Key features and benefits
These are the key features and benefits of the Energy module in Infor MES:
Key features
- Monitor all energy sources for electricity, gas, water, etc.
- Automatically collect data from energy meters in the factory, through OPC
- Capture a variety of measures, such as consumption, rates/flows, and power factor
- Create virtual meters by aggregating data from other physical meters
- Record energy data manually, if an automatic connection is not available, or if data is recorded on a less frequent basis
- Monitor energy in the primary areas of the factory, such as production lines and ancillary equipment
- Real-time visibility of energy consumption, and alerts for fast reaction times
- Categorize energy usage into user-defined categories
- KPIs to assess energy usage, such as energy per piece
- Assign meters to cost centers, allowing integration with ERP
- Compare energy usage when equipment is running/stopped/off
- Define varying targets based on equipment states: running, stopped, off
- Identify peak loads of energy usage
- Monitor the rate and volume of energy consumption to help reduce costs
- Evaluate energy usage patterns over time
- Alert the operator when the rate of energy consumption is too high
- Escalate over-consumption through email alerts
- Analytical reporting for energy can be reviewed by machine, line, cost center, etc.
Benefits
- Alert when energy is used unnecessarily, reducing usage and costs
- Evaluate historic data for continuous improvement
- Enable operators to implement measures such as turning off energy consumption when a machine is stopped
- Identify leaks, leading to energy savings
- Compressed air leakage detection
- Can help with accurate allocation of energy costs, improving cost control
- Energy usage is booked directly to the relevant cost center
- Enable sustainability initiatives by addressing energy waste, such as Lean, Six Sigma, and ISO 5001:2011
- Improve the management of peak loads, off loads, and shutdowns
Automatic
Energy can be recorded automatically to provide accurate data directly from the machine. Automatic data is collected through OPC, enhancing operator effectiveness and optimizing their time by reducing errors.
Accuracy
Data collected directly from the machine cannot be disputed or altered. Automatic measurements provide greater granularity of data. All data is in a single system, tied to other related data in MES.
Real time
Real-time visibility of energy usage, over-consumption, KPIs, and alerts. Use real-time data to react faster, making the factory more agile and responsive to problems.
Reporting
Powerful reporting to aggregate energy data over time, showing trends and allowing for continuous improvements. Use reports for benchmarking production equipment, integrating with other MES functionality, and comparing consumption variations across different meters.
ERP connectivity
Upload energy usage to ERP systems, tying usage back to specific cost centers. Energy costs can then be reported in your ERP.
Related functionality
- Downtime: Analyze whether energy consumption occurs when machines are stopped or off
- Production counting: Use production counts to calculate the 'cost per piece'