Press release – January 22, 2024
The new CONTACT Elements module for the smart factory
CONTACT Software expands its open Elements platform for Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) with a new module for resource planning on the shopfloor.
CONTACT Elements for IoT provides no-code applications for asset management and the comprehensive digitalization of manufacturing that go far beyond the functionality of an MES solution and can be flexibly combined. Now, CONTACT Software has expanded its offer for the smart factory with a new Elements app for staff scheduling.
The Shopfloor Planner was developed in close collaboration with thyssenkrupp Dynamic Components. It significantly simplifies machine allocation in production and creates transparency. This enables companies to quickly respond to deviations from the plan, such as personnel shortages, to meet delivery deadlines and avoid costly penalties.
Transparent shift planning for the shopfloor
The Shopfloor Planner gives production managers an overview of which team members are available, ill, or on vacation. Once planning is complete, it shows which persons are scheduled for each machine and shift and indicates whether setup processes or services are due. Filtering and color coding make it easy to see whether a shift is over- or understaffed.
Closing planning gaps quickly
Short-term staff absences can slow down production. "In the worst case, a plant may come to a standstill," says Kilian Bächle, Product Manager for CONTACT's IoT offering. "It is usually challenging to quickly find someone who can operate a specific machine." With the Shopfloor Planner from Elements for IoT, this now becomes easy.
Production managers can immediately see where action is needed if someone is absent at short notice. Elements for IoT lists the individuals with the right qualifications to close each planning gap. One look at their previous workload is enough for managers to identify a suitable replacement and prevent plant downtime.
Thyssenkrupp Dynamic Components is a leading automotive supplier of drivetrain components for combustion, hybrid, and electric motors. The company has been using CONTACT Elements for IoT for global production control at its ten manufacturing sites for a year now.
