EUREKA PROJECT > 824 TIME (DEF) 

Project Description

The objective of this proposal is to launch projects to improve productivity and competitiveness and support the change process of industrial enterprises. The needs to reach these objectives have already been identified during the preparatory phase of this proposal. It is necessary: * to allow the industrial enterprises to check by themselves the situation in which they are, from an internal point of view as well as from an external point of view (situation related to competition). This action needs the development of self-diagnosis procedures. * to develop a global methodological approach allowing companies to move from their present status, changing not only the technical part of the firm, but also the organisational part. Both actions need to be supported by problem-specific reference models and the application of existing and new methods and modelling techniques. * to develop software applications and products to support the overall methodological approach. To reach these ambitious objectives, it was decided to launch first a feasibility study in order to specify the field of the market, the user requirements, the definition of the products to be developed and marketed, the planning and the costs of the various products and the return on investment (ROI). This feasibility study will have two workpackages: * WP1: a feasibility study on self-diagnosis procedures and overall methodological approaches based on problem-specific reference models. * WP2: a feasibility study and pre-specification of software products dedicated to support self-diagnosis procedures and overall methodological approaches. 1. Motivation: In the last 10 years, the economic environment has changed drastically. The worldwide market confronts the manufacturing companies with new and shifting market requirements. The current critical competitive factors are low cost, high quality, faster product development, shorter lead time in procurement, production and distribution. The integration of business operations within and even between industrial enterprises has much innovation potential in this respect. Through integration, business operations can be streamlined, in order not only to shorten lead times, but also to give radically new options for the whole enterprise's strategy and organisational structure. This new situation forces companies to define objectives not only for the type of enterprise they want to become but also for the market niche in which they will be able to compete successfully in coherence with their products. Integration simplifies problem-solving efforts by making problems visible and by improving cooperation between individual functions and the organisation. To reach this integrated situation, companies have widely introduced the use of information technology such as CAD (Computer-Aided Design), CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing), CAPM (Computer-Aided Production Management), FMS (Flexible Manufacturing Systems), computer networks, databases, etc. However, this radical change has shown the limits of such investments which can, quite the contrary, cause some reverse effects. * rigidity of the structure, which implies a lack of dynamic flexibility and reactivity and which does not allow a downscaling of lead time and time to market; * rejection of the evolution, making the change of structure harder. So, before the introduction of new technologies to speed up change in the company, performing "new integrative" thinking in order to prepare the implementation of a new organisational structure is necessary. Moreover, this new approach to industrial development is based on radical or incremental "organisation innovations". The nature of the innovation depends on the company's current situation, its perceived problems and chosen development goal (choice of market segment or integration in a larger chain from supplier to customer). The last statement involves managerial behaviour: it must shift from maintaining current operations to managing innovation in order to successfully implement, with shorter lead times, new and more effective practices, systems and structures based on integration. However, none of today's approaches is capable of assisting or accompanying the different evolutionary manufacturing strategies through the redesign and reorganisation of the industrial enterprise. To achieve this we must develop not only the use of intensive computer techniques, but also new concepts, models and managerial techniques attuned to the European mentality in order to improve intangible manufacturing factors as well. Warning! from now on, the reader should keep in mind that the document describes, in the following pages: * the two planned projects (Project 1 and Project 2). * the feasibility study (organised into WP1 and WP2) which is the purpose of this proposal; 2. Field of application of planned projects: The field of application will involve the improvement of competitiveness of industrial enterprises in design, engineering, process planning, production management, sales, delivery and recycling. It will therefore deal with enterprise efficiency and the management of change. In this field we will focus more on the intangible factors of the enterprise, taking integration into consideration. Enterprise efficiency measurement: the purpose is to develop self-auditing procedures for identifying "where we are", "where our competitors are", "where we should (or would like) to do". Management of change: several tools must be developed to manage the transition. They are supported by: * a top-down approach: - modelling techniques - modelling techniques, - databases of the various models based on a typology of problems. * a bottom-up approach: - targeted behaviour, considered within the type the company belongs to and according to the results of the application of the self-auditing