INTEGRATION OF ERP TO THE FINAL CONTROL ELEMENTS

Many companies are implementing ERP/MRP systems such as SAP, Oracle, B aan and Marcam with the intent of achieving control over their worldwi de product supply mechanism. This is an admirable goal, but in many ca ses the project team is not aware of the significant differences betwe en the real time environment of the plant floor and the transaction en vironment of the ERP/MRP world. Both ERP/MRP and the real time systems have significant but necessary complexity. Any realistic interface wi ll reflect this complexity. S88 provides the framework for interfacing these two worlds by providing a definition of the batch system comple xity. Real time control systems form the execution engine and reportin g source in most modern enter-prise control strategies. The ERP/MRP wo rld is the implementation of the highest level of the S88 model while the real time world is the practical implementation of phases. This pa per presents the practical issues encountered during the implementatio n of links between a process control network, product control network and business control network. Issues to be addressed at each network l evel include recipe detail, scope of control, error tolerance, dynamic data translation, objectives and modularization. (C) 1998 Elsevier Sc ience Ltd.