Page 273 - Sensors and Control Systems in Manufacturing

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5.2.6 The CIM Plan for the Enterprise
For the enterprise as a whole, these advantages add up to faster
release of new products, shorter delivery times, optimized finished
goods inventory, shorter production planning and development
cycles, reduced production lead time, improved product quality, reli-
ability and serviceability, increased responsiveness, and greater com-
petitiveness. In effect, CIM replaces an enterprise’s short-term techni-
cal improvements with a long-term strategic solution.
The advantages of CIM with sensors and control systems are
not just limited to the four walls of an enterprise. It can also deliver
real productivity gains in the outside world. For example, suppliers
will be able to plan production, schedule deliveries, and track ship-
ments more efficiently. Customers will benefit from shorter order-
to-delivery times, on-time deliveries, and less expensive, higher-
quality products.

5.3 The Manufacturing Enterprise Model
The integration and productivity gains made possible by CIM with
sensors and control systems are the key to maintaining a competitive
edge in today’s manufacturing environments. The enterprise model
defines an enterprise in terms of its functions. In a traditional enter-
prise that relies on a complex organization structure, operations and
functional management are divided into separate departments, each
with its own objectives, responsibilities, resources, and productivity
tools.
Yet, for the enterprise to operate profitably, these departments
must perform in concert. Sensors and control systems that improve
one operation at the expense of another, and tie up the enterprise’s
resources, are counterproductive. New sensors and control systems
in CIM can create a systematic network out of these insulated pockets
of productivity. But to understand how, one must examine the ele-
ments of an enterprise model and see how its various functional areas
work—independently and with each other.
Creating a model of the enterprise can help expose operations
that are redundant, unnecessary, or even missing. It can also help
determine which information is critical to a successful implementa-
tion once effective sensors and control systems are incorporated.
Obviously, this model is a general description. Many industry-
unique variations to the model exist. Some enterprises may not
require all of the functions described, while others may require more
than those listed. Still other enterprises may use the same types of
functions, but group them differently.
For example, in the aerospace industry, life-cycle maintenance of
products is an essential requirement and may require extensions to