procedures. - a European configuration of potential practices based upon the synthesis of the results of the self-auditing procedures application. * computerised means to facilitate the use of approaches, modelling techniques and stored knowledge. The models must be designed in a space of three axess: - production axis (from design to manufacturing and after sales) - a managerial axis (from business to Real-Time control of manufacturing systems) - an evolution axis (from a present status to a target status). To achieve and according to our current understanding, we can envisage two projects: to the Definition Phase. * Project 1 which aims to develop self-auditing procedures (for the use of companies), modelling techniques and various models (for the use of engineering companies and departments), a European configuration of potential practices (for the use of governments and Industrial Agency). The short name of this project is "Managing strategic evolution". * Project 2, the objective of which is to develop computerised support for a set of methods based on the GRAI model, in order to analyse, design and implement the manufacturing system of extended companies. The short name of this project is "Software tools". 3. Application Domain of the Feasibility Study To reach these ambitious objectives, the associated partners of the TIME project propose to launch a seven month feasibility study in order to: - define precisely the area of TIME in the space already mentioned, - improve the user requirements, - define the products to be developed and marketed, - develop the detailed planning and svaluate the costs of the projects envisaged. 4. Scope of the proposal of the feasibility study and preliminary description of the workpackages: The feasibility study will be structured in two workpackages, each being linked to one of the planned projects: - Workpackage 1 (WP1): Definition, specification and conditions to achieve Project 1: Managing strategic evolution. - Workpackage 2 (WP2): Definition, specification and conditions to achieve Project 2: Software tools. 4.1) Workpackage 1 (WP1): Definition, Specification and conditions to achieve Project 1: Managing Strategic Evolution. The following actions should take place within WP1: - WP1.1: Definition of the objectives and area: The area defined by the three axes used hefore is still very broad. Therefore a more detailed definition of the objectives and area is required. - WP1.2: Survey of user requirements. - Evaluation of existing self audit procedures, selection and adaptation. - Performance of the selected procedures. - Evaluation of the selected procedures and comparison with the existing evaluation of the companies. - Market survey. - WP1.3: Definition of the deliverables to be developed and marketed. - List and content of deliverables to be developed, - Feasibility of these developments, - Estimat of return on investment - Choice and case study for validation, - Commercial agreement between the partners. - WP1.4: Plan of development for deliverables. - Schedule, cost - External specifications of these models and tools, - Existing methods and tools to be used and specific development need, - Definition of concepts and terminology used and development schema, - Recommendations for development methods, software engineering tools and software platforms, - Recommendations for user interfaces for software tools, - Setting up synergic groups between various countries, - Definition of workpackages (and WP leaders) and tasks (with partners' role in each task), - Workplan and planning, - Setting up of editing rules for all documents (Editing Committee). 4.2 Workpackage 2 (ZP2): Definition, specification and conditions to achieve Project 2 "Software Tools". The following actions should take place within WP2: - WP2.1: Standard definition - Drawing up of a standardisation project: The project will be based mainly on the GRAI method, while taking into account interfaces for other methods, especially with regard to the informational system. However, as far as the GRAI method is concerned, it is essential to freeze the formalae. Preliminary work has been done within the framework of the AUGRAI working group on standardisation. This should ne done in close cooperation with the AFNOR CIM standardisation group, so that the results can be proposed to CEN-CENELEC. - WP2.2: Critical assessment of previous implementations. Thanks to the long enough period of use and the large number of cases dealt with, it is now possible to make a valid evaluation of the application of the GRAI method and of its previous implementations. This action will take into account both the evolution of the method over the period considered and the complexity of the industrial problems tackled. It will provide the required basis for the market study. - WP2.3: Segmented market analysis. The basic idea and objective of the project is to enable a naive user to describe the process of change of his/her enterprise. The main objective of the market analysis will be to determine hhow far the industrial world is interested in GRAI-type methods to achieve such an objective. It will also aim at defining and quantifying the various segments of the European market. - WP2.4: Demonstration kit. To assist the participants in the market analysis, an evaluation kit will be developed from an existing graphic editor (GRAI-AO). It will integrate a hypertext layer in order to deliver a package which may really assist the customer. This should not only support our marketing analysis, but also enable an improvement of the specification of the final product, through an analysis of various users. - WP2.5: Case study based specifications. The objective of this task is to take into account the results of the previous tasks of this workpackage in order to initiate the drawing up of the products' specifications from an industrial case study performed

