PlanIT MPS CockpitPlan, Track, Calculate Costs ...From Platemaking to Delivery at the Ramp

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PlanIT MPS Cockpit — an essential instrument ...

Many publishers have answered the increased demand for color pages in newspapers with an expansion of their printing capacity. In addition, the fi ner division of the various editions leads to a large number of more or less different editions that must be printed sequentially. The continuing cost pressure leads to a need to fi nd solutions for producing newspapers more economically despite these increased demands. In this context, the term

“industrial production of newspapers” has arisen. This requires not only the increased productivity of sub-processes, but far more the overall view and the integration of the processes over the complete newspaper production.

«MPS Cockpit» is an instrument for the integrated planning and tracking of the production process, and for the optimization of the use of resources, all this based on the desired product structure.The effi ciency of the individual sub-processes and therefore of the total process are fi nally made visible. Precalculations allow the comparison of production alternatives.«MPS Cockpit» is no ordinary planning system. It is based on a continuous simulation of the process based on the planning data and the current status. On changing the planning data, the consequences for the capacity loading, schedule and costs are immediately apparent.«MPS Cockpit» is therefore a confi gurable virtual printing plant, that gives a preview of the results that can be expected.

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... for industrial production of newspapers

The time schedule for a production is determined by the end time, i.e. by the delivery time of the newspapers to the distributors. This defi nes when the various bundles must be at the ramp, when the newspapers should arrive in the mailroom, at what time the printing has to start, when the plates must be made and consequently the edito-rial deadline. Such rough plans are made manu-ally every day using the most simple of means in order to guarantee the availability of resources.With this, usually hasty, form of planning there is little room for changes and unexpected prob-lems. If they should arise, the situation must be

understood rapidly and the right decisions must be made. Several departments could be involved, depending on the organization. A rapid agree-ment is required between the parties concerned.Not so with «MPS Cockpit»! This high-level tool covers the planning, job tracking and effi ciency evaluation of the total production process. A con-tinuous preview of the effects of the planning is obtained by simulating the process within the system. In addition, the scope of «MPS Cockpit» can be extended to more than one printing plant at different locations.

Advantages of working with «MPS Cockpit»:

• The system provides a view of all work processes and loads, resources used, and costs, independent of the current organization,

• There is one single instrument for the confl ict-free planning of all jobs of all sub-processes,• The fi nal product and its structure can be adapted better to the market requirements. A solid basis for relatively diffi cult

decisions with respect to the determination of part jobs, preprint runs, etc. is provided and the results are made clear graphically,

• The job data for the work repeated on a daily basis only has to be entered once into a template. Using this template results in a signifi cant simplifi cation of the job defi nition and subsequent scheduling. Each department with an «MPS Cockpit» workstation has access to the daily valid planning data and can process them further: the results are displayed continuously,

• Free capacity — not only for the individual departments, but for the total process — is immediately apparent and can be used better,

• A uniform system that fulfi lls the requirements of the different target groups (publisher, technical management, sales, production planning, etc.).

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«MPS Cockpit» needs little data for the scheduling of new jobs. The product structure (number of sub-products, number of sections, number of inserts) is suffi cient, together with the size and the expected colors (number of pages, number of four-color and spot-color pages). In addition, the deadlines (delivery time, editorial deadline) and the quantities must be fi xed. The desired product structure defi nes which sub-products (preprints, inserts) have to be produced. This leads to part jobs that must be scheduled in coordination with each other. A bar showing the production time for each part job allocated to each machine is created in the planning window. The consequences for platemaking, press room, roll supply, and the mailroom are immediately apparent.Each job requires certain specifi c resources, in particular in the mailroom. For example, a pre-print which must be stored requires different machine components to an insert production. In addition, the staffi ng requirements are different. Simulation provides the only possibility of plan-ning such a complex process with the indepen-dence of different jobs or even different printing locations.The consequences of the planning can be diverse: resources already scheduled overlap with the new job, there are not enough available printing cou-ples in the press room or jobs already planned must be moved. Naturally, this is only possible if

the delivery times to the ramp can be met. With «MPS Cockpit» the job scheduling can now be refi ned and optimized by moving the jobs in the planning window. At the same time, the required personnel capacity is also adapted accordingly.

Scheduling Features

• Planning of production jobs for all the sub-processes of a printing plant,at one or several locations,

• Identifi cation of dependencies between the sub-processes,• Visualizing confl icts between jobs,• Representation of the machine components required for the job,• Display of the machine components still available,• Visualization of the consequences when selecting alternative production

variants,• Forecast of the required personnel resources for the individual sub-

processes.

