Production management information systems usually make an essential contribution to the performance of the means of production. But in order to achieve this end, they must be adapted to the users needs and be sufficiently integrated with the rest of the IS environment (upstream PLM, MES, supply chain planning, etc.). Their implementation also demands an intensive change management project in order to avoid the usual problems: maintenance of the usual parallel paper-based flows that are pointless or even disruptive, parallel calculation of needs using Excel, poor control of production management parameters leading to severe malfunctions, etc.

If these conditions are met, there are numerous advantages:

• existence and maintenance of a technical database (procedures, parts lists) that can be interfaced with the product life cycle management tools (PLM), if they are used, and guarantees the reliability of the MRP, time tracking and the monitoring of material consumption, the information sent to industrial management control, planning and scheduling, etc.,
• MRP2 systems used to milestone production operations and calculate procurement plans, manage raw materials stocks and raw materials in process. This method must not be in opposition with just-in-time management methods (Kanban, synchronous, etc.), since the software can now coherently integrate these different flow management methods,
• tracking of production and consumption, in particular to provide input for scheduling and manufacturing management control,
• manufacturing management control, which controls standard costs and provides all the production management indicators used to define the action plans for improvement.

The implementation of a computerized production management system can help production sites to achieve significant progress. It can also form a close fit with Lean management initiatives, provided that the deployed management methods are coherent with the options chosen as part of the Lean program. It can also provide historical information that can be used to quantify the levers used in this type of approach. However, careful preparations are necessary before selecting and implementing a solution, otherwise the project will experience the usual problems: running over time and over budget, results that do not meet expectations or justify the efforts made.

Argon Consulting helps its customers in:

• the analysis of existing production management practices and, where appropriate, the use of an existing Computer-Aided Production Management (CAPM): this diagnostic can either assess the needs to be taken into consideration for the future CAPM, or the need to improve the existing CAPM, which is often a significant source of progress,
• the definition of the target processes and the associated business rules,so that the target business vision is as clear as possible and guides the decisions to implement or to adapt the existing CAPM, and not the contrary,
• the construction of a business case that objectively defines the expected gains of the initiative and the synergies with other ongoing initiatives,
• the authoring of the functional and technical specifications that guide the pre-selection of solutions according to the organization’s specific needs, and in line with the organization’s guiding principles applying to information systems. The question of target architecture scenarios will probably also be raised:
  • best-of-breed software suites that are added to the existing IS,
  • extension of the existing ERP to the realm of production management,
  • implementation of a new ERP with a CAPM component.
• the management of the call for tender:independent pre-selection of a short list of solutions, definition of the selection criteria, which may require the development of a prototype with a real test sample,
• implementation support, and more specifically:
  • detailed definition of the new business processes,
  • skills transfer and training engineering,
  • operational tracking of the startup, and in particular help in the selection of flow management methods and management rules.