Integration Model Placeholders for Real-Time Plant ERP Data Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for generating integration models struggle to ensure seamless data communication and information management across various software systems, leading to complex interfaces and reliability issues in workflow execution.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for generating an integration model that includes placeholders for variables and functions, parameter mapping, and automated code generation, allowing for real-time data exchange between plant and business processes, using an enterprise resource planning system to integrate software systems and manage requests for information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If various software systems are integrated through multiple interfaces, then data communication between systems is established, but the complexity of interface management increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an integration model as an intermediary layer between various software systems. This model includes standardized placeholders for variables, functions, and functionalities that mediate data exchange between different systems (e.g., ERP systems, plant processes). By using this intermediary integration model, direct point-to-point interfaces between systems are eliminated, reducing interface complexity while maintaining integration capability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If custom interfaces are created for each software system integration, then specific data exchange requirements are met, but the time and effort for integration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs preliminary action by pre-defining standardized placeholders for variables, functions, and functionalities in the integration model before actual system integration. These placeholders represent common data exchange patterns and interfaces that have been prepared in advance. When integrating new systems, these pre-defined placeholders can be directly instantiated and configured, eliminating the need to create custom interfaces from scratch for each integration scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
The integration model implements universality through standardized placeholders that can serve multiple functions across different system integrations. A single placeholder definition can be reused across multiple integration scenarios, allowing the same integration pattern to work with different software systems. This multi-functional approach enables one integration model to handle various data exchange requirements, reducing overall integration time.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual integration model generation is performed, then customization to specific requirements is possible, but errors and reliability issues increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service through automated generation of integration models from the defined placeholders. The system automatically generates the integration model code, variable mappings, and function connections based on the pre-defined placeholder templates, reducing manual intervention. This automation minimizes human errors while maintaining the ability to customize integration behavior through configuration of the placeholder parameters and associations.
Data Source
AI summary
Exemplary systems and methods are directed to automated performance of a plant process in a control system included in a production management system. The control system including a processor that is configured with integration model code for executing an integration model. The processor is configured to integrate various software systems by establishing a connection to an enterprise resource planning system and exchange information between the plant process and a business process such that production data are received from the processes substantially in real time and an updated status of a production order is received continuously. The integration model includes placeholders associated with variables for at least one of events, devices and plants, placeholders associated with functions to be executed, functionalities which link the variables and call up the functions, mappings of parameters between the software systems to be linked, and requests for loading information from one software system to another.