Oracle Introduces New Manufacturing Execution System for Discrete Manufacturing

New Release of Oracle(r) E-Business Suite Offers Improved Shop Floor Integration, Yields Better Visibility, Reduces Manual Processes and Helps Lower Costs.
Oracle today announced the availability of Oracle(r) Manufacturing Execution System for Discrete Manufacturing (Oracle MES for Discrete Manufacturing), a new application that enables manufacturers to deploy Oracle Applications directly on the shop floor without complex and costly integrations with third party manufacturing execution solutions. Part of the Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12, this latest manufacturing offering gives companies with low-to-medium complexity environments increased shop floor visibility, and the ability to reduce manual activities and lower the total cost of ownership.

“We already use Oracle directly on the shop floor and are very excited about the new capabilities available in the Oracle MES for Discrete Manufacturing module that is now available in Release 12,” said Hologic, Inc. Vice President, Information Systems and Chief Information Officer David M. Rudzinsky.

Faced with new challenges as a result of globalization and increased demand for made-to-order, customized products, manufacturers today need solutions to simplify production and control costs. Oracle Manufacturing Execution System for Discrete Manufacturing is completely integrated with Oracle’s enterprise resource planning and manufacturing applications, giving customers enterprise-wide visibility to adapt to unpredictable changes in demand. Shop floor supervisors have a single launching pad to view key performance indicators as well as detailed shop floor status, and can monitor resource loads and rearrange production schedules as required. This latest release also equips manufacturers with new workbench capabilities to allow shop floor personnel to efficiently and effectively execute, record and monitor activities.

“Our motivation to deploy Oracle’s Manufacturing Execution System for Discrete Manufacturing is two-fold: to improve shop efficiencies through improved visibility and to enhance the user’s experience through increased functionality,” said Hanover Compressor CIO and Vice President Stephen York.

Reducing Tactical, Manual Processes
Oracle Manufacturing Execution System for Discrete Manufacturing includes a new Operator Workbench with a simplified, easy-to-use interface for shop floor operators to deliver critical information needed to complete daily tasks. Activities may be performed simultaneously with direct access to relevant information, which minimizes system interaction time while improving productivity and efficiency. Operators will benefit from list-driven prioritizing capabilities that enable work to be completed in the desired order of priority. Additionally, new configurable work content and sequential displays allow companies to go “paperless” while a clock in/clock out feature captures actual time. The new workbench also streamlines transactions to significantly reduce tactical, manual activities on the shop floor.

Enhanced Shop Floor Visibility and Control
Managerial functions available in the Supervisor Workbench enable users to maintain greater control over manufacturing activities and proactively resolve issues that prevent work progress. Key usability features include exception resolution allowing supervisors to easily assign alternative resources, anticipated capacity resource shortages for proactive staffing changes and a supervisor dashboard for real-time views of the activities on the shop floor.

“Activating Oracle MES on EBS Release 12 functionality will be a compelling alternative to tackling the integration and governance complexity - and incurring the high total cost of ownership associated with the integration of best-of-breed MES products,” said Colin Masson in the October 2006 AMR Research, “OpenWorld 2006: Oracle Overtly Challenges the MES Paradigm.”

General Availability
Oracle Manufacturing Execution System for Discrete Manufacturing within the Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 is currently available. Terms, conditions and restrictions apply.