FAQ: Comprehensive production control with SAP DMC
SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud (SAP DMC) is a cloud-based, flexibly scalable MES solution with which all production processes, including resource deployment, can be planned and executed. By enabling constant control of all downstream processes, SAP DMC ensures continuous and transparent manufacturing processes across system and company boundaries.
- End-to-end transparency of all production processes across system and company boundaries
- Rapid adaptation to changing customer and market requirements thanks to the scalability of the cloud-based MES solution
- Ad hoc availability of data and analyses thanks to centralised cloud
- Shortened reaction times thanks to real-time analytics and machine learning
- SAP DMCe – Centralised manufacturing control system for precise planning of production processes and order-related resource utilisation.
- SAP DMCi – Data-driven performance management module for end-to-end transparency
- SAP DMCn – "Seamless Collaboration" for unhindered information flow and optimises collaboration beyond the company's own boundaries (customers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), suppliers and service providers)
With SAP DMC, SAP SE is taking another consistent step towards Industry 4.0 by using the full potential and advantages of the cloud. For example, SAP DMC offers comparable KPIs, analysis and reporting functions as SAP ME, but is designed to be more comprehensive and user-friendly and also offers full transparency and control options across system and company boundaries.
Which function modules does SAP DMC offer?
The SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud (SAP DMC) is divided into three modules:
SAP DMCe (Execution) connects (top) management with the shop floor and serves as a central production control system that can be used to precisely plan the order-related use of resources and the work steps in production. Preconfigured best practices and the option to map serial numbers are also helpful here. Workers are guided via easy-to-understand graphical user interfaces, so that assembly errors are practically eliminated.
SAP DMCi (Insights) refers to data-driven performance management, enables end-to-end transparency and allows in-depth insights into production. The module provides KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and visualises the real-time information obtained in the course of the analysis via a dashboard. This production data can also be merged from divergent applications such as SAP S/4 HANA, SAP ME on-premise or non-SAP systems, evaluated and made available in the cloud.
SAP DMCn (Manufacturing Network) ensures an unhindered flow of information and optimises a company's collaboration with customers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), suppliers and service providers. Thanks to the integration in SAP S/4 HANA, seamless collaboration is not limited to the production process, but starts with procurement and also includes quality assurance and pricing.
What are the advantages of SAP DMCe - Execution?
In the context of the smart or digital factory, SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud for Execution (SAP DMCe) acts as a SaaS manufacturing cloud solution that enables you to achieve significant quality and efficiency gains. Key features and capabilities:
- High-performance manufacturing execution system with end-to-end transparency
- Detailed detailed planning of operational processes
- Systematic control of resource deployment
- Monitoring and continuous optimisation of performance
- Consistency at report level
- Rapid adaptation to changing customer and market requirements thanks to the scalability of the cloud-based MES solution
- Batch size 1 can be implemented at any time
- Minimisation of liability risks
What are the benefits of SAP DMCi - Insight?
The core task of SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud Insights (SAP DMCi) is the continuous processing and evaluation of large amounts of data (Big Data). Central features and possibilities:
- Data-driven management of production performance
- Centralised availability in the cloud
- Ad hoc availability of data and analyses
- Direct gain of knowledge
- Shortened response times through real-time analytics and machine learning
- Standardised KPIs across locations
- Global transparency beyond system boundaries
Can SAP DMC also be used in parallel with SAP EWM?
Both SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud (DMC) and SAP Extended Warehouse Management (SAP EWM) are prepared for direct integration and interaction.
In interaction, it is possible, for example, for the workers on the shop floor to initiate the required material replenishment in the desired quantity themselves via their work station. This is done via order management in SAP DMC.
Instead of continuing to proceed according to the push strategy, companies can switch to the consumption-controlled pull principle, thus saving costs and reacting more flexibly to customer requirements. In SAP EWM, the employee's input directly triggers a picking and transfer order. At the same time, the consumption is booked.
What does SAP DMC mean for the future of the industry?
In Industry 4.0, people, machines and goods are continuously networked with each other and thus also the production capacities - even if there are large distances between them. These manufacturing systems must be networked vertically.
In horizontal terms, it is essentially a matter of establishing value creation networks in which the actors involved work together collaboratively. Cloud technology plays an important role in this context. Without it, it would not be possible to process the increasing volume of data in a results-oriented way.
With SaaS offers, it is also possible to provide additional capacities when needed without having to make major investments. The SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud (SAP DMC) manufacturing solution consistently covers this complex requirement profile. The MES system ensures that personnel, materials and machines are deployed as needed on a daily basis. Thanks to real-time analytics in conjunction with machine learning, data can be used directly to create value.
