General Electric: Proficy Plant Applications Helps Manufacturers Optimize Operations, Improve Production Performance, and Drive Quality and Efficiency

GE Digital today showcased the latest version of its industry-leading Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Proficy® Plant Applications, part of the Proficy® Smart Factory portfolio, at the 26th annual ARC Industry Forum in Orlando, Florida. New features in the 2022 version include expanded discrete manufacturing capabilities developed through co-innovation with existing customers as well as a better user experience for the modern connected worker.

Customer results with Proficy Plant Applications have included saving 45 minutes per shift, per line, per business unit at one of the world’s largest consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies; 3X increase in throughput for an automotive battery manufacturer; and 80% reduction in downtime at a pharmaceutical company.

“Partnering with customers has confirmed our investment in this one MES solution that serves discrete, process, and mixed manufacturing requirements,” said Richard Kenedi, General Manager for Manufacturing and Digital Plant at GE Digital. “They have told us that they want to get up and running faster and having one solution to do multiple processes is cheaper, easier, and accelerates time to value. In addition, this software’s ability to boost operational effectiveness by understanding performance down to the individual asset drives better performance and quality.”

The new discrete features include extending support for serialized and lot-based discrete manufacturing such as job shops and complex discrete environments. These extensions include the ability to support the execution of very large lots plus the flow of complex routes that include optional, parallel, and mutually exclusive operations. Proficy Plant Applications has also expanded the scope of discrete to include complex receiving inspection rules as well as linking them to non-conformance.

Implementation speed of the Proficy Plant Applications solution has been improved with a new low-code Data Flow Editor, easing integration with other systems, and modelling complex logic. These capabilities allow faster installs and upgrades including seamless ERP integration with approximately 20 out-of-the-box messages for MES-ERP communication.

Proficy Plant Applications is also designed to empower the modern Connected Worker and operating teams with easy, flexible access to their manufacturing data for better decision making. The software provides a contemporary Web User Interface (UI) with widgets as embedded in out-of-the-box screens and available for custom screen development in the software’s no-code development environment. This affords operators and supervisors real-time interaction on mobile devices — iPads, Android, and Windows tablets. Enhanced web UIs include user persistence for filters, column settings, and queues. They also include the ability to capture videos and pictures as comments using the camera on the device. Browser-based apps and functionality include: Route Management, Operator Execution including work instructions, Order Management, Non-Conformance, Genealogy, Receiving Inspection, Time Booking, Waste Management, Process Order Execution, Approval Cockpit, Bill of Materials (BOM) Editor, and an In-Progress Work Order Editor.

Available on-premises and in the cloud, the software includes four modules: Efficiency Management, Production Management and Tracking, Quality Management, and Batch Analysis. Proficy Plant Applications is used at thousands of diverse manufacturing sites around the world including top food and beverage, non-food consumer packaged goods, automotive, pharmaceutical, aerospace, chemicals, heavy equipment, and other manufacturers.