Technological Development Envisaged

Results will be obtained, not only during the projects but also during the feasibility study: Feasibility Study: WP1 - Definition and Launching of the Project 1 "Managing Strategic Evolution" - Definition of the objectives and domain, - Evaluation of the existing self audit procedures, selection and adaptation, - Evaluation of the selected procedures and comparison with existing evaluation in the companies, - Market survey, - Definition of the deliverables to be developed and marketed during Project 1 and plan of development. WP2- Definition and Launching of Project 2 "Software Tools" - Standard definition and elaboration of a standardisation project, - Critical assessment of previous implementations, - Segmented market analysis, - Demonstration kit, - Case study with demonstration kit, - First specification of the products. Projects: Project 1 - "Managing Strategic Evolution" The following list of potential products from Project 1 has been established: - a self-auditing procedure - a book written in collaboration presenting the typology and the reference models, - a library of cases using hypertext techniques, which can be enriched, - a knowledge base supporting the models, the class and the study case, - an integration method and its documentation, - classification of available packages regarding the company typology and functions, - European configuration of industrial practices. The computer-oriented products from Project 1 will be supported by the software developed in Project 2. Project 2 - "Software Tools" The aim of Project 2 is to develop computerised tools to support a method allowing the analysis, design and implementation of manufacturing systems of extended and integrated companies and the management of their evolution. Project 2 is all about the specification, development, distribution and maintenance of two distinct products: - a first product, simple and easy to use, destined for wide distribution, - a more complex product, designed for Product Management experts and specialists of the GRAI method. Note on Timescale: Owing to a Definition Phase, each workpackage will need one complete year to achieve. However, to ensure a strong synergy between the three workpackages, the WPO (definition of the umbrella) will begin two months earlier. These two months will be used to define the future umbrella's overall characteristics which will have to be taken into account by the other two workpackages.

Contribution to project

1% Definition of Professional Product (Normalisation/spec.) Evaluation of CIMES, simulation tool (as prototype) from LIA Integration/specification of a full suntable simulation tool of the production management system running.

Expertise

CIMES is a Supervision System for Production Management Activities developed by LIA inside the ESPRIT project 2434 (Knowledge-based Real-Time CIM Controllers for Distributed Factory Supervision). DENAT is an acquisition tool to implement a GRAI representation of a factory with checking aspects developed by LIA inside ESPRIT project 932. Organisation activities: research into Artificial Intelligence and CIM.

Contribution to project

3.1% Tool development in the computing environment and implementation technology. Assistance in solving problems related to machine tool industry to shorten lead time with adequate management of final assembly/auxiliary shop floor.

Expertise

Since it was established in 1974, has carried out more than 200 national and international projects for companies in various sectors. IKERLAN's skill in "scheduling problem solving", "production management decision system architecture" and "software development in open systems environment for PC and workstation" is expressed in the following areas of activity over the last few years: - development of analysis, diagnosis and design of production systems according to increasing automation and flexibility in production processes - development of specific software for filing, maintaining and using of technical data related to product and process, oriented to the group's technological area - specific software development for decision making support.

Contribution to project

8.8% Main Finnish partner in Definition Phase. Responsible for the administration and coordination of the research effort and will conduct most of the practical research work in the Finnish part of WP1.

Expertise

Currently participates in 10 European R & D projects. The numerous bilateral research projects of HUT TAI and industrial enterprises guarantee the practical applicability of the research work carried out at the Institute. Current research topics have clear connections to the EUREKA proposal: * A1-based support for manufacturing systems design * improving the productivity and shortening the lead time of design work in close connection with manufacturing * hypermedia-based tools to improve the quality of planning (e.g. logistics and scheduling) * management of technological and organisational change * computer-aided training * participative design of information systems. Organisation activities: the Institute of Industrial Automation is a research unit within the HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY with qualified expertise in manufacturing, automation, information technology and industrial management.

Contribution to project

2.6% Its Marketing department will contribute to the French market study (WP1/A1). Its consultants will validate the proposed framework within the Electronics Division (WP1/A4).

