and equipment allocation, thereby enhancing the scientificity of scheduling. Secondly, it tracks the execution of scheduling in real time. Through a visual dashboard, it displays the production progress of each work order and each process in real time. The scheduling personnel can promptly grasp the execution status. When there are deviations in progress, equipment failures, etc., they can quickly adjust the scheduling plan to ensure the orderly progress of the production plan. Thirdly, it supports flexible scheduling. For special scenarios such as urgent additional orders or changes in orders, it can quickly adjust the production plan and scheduling arrangements, reducing production interruptions and enhancing the flexibility and efficiency of scheduling.
(3) Strengthen digital management of resources and enhance resource utilization efficiency
The MES system optimizes resource allocation by digitizing the management of core resources such as human resources, equipment, and materials, thereby reducing resource waste and improving resource utilization. This leads to an increase in workshop management efficiency. Firstly, in terms of human resource management, real-time data collection is conducted on personnel’s on-duty status, job assignments, and work efficiency, and human resources are allocated reasonably based on the production plan. The job responsibilities of each position are clarified to achieve a match between personnel and positions, thereby reducing idle and insufficient personnel issues. Secondly, in equipment management, a digital operation and maintenance system for equipment is established to monitor the operating status of equipment in real time, automatically generate equipment maintenance plans, and remind maintenance personnel to carry out maintenance on time, reducing equipment downtime due to failures and improving equipment utilization. At the same time, equipment operation data is analyzed to optimize equipment usage plans and extend equipment service life. Thirdly, in material management, digital management of material inventory is implemented, real-time synchronization of material inventory information is conducted, and material demands are precisely pushed based on production progress to ensure timely delivery of materials to workstations, avoiding production stagnation due to material shortages. At the same time, the material circulation path is optimized, the circulation time is reduced, and material accumulation and waste are minimized.
(4) Establish a collaborative linkage system to break down information silos
The MES system establishes a unified information sharing platform, builds a collaborative linkage system within the workshop and between the workshop and relevant departments, breaks down information silos, and improves collaborative efficiency. Firstly, within the workshop, it enables real-time synchronization of information among various processes and positions, clarifies the responsibilities of each position, and when one process is completed, the system automatically notifies the next process, achieving seamless process connection and reducing waiting time; at the same time, it supports real-time feedback from each position on production abnormalities, progress deviations, etc., ensuring timely communication and resolution of issues. Secondly, cross-departmental collaboration, connecting ERP, WMS, SCADA, quality inspection systems, etc., realizes real-time sharing of production plans, material inventory, equipment operation, quality inspection, etc. The workshop collaborates with the storage department to advance material distribution, collaborates with the quality inspection department to carry out quality control, and collaborates with the equipment operation department to handle equipment failures, improving cross-departmental collaboration efficiency. Thirdly, it establishes a collaborative communication mechanism, through system message push, online communication, etc., to achieve real-time communication among relevant personnel, ensuring timely and accurate information transmission, avoiding information omission and transmission delay.
(5) Establish an abnormal closed-loop management system to enhance the efficiency of handling incidents.
All kinds of abnormalities during the production process in the workshop, such as equipment failures, quality abnormalities, material shortages, etc., are important factors affecting management efficiency. The MES system achieves rapid discovery, reporting, handling and optimization of abnormalities by establishing an abnormal closed-loop management mechanism, thereby shortening the abnormal handling time and reducing the impact of abnormalities on production. First, there is real-time abnormal warning. For common abnormalities such as equipment failures, quality overruns, and material shortages, clear warning thresholds are set. When an abnormality occurs, the system uses methods such as board flashing and message push to promptly remind the relevant responsible personnel. Second, the abnormal reporting is simplified. After an operator discovers an abnormality, they can quickly report it through the workstation terminal, fill in information such as the type of abnormality, location, and impact range, and submit it with one click, without the need for cumbersome procedures. Third, abnormal handling is coordinated. The system automatically pushes abnormal information to the corresponding responsible personnel, clearly specifying the handling time limit and requirements, and the responsible personnel provide real-time feedback on the handling progress and measures, achieving real-time tracking of the abnormal handling process. Fourth, abnormal review and optimization. The entire abnormal handling process is recorded, and statistics and analysis are conducted on frequent abnormalities to identify the causes of the abnormalities, and targeted improvement measures are formulated to avoid the recurrence of similar abnormalities and improve the efficiency and control level of abnormal handling.
