Dynamic Routing Plan for Custom Manufacturing via Bill of Work
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional manufacturing execution systems (MES) are inadequate for handling custom or built-to-order products, as they struggle to predict and control the various elements of the manufacturing process effectively, especially when products have multiple permutations and require granular routing and time planning.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that expands an electronic sales order into individual bill of materials (BOM) elements and bill of work (BOW) elements, generating a dynamic routing plan by identifying work attributes and constructing a sequence of activities, allowing for precise control of manufacturing processes even for custom products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional MES is used to control manufacturing processes, then standard products can be manufactured with minimal setup, but custom or built-to-order products cannot be effectively modeled or controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by creating a BOW template system that can be used across all product types (standard and custom). The template contains universal elements like work center definitions, operation sequences, and resource requirements that can be instantiated for any product variant, eliminating the need for separate modeling approaches for different product types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the manufacturing process model into discrete BOW elements (operations, work centers, resources, time estimates) that can be independently defined, stored in a database, and dynamically assembled. This segmentation allows the system to handle custom products by selecting and combining appropriate BOW elements rather than requiring a complete custom model for each product.
2Manufacturing precision
If detailed routing information is added to MBOM for custom products, then manufacturing execution control improves, but the system cannot predict every possible built-to-order permutation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamics by making the routing plan generated from BOW templates adaptable to specific product configurations. The system dynamically selects and instantiates BOW elements based on the actual product order requirements, allowing the same template structure to serve multiple product permutations without pre-defining all possible variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The BOW template acts as an intermediary between the generic MBOM and the specific manufacturing execution requirements. It provides a structured framework that translates high-level product definitions into detailed routing information, enabling precise control without requiring explicit models for every possible product configuration.
3Productivity
If separate MES system is implemented to control manufacturing elements, then manufacturing execution improves for standard products, but it is impractical to model each custom product permutation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining BOW templates with all necessary manufacturing elements (operations, work centers, resources, time estimates) before actual production. These templates are stored in a database and can be quickly instantiated for specific product orders, eliminating the need to create models from scratch for each custom product while maintaining detailed control.
Data Source
AI summary
A technique provides a dynamic routing plan for manufacturing a product. The technique involves expanding an electronic sales order for the product into individual bill of materials (BOM) elements and bill of work (BOW) elements, the BOM elements identifying components of the product (e.g., materials, parts, sub-assemblies, etc.), and the BOW elements specifying BOW activities to be performed on the components identified by the BOM elements. The technique further involves identifying work attributes for the BOW activities specified by the BOW elements (e.g., manufacturing stages, expected work time at each stage, etc.). The technique further involves constructing the dynamic routing plan based on the BOW elements and the work attributes identified for the BOW activities specified by the BOW elements. The dynamic routing plan (i) defines a sequence for performing the BOW activities as well as (ii) provides the work attributes for the BOW activities to manufacture the product.