JIS in the Smart Factory: what will change in the future?

The more complex and individual customer requirements become, the better production processes have to be coordinated to meet them.The more complex and individual customer requirements become, the better production processes have to be coordinated to meet them.

JIS in the Smart Factory: what will change in the future?
JIS in the Smart Factory: what will change in the future?

The more complex and individual customer requirements become, the better production processes have to be coordinated to meet them. This can be achieved by setting up a smart factory in which all elements are networked with one another and carry out jobs independently - on the basis of big data. This data exchange is no longer coordinated by human hands, but by a just-in-sequence system.

The Smart Factory is the arena in which the digitization of production, Industry 4.0 or the (Industrial) Internet of Things is concretized: Here, cyber-physical systems act autonomously, numerous sensors record countless data, machines and systems are mapped and virtualized by digital twins and predictive maintenance ensures that there are hardly any downtimes. All of this means that the processes in production and logistics are changing. They will become more effective, more efficient and more flexible. At least potentially. Another important aspect is the open and permeable borders of a smart factory, which not only promote vertical integration but also horizontal integration. Cooperation with other departments and companies is made easier because data can flow unhindered.

The future of JIS lies in full automation

This has very immediate effects for automotive suppliers. Because they are part of a value-added network or delivery network that is largely specified by the manufacturer. This becomes particularly tangible through the just-in-sequence principle that all OEMs specify for a range of products. Suppliers who do not deliver to the assembly line at the right time and in the right order have no chance from the outset. In order for this to work at all, the systems of manufacturers and suppliers were also linked with one another in the past. The OEMs sent their order requests to the suppliers via an EDI interface. They then had to control their internal processes accordingly - whereby IT was also used to a certain extent.

With the possibilities of the Smart Factory, it is now possible to raise the entire process to a new level. This can start with the manufacturers with the fact that the demand is predicted with the help of predictive methods, which supports the suppliers in their planning. Of course, the suppliers are also able to draw conclusions about the demand based on the data they have collected and to make appropriate preparations. The incoming order requests can then automatically initiate the next steps: send driverless transport systems (AGVs) and intelligent containers on their way, supply machines and systems with the correct specifications or guide employees in assembly using instructions on the data glasses.

JIS system as mastermind

The JIS system plays the role of the mastermind. It organizes the exchange of data between manufacturers and suppliers and addresses the downstream systems and devices. It thus maps the entire process of production, assembly and logistics. This requires an open, holistic and reliable JIS system that can process different protocols and formats and to which machines and systems can also be connected. The more flexible the software, the easier it is for production systems to be supplied with all the necessary data. In this case, flexible means that the solution is not tied to special formats and that smart devices can be integrated at any time. The transmission of individual production orders via EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is therefore possible regardless of which individual (special) format or which implementation a manufacturer uses. The result is a hybrid approach that combines Edge, Fog and Cloud Computing with the central server landscape in the company and makes the software usable for all industries - whether automotive, manufacturing or mechanical and plant engineering.

Since the level of complexity in the different industries is nonetheless different, an inventory of the entire process should be carried out before the integration of a JIS system. This means that from the acceptance of the delivery call-offs to the processing of orders in the shop floor and the processing of the dispatch to the payment process or credit note procedure, all process steps are examined to determine which functions should be mapped centrally in the ERP standard and which specifically in the JIS system. A high level of coverage and transparency of the processes, the configurability of the JIS system and the highest possible integration in ERP are among the minimum requirements.