Cable design system with cross section diagram and bill of material for a low-voltage cable.

Bilder: Advaris

Multi-resource planning: Simultaneous scheduling of machine capacity and material requirements

Online plan / actual comparison of production times, quantities and single lengths.

The best of both worlds

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It is almost a classic dilemma: is it better to craft one’s own software and to create a highly individual system? Or should one rely on standardised programmes and complement these with sub-systems as required? Both are extreme solutions. And they involve a series of disadvantages, particularly in a sector in which manufacturing and logistics are seldom homogeneously structured. While customised programming means high costs for service and further developments, standardised Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions rarely meet all requirements and result in expenses for adaptation and programming. The German software house, Advaris, has now united the advantages of both methods and offers the cable and wire industry an integrated solution to cover special requirements. “We combine the best of both worlds,” promises Manfred Moser, Managing Director at Advaris. Thanks to a modular system, all the customer’s requirements for order processing can now be met. This has a decisive competitive advantage. Jürgen Böslau, Manager for Warehouse/IT at Nexans Deutschland GmbH confirms this. “For us, Advaris is a partner that offers universal solutions at the level of Manufacturing Execution System (MES). That is, from design stage via CAQ to operational and machine data capture.” One example of the integration of these modules below the ERP level is the relatively simple generation of test plans using design data. In spite of extensive functionalities, the system house nevertheless responds to customers’ wishes and uses its own know-how to develop beneficial solutions for Nexans. In the cable sector, it is often necessary to master the combination of series production and the manufacturing of customer orders. Cables are generally ordered at short notice. Norms unique to certain countries or applications increase the variety of options. Independently of this, the business processes must be optimised and the quality level guaranteed. To achieve this, a fully integrated order processing system is essential. The relevant departments should be linked on-line, as every modification must be available to the employees in real time. Delays due to inefficient interfaces or redundant data storage cannot be tolerated. The special constraints of the cable industry and length-based manufacturing must also be considered. Here, the use of universal standard software is only possible to a limited extent – and usually requires extra individual effort. An integrated solution for the complete order processing procedure contributes to a sustainable improvement in performance. Advaris’ range includes modular elements for MES, product data management and enterprise resource planning. Individuality combined with standard components characterises a vertical solution for the cable and wire industry that is truly comprehensive, as Manfred Moser stresses.

“Worldwide, there are few proven experts in information technology with solid know-how in the cable and wire sector.” His company, therefore, offers customers an edge over competitors by combining highly productive software with the services of qualified and specialised consultants. Cable design, BOM & routing and cost calculation provide the base data for all business processes of the companies. Without integrated product data management, great potential would simply be lost here. For instance, creating flexibility in manufacturing by using alternative machines and raw materials is not even considered. Correct planning times do not exist. Instead, apparently good experiences or estimations are striven for. However, these are not precise enough to form a reliable basis for calculations. The losses of value which may then occur range from unplanned outsourcing through poor capacity utilisation to the failure to meet deadlines or even the loss of profit margins.
Many cable manufacturers underestimate the significance of their master data for their company’s operating profits. In this respect, Moser considers the linking of this data essential.
Besides current master data, online feed-back from the manufacturing department is a further prerequisite for efficient production planning. With special processes for resource allocation, tailored to cable manufacturing, adherence to schedules can be improved parallel to the reduction of work-in-progress stocks. Order, machine, personnel and quality data of the individual cable lengths can be continually logged in the manufacturing department and is available to all divisions of the company. Traceability of production is thus secured regarding every detail. “With assistance from Advaris, we have achieved constant improvements in our manufacturing planning and controlling by creating transparency in the current situation,” says Stefan Nestler, commercial Manager at Waskönig+Walter Kabel-Werk GmbH+Co. KG in Saterland. “We can now respond more promptly to new developments. The overall efficiency of our processes has increased. Advaris provides a test plan that is always based on the design data, resulting in less expenditure and effort for compilation and maintenance. Thanks to automatic forwarding to the MES system, the recording of measured values in manufacturing with reference to the current test plan is guaranteed. Manual effort for the entry of article and order data, length and spool numbers etc. can be dispensed with completely. The quality processes can be controlled more efficiently.

The strongest argument for integration of product data management, MES and sales is the opportunity to react more quickly to customer enquiries and the reduction in effort and expense for offering and costing according to batch size and individual length. Furthermore, current production planning can be consulted regarding possible delivery dates. Reliable offer information secures the profit margin. Integrated vertical solutions, as offered by Advaris, also enable a reservation of the correct cable lengths from current production with reference to the respective variants, customer lengths and drum types by means of seamless linking of ERP and production. Alterations at short notice to dates, quantity, lengths or other product features are still possible after release of the production order. They can be included consistently in materials management, production planning and offers, as well as in the invoicing process. So, is it not always a choice between standard ERP and customised programming? No, indeed. Companies in the cable and wire industry can combine the advantages of both methods.