Leveraging ERP system automation in aerospace manufacturing for better efficiency

PHOTO COURTESY GLOBAL SHOP SOLUTIONS

For years, automation was considered the future of manufacturing. In case you haven’t been paying attention, that future is here now, and it’s the driving force behind doing more with less.

Manufacturing automation comes from three primary sources – auto features built into your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, state-of-the-art computer-guided production machines, and third-party software programs that integrate with your ERP. Each helps reduce labor costs, eliminate paper and waste, process orders faster, reduce setup and production times, and get your product out the door on time every time. All of which can be accomplished with fewer employees and with less overhead.

ERP already provides many types of automation, such as auto scheduling and auto purchasing. It wasn’t too long ago that scheduling required a team of planners, reams of paper, and never-ending spreadsheets to get the job done. With ERP, you enter the job data and requested due date into the Scheduling application, which automatically assesses labor and machine capacity and material availability in inventory and fits the job into the right place on the schedule.

Want to reduce headcount in the purchasing department while lowering purchasing costs? Auto purchasing lets you buy parts and raw materials for less money in a fraction of the time by automatically importing and consolidating all work order and inventory information. No more hours spent poring over handwritten purchase orders. No more researching which materials are needed for upcoming jobs because with auto reorder you never run out of frequently used parts and materials.

Other ERP automations include:

• Accounting – ERP automates many accounting processes, making it quicker and easier to complete daily accounts payables and receivables to monthly closes. Invoices can automatically be scanned and mapped to your ERP system.
• Inventory – Automated inventory processes can track material movement, such as picking materials and lot tracking from anywhere on the shop floor, and the transaction instantly gets recorded in inventory.

Beyond ERP

Using a programmable logic controller (PLC), automated CNCs can control an assembly line, robotic device, or other processes requiring high reliability. The PLC connects to the CNC machine and sends the job data directly to the ERP system. Depending on the CNC and the complexity of the part being made, manufacturers can make parts without a human operator present or with minimal human interaction.

One caution with automation: it needs to be implemented carefully and with a strategic perspective aligning with your business and operations strategies. Every automation should have a clearly defined purpose and an outcome supporting your long-term business goals.

About the author – George Thuo is the director of Cloud ERP for Global Shop Solutions.

Global Shop Solutions
https://www.globalshopsolutions.com