Can mid-market discrete and batch process manufacturers meet their MES and ERP needs in one platform? The DELMIAWorks Manufacturing ERP solution from Dassault Systèmes is one of the few with MES embedded in its platform and is globally available. In fact, IQMS developed the MES first, before adding ERP and supply chain functionality and before being acquired by Dassault Systèmes.
As part of the Dassault Systèmes DELMIA family of products, DELMIAWorks provides Dassault with its only mid-market ERP/MES/QMS/SCM combination. Dassault extended the product’s reach and range from its North American roots as IQMS to global coverage via the Dassault SolidWorks partner network. The combination of CAD/CAM, ERP, and MES from a single source has proven compelling.
For customer flexibility, the product is offered on-premises or cloud-hosted, licensed as perpetual or subscription. Unlike other solutions, cloud-hosted is not required to be a subscription license or only licensed as perpetual on-premises.
MES as a Trojan Horse
Independent MES vendors often report that the most challenging part of the sales cycle is convincing the prospective business and IT leaders that they need an MES in the first place. The view from the top is that the ERP system capabilities are sufficient to run the factory. MES vendors must provide demonstrably higher levels of functionality even to be considered. Once they overcome that hurdle, the next and sometimes most insurmountable hurdle is the need for integration between the MES and an ERP, often customized for the manufacturer.
DELMIAWorks has flipped the script with their customers, where their MES’s functionality exceeds the incumbent ERP’s capabilities. Their end-to-end ERP/MES solution has prompted customers to replace their ERP with DELMIAWorks.
DELMIAWorks provides this solution primarily to manufacturers of industrial products, automotive products, medical devices, consumer packaged goods, and packaging, but it also supports other manufacturing sectors.
Keys to Success — Machine Connectivity
DELMIAWorks traditionally supplied their own hardware connectivity devices to extract data from programmable logic controllers (PLCs). As hardware devices have become more intelligent, they have adopted standards including OPC UA, MT Connect, and MQTT to ensure that they have machine-level and IIoT data available. This delivers strong support for the scheduling and analytics functions essential to managing shop-floor processes and maintaining shop-floor equipment. Effectively, MES is the common store and analytic engine.
Keys to Success – Connected Worker
DELMIAWorks ShopWorks connected worker module was initially released two years ago. Designed to simplify frontline workers’ views, it is on mobile devices and configurable for a clean screen. Each department or user can create a “smart page,” a homepage displaying the most essential information required to complete their tasks. This information can include individual machine status, alarms, and Process and operator certification/validation. ShopWorks provides bi-directional data access to and from the shop floor to the office, as well as integrated quality data collection and enforcement. It also offers other essential production functions such as label printing.
Most recently, quick inspection capability was added to enhance quality management. Users can also see the status and performance of machines, conduct inspections, track quality issues and rejects, and dispose of materials on the plant floor. It also performs clock-in and allocates time to jobs.
Future Directions
The team at DELMIAWorks continues to expand localized versions for additional languages, currencies, regulations, and customs. Local SolidWorks partners and other consultancies have aided this effort in managing the individual nuances of local countries across the globe, building on the pre-acquisition localization successes in Mexico and China.
DW Shell, the underlying technology in the Shopworks connected worker application, will become the foundation of a fully web-native DELMIAWorks. The initial work in adopting .NET Core will accelerate the effort, and the team is taking an incremental approach, getting feedback from their customer base along the way, to ensure a successful conversion.
Finally, DELMIAWorks will leverage Dassault’s AI platform, Mistral, for training and documentation, agents, and analytics. There is a common mindset across Dassault as they have moved into this world, which is to make AI safe for the customers. They control the IP and security layers, protecting customers’ data.
Thank you, Steve Bieszczat, Trevor Diehl, and Brad Nurnberg, for the detailed briefing and demo.
