Simplifying high-mix, low-volume assemblies with process variant feature. Published by: Sarah Werner How do manufacturers manage work instructions for their high-mix, low-volume product assemblies? It's highly likely that manufacturers producing multiple variations of the same end product without any sort of automation capability struggle to keep their processes separated and organized. That's why Pico MES Inc. created a process variant feature in its digital work instructions capability. Steve Wishau, Head of Product at Pico MES, walks through how to set up and manage process variants. What are process variants? Process variants (also referred to as configurations or options) describe any assembly process that produces a series of SKUs that tie back to a common product line. An example of this might be an engine that is available in different configurations. The processes used by operators to build these product variations mostly stay true to an original process (a template) but include deviations on select steps. For an assembly process that aims to produce a dozen different SKUs, you might end up with a dozen different sets of work instructions that all follow the same basic template. Managing these work instructions separately can quickly become a headache for manufacturing engineers as making one change to the template means making the same change in several other places. Whether work instructions are managed digitally or on paper, the challenge remains the same - updating work instructions for process variants is a repetitive and time-consuming task that leaves factories at risk for errors. Its solution The process variant feature makes managing similar sets of work instructions easy by leveraging a template/ variant structure with linked and unlinked steps. Here's how it works: * A template process is created for the base model of the product. * Variants are introduced by creating a copy of the template at the click of a button. * Individual steps or parameters that deviate from the template process are unlinked and modified as needed. All other steps remain linked to the template process. That's it! If a change is made to the template process, it will be applied to all linked steps across all variants of that process. Any deviations in the process variants remain unchanged to reflect the differences in end product configuration. Want to try it for yourself? Check out its self-guided demo. How can variants be used? There are several use cases for process variants. Here are some examples from its existing customers: * Managing changes to the work instruction steps based on which part number is being used. * Building products requiring different power supply configurations depending on which country a unit is being shipped to. * Translating work instructions into another language. (Pollington Machine Tool uses process variants for this very reason - read their case study.) * Differentiating work instructions for right-handed and left-handed parts. See more examples of how its customers have been able to simplify work instruction management and achieve significant engineering time savings in this video. The takeaway Its solution to managing a challenging environment of process variants is unique in that it makes updating digital work instructions easy, instantaneous, and non-repetitive. The feature is native to its digital work instructions function, whereas alternative solutions might rely on highly customized and complex logic streams that require greater skill and understanding to set up. Pico MES Inc. is on a mission to help American factories digitize their assembly processes, and Pico MES Inc. believe having an organized and streamlined way to manage process variants will help get its customers one step closer to an error-proofed factory. Want to learn more? Check out these additional resources: * Get started with free digital work instructions. * Check out other error-proofing features in this on-demand product webinar. Search by tag. Explore real stories from its customers and see how Pico MES has transformed and digitized their operations. Gain access to hundreds of solutions from a single platform. Bring your shop floor together - people, tools, and data all connected in one system. No rip and replace; just connections.

Pico integrates directly with NetSuite ERP to complement its MES functionality, helping manufacturers connect work orders, operators, IoT tools, and production data back to NetSuite in real time.