What is digital transformation mainly about? I think there are two aspects, the first is management automation + flexibility. Another focus of the transformation is decision-making intelligence, of course, there are two kinds of decision-making intelligence, one is the reasoning execution, fully automated decision-making. Another thing that I think is more worth advocating is the organic integration of human-machine objects.

In fact, digital transformation is driven by both demand and technology, first of all, for enterprises is the fragmentation of orders, is a typical change in demand, and the trend is mass personalized customization. In addition, with the development of industrial Internet of Things and Internet technology, the ubiquity of resources and control is presented, and its state perception and instruction execution make resources discrete and control flat, which in fact provide potential support for the organization of production or the construction of digital forms.

What is the transformation mainly about? I think there are two aspects, the first is management automation + flexibility. We always say that automation is hardware, device oriented, etc. Automation in management is data-driven business flow, delivering content specifications, smooth delivery chain, and business is the core. Another focus of transformation is decision-making intelligence, such as adaptive processing, machine vision, big data, etc., which are all promoting the evolution of decision-making to intelligence. Of course, there are two kinds of intelligent decision-making, one is the reasoning execution, fully automated decision-making. Another thing that I think is more worth advocating is the organic integration of human-machine objects.

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01 Lean and MES integration analysis

We all know that Lean is JustIn Time, which produces the needed products in the needed time and quantity. For example, just-in-time production methods, timely production methods, etc., eliminating waste, Kanban, fast tooling, etc., are all tools for lean improvement.

The core of Lean that I understand is the two pillars, one is automation, and the other is JIT, just-in-time or real-time. Lean production or lean management is generally implemented into some means, on-site improvement and so on in enterprises, but I think the vision of lean production management concept and means can be further enlarged, especially in combination with digital transformation, how to embody lean in digital business control system, which is the focus of my communication with you today.

Let’s look at an interesting comparison, for example, between a machine or a production line and MES, which is a typical system for digital transformation or digital business management systems. I analyze from four aspects, which is also often mentioned by intelligent manufacturing, in terms of digitalization, if the equipment is digital, it is generally said that the equipment is automatic operation control, precision and fine, and production efficiency is improved. Digital MES or management, in my opinion, is embodied in the digital turnover of data processes, the standardized expression of data formats, the identification of management blind spots on the basis of these, the achievement of management objectives, the implementation of management principles, and the provision of quantitative means and evaluation. In terms of automation, automation is visible to equipment, but automation for MES management, I think it should be reflected in the automatic connection of the process, the automatic flow of data, which is invisible automation, but it is also very needed; In terms of networking, the equipment has the functions of uploading data status and receiving control instructions, as well as the flexible configuration of the hardware to achieve the chain, but for MES, networking is a traditional business management with a secondary relationship, because of the development of Internet of Things technology, we can rely on the underlying CPS to restructure in a discrete way, and realize software-defined manufacturing in a large aspect. For example, the concept of gearless transmission is proposed in the machine tool equipment because of the wide application of electric spindle, and the development of the Internet of Things will also push MES to the optimization combination of flat and soft and hard integration. In terms of intelligence, intelligence also has some intelligent temperature compensation, intelligent vibration suppression, intelligent error compensation and so on for equipment. For MES, intelligence is to strengthen decision-making in combination with management and process.