Expertise

Has managed many market studies in the field of integrated industrial systems. As one of the main French "integration companies", CLEMESSY (turnover 3 billion FF, staff of 5,000) has close ties with a great many industries. This position enables the company to have a very good perception of market needs. Organisation activities: automation, integration and implementation of CIM systems, electronics, robotics, industrial data processing, graphical information systems and power supplies.

Contribution to project

2% Expertise in organisation, modelling, production management. Ongoing evaluation of results In particular: definition, evaluation of a group of models relative to the aeronautics sector.

Expertise

Currently engaged is various European projects such as: CIM-OSA (ESPRIT) and PARADI and EUROPARI (EUREKA). The common denominators of these projects are: architecture, organisation, CIM and integration. Based on the experience thus acquired, AEROSPATIALE will bring its theoretical as well as practical expertise to the project and make daily use of them in its workshops. Organisation activities: employing about 33,000 staff with a turnover in 1990 of 33 billion FF, more than 60% of which went to exports, the company is one of the world's largest aeronautics and space producers. Each year it ploughs back 40% of its turnover into R & D and commercialisation, of which 600 - 800 Million FF go into computer-integrated manufacturing.

Contribution to project

Expertise

Contribution to project

3.3% Define overall dataflow in the enterprise/connections between technical systems and their counterparts to provide efficient and productive working environment for technical staff, following principles of quality assurance.

Expertise

The Department also conducts both fundamental research in principles for the application of CAD/CAM and together with the closely integrated SWEDISH INSTITUTE OF PRODUCTION ENGINEERING RESEARCH evaluates the impact of these technologies in manufacturing enterprises. Professors in the department are involved in COMMETT, CIRP, IFIP, TC5, FAMOS, etc, etc. as well as the ROYAL SWEDISH ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING SCIENCES and various Swedish organisations in the funding of evaluations of engineering research in manufacturing disciplines. Organisation activities: part of STOCKHOLM UNIVERSITY and has about 7,000 engineering students. It employs some 150 professors and a staff of about 2,000 teachers and administrators. STOCKHOLM UNIVERSITY has about 35,000 students. The Department of Manufacturing Systems teaches and carries out research in systems for manufacturing and automatic assembly (robotics) as well as computer systems for design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM). Principles of application and implementation as well as human factors and economic evaluation are included.

Contribution to project

3.6% Typological studies and training tools dedicated to SMEs in the area of performance evaluation, management of change and investment strategy.

Expertise

As a consultancy agency specialised in CIM, the company (with its staff of 200) has been involved in the development of CIM and know-how transfer to many enterprises, especially SMEs. Its main activities are an assessment of the methods implemented, in particular techno-economic trade-offs, technical assistance and organisational advice and training in manufacturing organisations. ADEPA is involved in technology transfer mainly in Group Technology, tool management, CAD/CAM implementation, Process Planning Control, quality and Statistics Process Control. In addition, it participates in ESPRIT (LITE No 5136) and EUREKA (MAINE: MAINtenance availability in Europe - EU 693). According to its natural mission, ADEPA will disseminate in various industrial fields the concepts, methods and solutions by means of a "Panel of Experts and IT-vendors" and demonstrations. Organisation activities: semi-public agency mostly involved in the promotion of CIM in SMEs whose activities are: training, consultancy and assistance. It is also involved in research into production organisation and standardisation (MANDATE, ISO TC 184); it is the project leader of an ESPRIT project (LITE 5136). The ADEPA CIM demonstration site is equipped with industrial packages (equipment and software); it enables users to validate their choice of CIM organisation and architecture and vendors to test their new products.

Contribution to project

12.5% Coordination of project. Also technically responsible for WP2. Definition of "Software tools for Integrated Enterprises" project.

Expertise

Main company of the SELISA Group which has been dealing with software development applied to industrial systems for nearly 10 years. In the framework of CIM, the company has been involved in several large operations for SNECMA, PHILIPS, USINOR, etc. and currently uses several integration products, especially in production management, quality control and production line automation. The Department is composed of experts who take into account, on a case by case basis, existing methods such as GRAI, YOURDON, etc. and computational tools based on MERISE, SADT, etc. Organisation activities: specialised in software and hardware engineering applied to Real-Time systems. Its main activities are organised in three departments: - industrial systems - communication and networks - databases and artificial intelligence.

