Manufacturing companies face a volatile market environment and the ability to produce with agility and adapt to customer requirements is a decisive competitive factor.

This blog article provides insights into how the use of production control 4.0 in the company significantly increases productivity, agility and customer satisfaction.

“Being able to react quickly to changes is of the utmost importance, as the current situation confirms. Traditional production methods are finding it difficult to adapt smoothly to the challenges of volatile customer orders and deliveries from suppliers, but also in terms of agility in their own production planning, which leads to interruptions in the production process and ultimately to dissatisfied customers.”

Dr. Gerhard Nowak, Managing Director ifp consulting

The solution: Production control 4.0

Production Control 4.0 is a complete solution for effectively meeting the challenges in the production environment. By combining real-time analyses and data-based decision-making, it enables companies to react more quickly to changes. Processes are optimized and downtime avoided. Let’s take a look at some of the key features of Production Control 4.0:

  • 1. data networking in real time

    Reaction times can be improved primarily by connecting supplier and production data in real time and processing the data in KPI dashboards. Sensors are used to record data from machines, workpieces and the warehouse. In the case of machines, for example, temperature, vibrations, noise, energy consumption and speed can be recorded as early indicators of the performance of individual machines or entire production lines. By determining changes in these production parameters (exceeding or falling below a defined corridor), downtimes or quality problems can be quickly identified and targeted measures can be developed to solve the problems. The immediately available data is the basis for an efficient root cause analysis and the subsequent troubleshooting. Ideally, by analyzing the production parameters, settings can be changed preventively during operation and the process can be adjusted before the tolerance limit is exceeded.

  • 2. optimization of intralogistics

    It is not only the production processes that need to be proactively controlled and monitored. Intralogistics must also be set up appropriately in terms of batch sizes, container sizes and delivery frequencies with the flexibility provided. Changes in the production program must be communicated online to the intralogistics system in order to avoid over- or under-deliveries to the assembly line in good time. This avoids multiple transports and the associated unnecessary handling costs. The dynamic adjustment of the supply parameters thus reduces the stocks on the assembly line and ultimately in the overall logistics, which ultimately leads to an optimization of inventory costs.

  • 3. digital cooperation

    In order to coordinate planning and control processes, the ability to collaborate digitally is essential. This includes the selection of a suitable manufacturing execution system (MES) for monitoring the production process and for production controlling. Digital collaboration goes beyond the classic MES. The use of AI (artificial intelligence) in production planning can help to compensate for the inadequacies of planning data and provide a reliable basis for sales and consequently production planning based on a combination of historical data and market estimates. This forward-looking planning is the basis for reassuring the entire supply chain by avoiding short-term planning fluctuations (excess or shortfall in quantities, postponements). Another addition is the use of dynamic simulation to compare possible planning scenarios and select the optimum configuration of planning parameters at the time of the decision.

Classic production control vs. production control 4.0

Classic production control is part of the production planning system (PPC) alongside production planning. Here, production planning specifies the operations in the medium to short term. Production control releases the orders on the basis of this planning and monitors or ensures their execution. It therefore regulates the actual sequence of activities during order processing and schedules the short-term machine allocation and material supply. The aim here is to implement the specifications of the higher-level planning as precisely as possible and to achieve the specified target values (e.g. throughput times, optimum utilization of resources, etc.).

The foundation of successful production control 4.0 is a holistic, coordinated and digital flow of information through IT systems in production and the supply chain. In addition to the classic ERP system, a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) is used to monitor production, which combines machine and order data acquisition as well as quality management and personnel time recording. In the event of deviations in quantities, deadlines or quality, production control intervenes quickly and flexibly to take corrective action. Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) are used to control materials in order to optimize warehouse and material supply processes based on real-time data. The use of advanced AI applications through to dynamic simulation form further building blocks of Production Control 4.0 in order to be able to react to market and supply chain changes at an early stage and in a targeted manner or, ideally, to recognize these effects in advance and thus proactively take countermeasures. Increased productivity, optimized adherence to delivery dates and improvements in process and therefore product quality are the logical consequence and help to sustainably increase a company’s competitiveness.

Success factors for the introduction of production control 4.0:

The success of your production control strategy depends on various factors, such as the production system and special requirements for your production. We work with you to develop an individual optimization approach in line with your corporate strategy.