The ability to integrate an MES solution with other systems is one of the strengths of this type of industrial software, especially when it comes to improving supply management. In this article we explain what the Material Request package consists of, a functionality of the Mapex platform designed to establish a communication flow between the production plant and the warehouse.
Supply management in an industrial company is crucial for the smooth running of the business. That is why some of our customers take advantage of the integration possibilities of the Mapex solution with their Warehouse Management Software (WMS) to ensure that plant operations run uninterrupted and with maximum efficiency.
In fact, this is the purpose for which we have developed the Material Request package. This is a functionality of the Mapex MES system designed to digitize both the supply of materials, components or raw materials at the production line and the collection of semi-finished and finished products.
The automation of the procurement process helps to avoid long waits on the production floor, caused by the lack of precision in the supply of materials to the factory; to reduce the volume of material that returns to the warehouse without having been used; to speed up the transfer of finished products to the warehouse or of semi-finished products to other production processes; and to minimize operational costs.
Communication between shop floor and warehouse to improve visibility and transparency
By connecting the Mapex MES solution, the WMS and the AGV and AIV robots, companies improve visibility and transparency in the management of procurement at their production sites.
On the one hand, plant operators can see in real time the status of each of the material requests made, define a default quantity and establish which requests are a priority. On the other hand, warehouse workers are able to visualize the requests pending processing.
In addition, our platform incorporates a history of requests so that companies can monitor material supply times. By analyzing and tracking this information, companies can implement continuous improvement actions to optimize delivery times and increase the level of customer satisfaction.
Real-world examples of good in-plant procurement management
Some of the companies we work with have already integrated the Mapex MES solution with other systems to improve their in-plant supply management. Below, we highlight some examples.
Angulas Aguinaga
The first of these is Angulas Aguinaga, a company specialized in modern fish solutions and creator of brands such as La Gula del Norte® and Krissia®. In their case, they have taken full advantage of the connectivity of the MES platform with the ERP and the WMS: the ERP sends the manufacturing orders to Mapex and, when they go into production, the MES sends the information to the WMS so that it can prepare the necessary material and leave it at the selected locations on the line.
Campofrío
Campofrío is another organization that uses this Mapex functionality in some of its factories. The meat company has automated via AGV the request of raw materials, semi-finished products or any auxiliary material from the plant to the warehouse, and according to the Bill of Materials (BOM) of the production orders of the master production plan. The company also uses the MES system to automate the request for materials to be picked from the AGVs, indicating the next operation or the warehouse to which they should go.
La Farga
Finally, it is not only companies in the food industry that can take advantage of the Material Request package. To speed up and increase efficiency during the production of copper tubes, La Farga has connected Mapex to its AGVs: once one of the production processes has been completed, the MES system automatically notifies these vehicles that the material is ready to be transferred to the next stage.
If you think that your industrial company’s plant supply management is not being carried out efficiently, get in touch with our team of experts. At Mapex we will advise you properly so that, through connectivity between systems, you can improve productivity and the level of customer service.