Pilot process management focuses on Production Intelligence

The individuals behind this launch will be interesting to those in the UK automation software sector: Werner Felten is CEO of the Felten Group, and Paul Hurst is the MD of Products4Automation (P4A) - and previously the MD of Citect UK. Felten says "the functional part of SCADA and MES systems, but developed so that it is so flexible and easy to configure that it can be applied to virtually any process situation," is combined with what Hurst describes as "The best opportunity to solve production problems and improve efficiency that has been launched in the UK in the last ten years".

About Pilot

With the Pilot Suite, the Felten Group says it has developed a new strategy for optimising production management processes. Pilot is special because of its focus on Production Intelligence (PI).

In order to achieve this, the Pilot MES (manufacturing execution system), Pilot BDE (operating and process data acquisition), and Pilot WDS (weighing and dispensing system) products, with their individual function modules, have been developed to meet the requirements of Production Intelligence. By integrating these products into a framework that also includes special PI tools, an innovative platform has been created that facilitates the intelligent co-ordination of production management.

Pilot can be used to increase process efficiency by providing accurate data and management of process functions, thereby reducing production costs and improving output levels. The flexibility of the system means that it can be applied to just one production line with a single PC or an HMI economically, and deliver improvements, whereas its scope also means it can be used to link production on a very large site to other management information systems without the high cost of more traditional MES systems from larger vendors.

The holistic approach of Production Intelligence differentiates itself significantly from the usual MES products by moving away from the very isolated view of the planning and control processes that they typically offer.

PI is said to pave the way for the true integration of business and production processes, which are uniformly controlled by characteristic values. By doing so, performance potentials can be increased in a more targeted and comprehensive manner. At the same time, the technological advances of the Pilot products ensure that companies can create their workflows according to individual demand and that they can change their workflows in a matter of minutes. This results in an optimum ratio between automation and flexibility for each process.

Werner Felten describes the problem this way: "Despite their integration into ERP and other infrastructure systems, conventional methods for production management have always worked with a very limited focus." He sees this as a significant limitation in exhausting the possibilities for increasing productivity. He continues: "The processes are the real capital in production management, because they do not just determine the relationship between quality and quantity in the output, they also determine the economic efficiency."

Up until now, processes were not given enough attention because of a strong technical focus. Felton states: "Suitable software solutions are important, but they must focus on the processes. As the first product strategy for production management, the Pilot Suite, in conjunction with the PI framework, completely fulfils the holistic requirements of production intelligence and therefore we are a significant step ahead in the market."

About the Felten Group

The Felten Group is an international software and consulting company that develops software for process optimisation in all production areas according to GMP and FDA international quality standards (21CFR Part 11). Clients include Beiersdorf, Boehringer Ingelheim, Symrise, Sensient and Texas Instruments. Felten claims to be the first supplier to pursue the holistic and process-oriented production intelligence approach. In addition to its business in German-speaking European countries, Felten is also represented in the UK (by P4A) and France.