Battle Plan from the Digital Trenches
In 2019, Marc Labrie, a facilities engineering manager at Mueller Water Products, embarked on a transformative journey, leading the implementation of a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) at the company's Chattanooga plant. Two years later, the project has proven to be a resounding success, leading to a company-wide digital transformation in 2022.
Labrie's effort was not in vain. The MES project resulted in data-literate supervisors and managers at the Chattanooga plant, proving fruitful not only on a quantitative basis but also on an optics, cultural, and qualitative basis.
The critical mass of an MES at a plant is reached when the system provides control over bottlenecks, allowing for strategic direction with data, and when every process intimately close to the bottleneck is digitalized, which could be as much as 30 to 40% of the plant. In the case of Chattanooga, it took Labrie two years to get all six major departments digitalized.
Mueller was using various legacy systems that were becoming unusable, and Labrie implemented three major deployments of Hexagon Nexus solutions in a six-month period. The MES project helped change the culture at Mueller's Chattanooga plant, even if the data contradicted the employees' long-held beliefs.
The relationships built and leadership established during the MES project are considered more valuable than the technology itself. The MES project gathered data, knowledge, and culture that were transferable to other plants.
To measure the critical mass of a MES implementation in a plant, focus on identifying and quantifying key performance indicators (KPIs) such as machine utilization, downtime reduction, production throughput, resource allocation efficiency, and schedule adherence. Track quality and process control metrics, including batch failure rates, deviation rates, and causes of non-conformances.
Quantify operational improvements against baseline or pilot values, similar to Industry 4.0 scale-up approach. Assess adoption and change in ways of working by operators and managers, including usage rates of the MES for production scheduling, dispatch, and documentation. Measure workflow integration and connectivity, ensuring MES links smoothly to ERP, supply chain, quality systems, and IoT devices for full digital thread continuity.
Labrie believes that building one's own MES forces continuous improvement and cooperation, and that standard out-of-box systems are not customizable and have high costs for customizations. The spread of the MES to other plants was facilitated by people cross-pollinating and top performers showing interest in the technology.
The real problem with digitalization, according to Labrie, is not just getting the C-suite to approve it, but also getting the people below the C-suite to engage and interact in the digital process. Mueller conducted a matrix analysis of various MES options in 2021 to 2023, touring sites with other platforms, but none came close to what was delivered in Chattanooga.
Labrie's organization makes changes to the system quickly, which he sees as a significant advantage. The MES project in Chattanooga was proven successful, leading to a company-wide implementation in 2022. Labrie, who is now a director-level employee, is guiding the company's multi-plant digitalization strategy.
Labrie started his career in the steel industry and found it struggling with the transition to a tech-based environment. However, his experience at Mueller has proven that with the right leadership and approach, digital transformation can be a success.
References:
[1] Hexagon. (2021). Hexagon Nexus MES. Retrieved from https://www.hexagon.com/products/manufacturing-industries/hexagon-nexus-mes
[2] SAP. (2021). SAP Manufacturing Execution (ME) for Discrete Industries. Retrieved from https://www.sap.com/products/manufacturing-execution.html
[3] Gartner. (2020). Gartner Magic Quadrant for Manufacturing Execution Systems. Retrieved from https://www.gartner.com/en/research/market-guides/magic-quadrant-for-manufacturing-execution-systems
[4] Bosch Rexroth. (2019). Bosch Rexroth's Manufacturing Execution System. Retrieved from https://www.boschrexroth.com/us/en/industrial-automation/products/software-and-hardware-systems/manufacturing-execution-systems/
[5] Rockwell Automation. (2021). FactoryTalk ProductionCentre. Retrieved from https://www.rockwellautomation.com/products/factorytalk/factorytalk-productioncentre
The MES implementation in Chattanooga has resulted in a significant shift in the business culture, as data-literate supervisors and managers now make strategic decisions based on data. This digital transformation, facilitated by Labrie, is expected to be expanded company-wide in 2022.
The success of the MES project at Mueller's Chattanooga plant has shown that custom-built systems can drive continuous improvement and cooperation, surpassing the limitations of standard out-of-box systems. The quantifiable operational improvements and workflow integration achieved through this project are transferable to other plants, leading to a multi-plant digitalization strategy under Labrie's guidance.
