Factory Data Modeling for Cross-Plant Manufacturing Coordination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional production management techniques struggle to efficiently share and link production and manufacturing information across multiple cooperating factories, due to differences in data structures, data types, and management approaches.

Innovation Solution

An information management system is implemented to facilitate smooth information sharing and linking between factories by using data models to structure and accumulate manufacturing plans and achievements, and by providing a data reference limit control function to manage access rights.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If each factory independently manages manufacturing plans and achievements using existing manufacturing management systems, then each factory can maintain its own data structure and management approach, but information sharing and linking between factories becomes difficult due to differences in data structures and management approaches

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveEach factory's ability to maintain independent data structure and management approachVSAvoidDifficulty in sharing and linking production information between factories

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a data structure definition template as an intermediary layer between factories' independent manufacturing management systems. This template defines standardized data structures for manufacturing plans and achievements, allowing each factory to maintain its independent system while enabling information exchange through the standardized template format.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The data structure definition template serves as a universal interface that can accommodate multiple factories with different independent management systems. The template is designed to be universally applicable across factories while maintaining the ability to capture factory-specific data variations through the standardized structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Loss of information

If data is shared between factories without standardized structures, then information exchange can occur, but labor-intensive data analysis is required to reconcile different data structures and types

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveInformation exchange between factoriesVSAvoidLabor-intensive data analysis required

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by transforming diverse factory-specific data structures into a standardized format defined by the template. The data structure definition template specifies standardized parameters and data types that all factories must adhere to, automatically transforming varied incoming data into a uniform structure that eliminates the need for manual data analysis and reconciliation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If multiple factories use different manufacturing management systems with varying data structures, then each factory can optimize for its specific needs, but creating unified manufacturing plans based on real-time progress from other factories becomes inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveEach factory's ability to optimize its own systemVSAvoidEfficiency in creating unified manufacturing plans

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the information management system into two independent parts: factory-specific manufacturing management systems that maintain their optimization capabilities, and a standardized data structure definition template that enables efficient information exchange. This segmentation allows each factory to optimize its internal system while the standardized template provides the bridge for efficient unified plan creation without requiring integration of the entire management system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20250029049A1Information management system

Publication Date: 2025.01.23 KK TOSHIBA

AI summary

[PROBLEM] To provide an environment in which multiple factories can individually manage information about production and manufacturing and can smoothly share or link the information.[SOLVING MEANS] An information management system according to an embodiment is based on the assumption that each of cooperating factories holds a manufacturing plan based on a production management plan, a goods arrival plan about procurement from the other cooperating factories, and achievements from the manufacturing plan and the goods arrival plan, and includes an existing manufacturing management system which independently manages plans and achievements of manufacturing in the factory. The information management system includes a storage apparatus configured to store, for each of the factories, a production request data model, a production instruction data model, and a goods arrival planning data model; a data accumulation management apparatus configured to structure the plans and the achievements of manufacturing acquired thorough the manufacturing management systems in the factories into the data models according to a predetermined data structure definition template; and an information management apparatus configured to refer to information about the plans and achievements of manufacturing in the other factories via the data models.