Taxonomy term

FLEX provides Advanced Dashboard features that can be configured according to a specific business role.

Focused

In a production system, keeping track of manufacturing processes and performances it's an important activity. The use of specific KPIs can help this analysis. FLEX provides features to create Advanced Dashboards to display strategic information for each business function. The displayed data are extracted from the FLEX database or pshed by other systems; the information is in different ways: through grids, trees, graphics, gauges, pivot tables and KPIs.

Easy-to-use

According to the principles of role-based and visual manufacturing, users can easily access data and KPIs through the graphical and interactive features of FLEX provide intuitive and easy-to-use tools for data analysis so that also non-expert users can explore and analyze complex data by using a familiar tool.

Configurable

The FLEX Advanced Dashboards can easily be configured with all the information and KPIs needed by a specific role. A set of preconfigured roles is already available in FLEX or can be modified and customized thanks to the FLEX "FOR YOU tools".

Thanks to FLEX Advanced Dashboards, Top Managers and Controllers can analyze business performance data in a few clicks and:

• improve decision making, react in real-time to any production issue
• get an immediate overview on process status in different company areas (production, purchasing, sales, etc) with graphical representations and KPIs
• have an easy access to company data and information
• monitor the main KPIs for production processes, such as the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (O.E.E.)

The software solution has also been developed in order to provide:

• Friendly user interface
• High configurability
• Great reliability and easy access to data

The FLEX Manufacturing Execution System (MES) has been designed and developed by Tecnest in order to provide a solution to all Manufacturing Execution processes' needs.

Complete

In compliance the international MESA model, the FLEX MES solution provides features to manage the 10 main pillars of MES: data acquisition, Dispatching Production Unit, resource allocation & status, labor management, process management, quality control, traceability and tracking, Control PLCs, warehouse management, performance analysis.
The central FLEX MES solution is connected to the Smart Factory Console of FLEX for Industry 4.0. This is a role-based web application for data collection and production process monitoring and to manage and analize the data and information collected from industrial machinery, operators and products within the Factory 4.0.

Real Time

FLEX MES is complementary to the FLEX APS (Advanced Planning & Scheduling) solution. The FLEX MES solution is, in fact, natively integrated with the APS one. These two modules create the FLEX PWE (Plan while Executing) solution which, thanks to an integrated data architecture,  provides a real-time synchronization between the planning and execution processes.
Thanks to this solution, it is possible to check (directly on the Gantt) the status of planned activities, while these are performed.  That means, it is possible to modify the production plan in real-time, as soon as it turns out to be necessary.

Flexible

FLEX MES can run as a stand-alone application or be linked to the other applications of FLEX Suite (APS solution and ERP Operations features).

It can also be easily integrated with third-part APS systems and with the company existing ERP (such as SAP, JDEdwards, Baan, Microsoft Dynamics, etc).

FLEX APS advanced planning & scheduling features enable companies to:

• Improve service level and provide more precise delivery dates
• Decrease manufacturing lead time by planning purchase and production activities according to material requirements
• Perform interactive “what if” simulations to evaluate the real-time impact of each action on the plan
• Identify pre-emptively critical materials and bottle necks in order to perform "make or buy" analysis
• Improve production efficiency by increasing plant's saturation 
• Decrease the number of missing materials
• Thanks to the real-time synchronization with the FLEX MES solution, verify the workflow of planned activities in the exact time when these are performed, in order to take immediate action in case of need (according to the “Plan while Executing” paradigm)