Contribution to project

6.4% WP0/A2: definition of objectives and field WP1/A3: development method for methods and tools WP2/A1: standard definition, WP2/A4: demonstration kit WP2/A3: market analysis, WP2/A5: case study + demo kit.

Expertise

Expertise mainly involves two areas: - production management * production typologies * production management diagnosis (particularly in SMEs) - Computer Sciences * Expert Systems * Oriented object planning * GRAI method computerisation. Organisation activities: private institute created in 1985 by the county council of Maine et Loire at Angers. Its speciality is post engineer education training in three areas: production management, Artificial Intelligence and Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM). Research: since 1986 ISERPA has been working in cooperation with the GRAI laboratory on design method computerisation.

Contribution to project

Provide input for WP1 but will mainly focus on WP2; supply requirements envisaged for methods and tools both for manufacturing and I.T. users with an evaluation of available prototypes,emphasis on I.T./decision making sub-systems.

Expertise

Multi-national Group including tyre, cable and diversified products sectors together with PIRELLI INFORMATICA (the Group's information technology company) and includes about 130 factories in 16 countries, 69% of which are located in Europe. PIRELLI has long established and extensive experience in international and inter-disciplinary working groups (both within the framework of European cooperative projects (such as ESPRIT and BRITE) and internal developments. Several sources of experience available at PIRELLI will be supplied to the proejct: experience in the design and development of manufacturing systems in an international, multi-site context, experience from cross fertilisation between the two main areas of the Company's business (tyres and cable sectors) and the manufacturing users and I.T. developers, experience in the use of structured and methodological approaches to the above-mentioned activities.

Contribution to project

3.1% Definition of umbrella and project No.1. Will provide method for flexible modelling of engineering experience through product/process/organisation. The approach is especially related to one-of-a-kind production.

Expertise

The SINTEF group in Trondheim (NORWAY) is the largest independent research organisation in Scandinavia. The staff of 2,000 complete 2,500 projects a year for clients all over the world. Research spans most technical disciplines, natural and social sciences and medicine.

Contribution to project

0.4% 1. CIMRU has developed CIM-type system IMP (Integrated Mfg Procedure). 2. In particular, EOLAS, through the AMT programme wants to support needs of smaller companies and develop a strategy to meet the special needs of SMEs.

Expertise

1. CIMRU is a university-based applied research unit, whose objectives are: - to develop a high level of R & D in CIM in IRELAND - to support Irish industry through joint projects and technology transfer. There are essentially two types of activity ongoing in CIMRU viz: contract R & D for industry and CEC (ESPRIT and BRITE EURAM) and support services for Irish industry. CIMRU has developed expertise in: - production planning and control and scheduling systems; - computer simulation of manufacturing systems; - computer-aided process planning and DFA/DFM techniques. 2. The AMT (Advanced Manufacturing Technology) programme of EOLAS - THE IRISH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AGENCY, seeks to support the implementation of AMT in Irish industry, in particular small and medium-sized manufacturing companies.

Contribution to project

Expertise

Contribution to project

2% Participation in umbrella definition stage; in WP1 strategic evolution; in WP2 software tools. FORDESI has been using IDEFO and 1X in its consultancy work hence valuable participation on GRAI/IDEF interfaces,application evaluation

Expertise

In the international context, involved in several projects within the European programmes ESPRIT (CMSO, CIMSim, CIMple, CIMDATA) and BRITE (MCOES), mainly in the CIME (Computer Integrated Manufacturing and Engineering) area. Organisation activities: industrial consultancy, professional training in the high technology area.

Contribution to project

Will provide RIT with its experience with implementing and running Computer Systems for its business of developing, producing and marketing trucks. Mr. Ekvall will share experiences and new ideas with the partners of RIT.

Expertise

The company has grown successfully over the past 100 years to emerge as one of the largest truck manufacturers in the world with assembly plants in SWEDEN, THE NETHERLANDS, FRANCE, BRAZIL and ARGENTINA. It runs a sophisticated worldwide supply network with advanced computerised support systems for all its activities. Organisation Activities: The SCANIA Division of SAAB-SCANIA is one of the largest truck manufacturers in the world employing about 23,000 people worldwide (14,000 in SWEDEN). SCANIA manufactures about 30,000 heavy trucks of which 60% are sold on the European market.

Contribution to project

Expertise