III. Key Implementation Points for Building a Digital Execution System in the MES System
To enable the successful establishment of a digital execution system in the MES (Manufacturing Execution System) and effectively enhance the efficiency of workshop management, while avoiding formalistic applications, it is necessary to combine the actual situation of the enterprise’s workshops and focus on the following implementation key points to ensure the system’s effective implementation.
(1) Based on the actual situation of the workshop, clearly define the goals for system construction
The pain points and demands regarding low management efficiency vary among different industries and production modes of workshops. Therefore, it is necessary to combine one’s own production processes and management foundation to clearly define the construction goals and key points of the digital execution system. For example, in discrete manufacturing workshops, the focus is on process connection, work order scheduling, and equipment operation and maintenance; in process manufacturing workshops, the focus is on process parameter monitoring, continuous production scheduling, and material circulation. This ensures that the system construction is in line with the actual situation of the workshop and can truly solve the efficiency pain points.
(2) Promote data standardization to ensure the efficient operation of the system
Data standardization is the prerequisite for the efficient operation of the digital execution system. It is necessary to establish unified data coding, data formats, collection standards and statistical scopes, and clearly define the filling norms and transmission requirements for various data. For example, unify equipment numbers, material codes, process numbers, etc., to ensure that data from different links and different systems can be effectively linked; standardize data collection frequencies and methods to ensure the consistency and completeness of data, and avoid problems such as system operation obstruction and data distortion caused by inconsistent data standards.
(3) Optimize business processes and achieve integration of processes and systems
The construction of the digital execution system needs to be deeply integrated with the workshop business processes. It should combine with the functions of the MES system, sort out and optimize the existing business processes, eliminate redundant links, standardize process nodes, and clarify the operation standards and responsibility divisions for each link. For example, optimize the production scheduling process, process flow, material distribution process, and abnormal handling process, etc. Solidify the standardized processes into the MES system, and through system control, ensure that the processes are strictly implemented, achieving the coordinated advancement of business processes and the digital execution system.
(4) Strengthen personnel matching and enhance the application capabilities of all staff
The implementation of the digital execution system cannot be achieved without the participation and cooperation of all staff. It is necessary to conduct hierarchical and categorized training to enhance the application skills and concept awareness of personnel in each position. For the management level, key training focuses on functions such as data interpretation, scheduling decisions, and system control, to improve their ability to coordinate the digital execution system; for front-line operators, key training focuses on skills such as data collection, workstation terminal operation, and abnormal reporting, to ensure they can proficiently cooperate with the system operation; for technical personnel and managers, key training focuses on skills such as system configuration, process optimization, and abnormal handling, to ensure the stable operation of the system. At the same time, strengthen the dissemination of concepts, guide employees to change their traditional management concepts, actively accept and adapt to the digital execution model, and enhance employee participation and execution ability.
(5) Establish an operation and optimization mechanism to ensure the long-term smooth operation of the system.
Establish a complete operation and optimization mechanism to ensure the long-term and continuous operation of the digital execution system and its continuous improvement. Form a professional operation team to be responsible for the daily maintenance, fault diagnosis, parameter adjustment, etc. of the MES system, and promptly solve the problems that arise during the system operation; Establish an application feedback mechanism to collect the problems and suggestions from each position personnel during the use process, and continuously optimize the system configuration, process norms and data collection rules; Regularly evaluate the operation effect of the system, combined with the improvement goal of workshop management efficiency, continuously improve the digital execution system to ensure that the system always meets the development needs of the workshop and continuously plays the role of improving management efficiency.

4. Conclusion

The low efficiency of workshop management is a major bottleneck restricting the high-quality development of manufacturing enterprises. Constructing a digital execution system is the key path to solving this problem and improving workshop management efficiency. The MES system, as the core tool for digital management in the workshop, builds a data collection system, optimizes production scheduling, strengthens resource control, establishes a collaborative linkage mechanism, and establishes an abnormal closed-loop management system. Through these measures, it forms a scientific and efficient digital execution system, effectively addressing issues such as loose scheduling, lagging data, resource waste, and insufficient collaboration in traditional workshop management, and promoting the transformation of workshop management towards digitalization, refinement, and efficiency.
For manufacturing enterprises, building a digital execution system based on the MES system is not merely a simple system deployment. It requires a focus on the actual conditions of the workshop, promoting data standardization, optimizing business processes, strengthening personnel adaptation, and persisting in continuous optimization. Through scientific implementation planning and effective execution, the digital execution system should truly integrate into the entire production process of the workshop, fully leveraging the value of data-driven and process optimization, continuously improving the management efficiency of the workshop, reducing operating costs, ensuring product quality, laying a solid foundation for the overall digital transformation of the enterprise, and helping the enterprise achieve high-quality development.