With integrations, systems can be made to effectively communicate with each other and data can be transferred at the right time to the right system.
The number of systems used by industrial companies in their operational activities has remarkably increased in the 21st century and the pace is still expected to grow. However, data produced by separate systems is often fragmented and stored in different places in the production plant. Therefore, its utilization is difficult.
Efficient management of production processes requires simultaneous and seamless operation of separate systems. With integrations, systems can be made to effectively communicate with each other and data can be transferred at the right time to the right system.
Integrations became more popular in the industry in the early 2010s, and their benefits are obvious. Integrations can substantially reduce the amount of manual work and, at the same time, the risk of human error. In addition, they ensure data transfer regardless of staff absence or possible staff changes.
Furthermore, integrations can help utilize existing systems more comprehensively, streamline operations, improve the production process and quality, and enhance the action planning for production. Real-time data transfer reduces the response time of employees and improves the data availability and communication within the organization.
Simple integration solutions do not work with multiple systems.
The 1st generation integration solutions are so called point to point integrations, where two systems are directly integrated with each other. This type of simple integration solutions work well as long as there are only a few systems with compatible technologies.
Problems will emerge particularly when introducing a new system or updating an old one. When changes are made to software, modifications must be manually made to integrations. Additional work is also required when developing production and transferring data beyond customary norm via the integration. Making changes to integrations in ERP systems, for example, is often expensive.
A modern way to implement integrations is to use a platform solution where, instead of being directly integrated with each other, the systems are integrated with the platform. The platform delivers the data that needs to be transferred to all of the necessary systems. The platform can be compared to a bus carrying its passengers conveniently and reliably from departure stops to the desired destination. Instead of passengers, the platform conveys data that is valuable to the business. The term ”Enterprise Service Bus” is commonly used for the integration platform.
For example, the platform can be used to transfer sales forecasts from the ERP system to Advance Planning and Scheduling (APS). Work shift specific plans created by APS are then delivered, via the Manufacturing Execution System (MES), to the control systems of each individual production machine, in the right format. Since all data transfer between the systems can be implemented through the enterprise service bus, individual integrations between the systems are no longer needed.
Software modifications are not necessary in systems that are integrated using a platform. The use of a modern enterprise service bus can prevent problems related to several different integrations and maximize the benefits of the systems.