MESA Southern Africa 2011 theme
May 2011
News
Innovation and flexibility in manufacturing execution
The current economic climate and changing consumer patterns have resulted in a greater need for innovation and flexibility than ever. Product portfolios are becoming more customised and need to reach the market quicker and typically have shorter life spans and smaller scale opportunities. Manufacturing needs to be extremely flexible and innovative to deliver on the demands of marketing and its consumers and needs to deliver faster, more reliably and cheaper.
Manufacturing execution systems (MES) play a critical role in enabling these capabilities. This year’s theme will accommodate topics about systems such as:
* Product development and definition systems allow shorter time from product conception (design) to full production.
* Supply chain management, planning, integration and visibility tools provide greater scheduling and planning capability in turn driving down response time and improving on the flexibility of business.
* Integrated quality management reduces the need for rework and identifies critical improvement areas allowing a move to six levels of defects.
* Historians allow storage of production data for later analysis and problem solving enabling rapid turnaround in resolution and identifying opportunities and process bottlenecks.
* Manufacturing information systems capture and present key business metrics (typically in dashboards) that allow both strategic planning and operational efficiency management.
* Solutions within operations not traditionally classified as MES.
There are no doubt countless industry examples where manufacturing execution systems have played a significant role in driving ‘Innovation and flexibility in manufacturing’ within southern Africa.
For more information contact Gerhard Greeff, Bytes Systems Integration, +27 (0)82 654 0290, [email protected], www.bytes.co.za
Further reading:
BMG achieves GBCSA Net Zero Waste Level 2 Certification
Bearing Man Group t/a BMG
News
BMG has achieved Green Building Council South Africa Net Zero Waste Level 2 Certification after diverting more than 90% of operational waste from landfill, demonstrating how practical sustainability measures can deliver measurable environmental and commercial benefits.
Read more...
Pump spares and parts for Africa
News
KSB Pumps and Valves explains how its decentralised stockholding and local manufacturing keep spares and parts available across its installed base in Africa.
Read more...
Inspiration for times of change
Endress+Hauser South Africa
News
More than 2000 customers, partners and experts gathered in Basel, Switzerland, for the Endress+Hauser Global Forum in April 2026. Under the theme of driving sustainable transformation together, the event combined keynote sessions on strategy, technology and the future of work with practical case studies from across the process industry.
Read more...
Local energy solutions rewiring resilience across Africa
News Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Engineers across Africa are developing practical, scalable energy and mobility solutions supported by the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation.
Read more...
The gender gap in SA’s engineering sector
News
South Africa’s engineering sector is facing a critical gender imbalance, with women making up just 16% of registered engineering professionals compared to 84% of men.
Read more...
Safe removal of the historic US 181
News
Mammoet provided the heavy-lift expertise that helped remove the 2300 ton centre span of the historic US 181 Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi, Texas, using a precision lift-and-lower method that protected nearby marine environments and reopened navigation channels swiftly.
Read more...
Going Green initiative sees African Group Lubricants adopt electric forklift fleet
News
African Group Lubricants is transitioning most of its forklift fleet to electric power, a move expected to cut diesel consumption by around 85% and improve conditions across its manufacturing facility while delivering a positive return on investment in the near term.
Read more...
Africa Energy Indaba 2027 aims to ignite the power revolution
News
Africa Energy Indaba 2027 takes place from 2 to 4 March 2027 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, bringing together ministers, utilities, investors and developers to accelerate energy generation, unlock investment and drive the continent’s industrial future.
Read more...
Major bearing tender for SKF
SKF South Africa
News
SKF has secured a major bearing supply tender from an Algerian steelmaker, reinforcing its position in the metals segment across North Africa.
Read more...
Mining’s decarbonisation journey requires putting ESG commitments into action
Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric specialists explain how mining and heavy industry can turn environmental, social and governance commitments into measurable decarbonisation results.
Read more...
printer friendly version