Confl ict-free production scheduling for all sub-processes …

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If the fi ne planning is complete, and the decisions are taken with respect to preprints and the fi nal product structure, the production lines in the mailroom, the required printing couples of the allocated press section and the platemaking lines are automatically reserved for the job. «MPS Cock-pit» displays the press sections and components that are used for the job graphically in an over-view diagram. A mouse click on a component results in further detailed information for the component being displayed (planned job, current status, etc.).The progress in the production of a job is super-vised by means of informative feedback messages from the process. Thanks to continuous simu-lation — also during production — «MPS Cockpit» forecasts the end of the job. The necessary shift of all the following jobs is visualized automatically in the event of a deviation between the planned and actual statuses. Serious delays are therefore recognized early. If machine components fail, a rescheduling must be arranged. For this, «MPS

... and the tracking of progress

Cockpit» allows different alternatives to be simu-lated in order to gain information on their effec-tiveness. The system therefore offers valuable aids to decision making in every situation.

Tracking Features

• Visualizing work progress on the basis of a schematic representationof the plant,

• Detailed information by selecting the individual components,• Visualizing the consequences in critical situations,• A simulated preview provides valuable decision making support in the

event of a fault; simple and rapid rescheduling,• Overview of the machine components still available,• Navigation within extensive process diagrams with intelligent scroll

functions,• Compact display of key data by means of a browser on internet or

intranet. Several standard displays can be viewed at any location to get an overview of the daily progress and make comparisons over a selectable period.

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PRODUCTION OVERVIEW May 2002

##### ##### #NAME? ##### #NAME? #####

Date Time Product Folder Print run Pages Date of issue Date Time Product Folder Print run Pages Date of issue Date Time Product Folder Print run Pages Date of issue

6 23:45 24H 100'000 7.5 20 23:30 24H 100'000 21.5

23:45 LM 95'000 7.5 23:45 LM 95'000 21.5

7 23:45 LM 95'000 8.5 21 23:45 LM 95'000 22.5

23:45 24H 100'000 8.5 23:45 24H 100'000 22.5

8 15:00 Journal de Morges 8'500 10.5 22 23:45 24H 100'000 23.5

17:30 LT EMPLOI 70'000 10.5 23:45 LM 95'000 23.5

23:45 24H 100'000 9.5

23:45 LM 95'000 9.5

9 23:45 LM 95'000 10.5 23 14:00 Journal de Payerne 3'000 24.5

23:45 24H 100'000 10.5 15:00 Journal de Morges 8'500 24.5

17:30 LT EMPLOI 70'000 24.5

23:45 24H 100'000 24.5

23:45 LM 95'000 24.5

10 08:00 SUP LMD 285'000 12.5 24 08:00 SUP LMD 285'000 26.5

19:00 LEMAN EX 105'000 13.5 19:00 LEMAN EX 105'000 27.5

23:45 24H 100'000 11.5 23:45 24H 100'000 25.5

23:45 LM 95'000 11.5 23:45 LM 95'000 25.5

11 25

13 23:45 24H 100'000 14.5 27 23:45 24H 100'000 28.5

23:45 LM 95'000 14.5 23:45 LM 95'000 28.5

14 23:45 LM 95'000 15.5 28 23:45 LM 95'000 29.5

23:45 24H 100'000 15.5 23:45 24H 100'000 29.5

1 23:45 24H 100'000 2.5 15 23:45 24H 100'000 16.5 29 23:45 24H 100'000 30.5

23:45 LM 95'000 2.5 23:45 LM 95'000 16.5 23:45 LM 95'000 30.5

2 13:23 Journal de Payerne 3'000 3.5 16 14:00 Journal de Payerne 3'000 17.5 30 14:00 Journal de Payerne 3'000 31.5

15:00 Journal de Morges 8'500 3.5 15:00 Journal de Morges 8'500 17.5 15:00 Journal de Morges 8'500 31.5

17:30 LT EMPLOI 70'000 3.5 17:30 LT EMPLOI 70'000 17.5 17:30 LT EMPLOI 70'000 31.5

23:45 24H 100'000 3.5 23:45 LM 95'000 17.5 23:45 24H 100'000 31.5

23:45 LM 95'000 3.5 23:45 24H 100'000 17.5 23:45 LM 95'000 31.5

3 08:00 SUP LMD 285'000 5.5 17 08:00 SUP LMD 285'000 19.5 31 08:00 SUP LMD 285'000 2.6

19:00 LEMAN EX 105'000 6.5 23:45 24H 100'000 18.5 19:00 LEMAN EX 105'000 3.6

23:45 24H 100'000 4.5 23:45 LM 95'000 18.5 23:45 24H 100'000 1.6

23:45 LM 95'000 4.5 23:45 LM 95'000 1.6

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Gaining the overview on costs and effi ciency

An important function of «MPS Cockpit» is the continuous pre-calculation of the production costs per sub-process. A few terms of data that each user can adjust for his plant are suffi cient to calculate and display the production costs per sub-process, i.e. for the platemaking, roll supply, pressroom and the mailroom. The costs deter-mined in this way include those for the personnel, the materials and the means of production.«MPS Cockpit» does not claim to compete with existing accounting systems. The main focus lies in the immediate display of the forecast costs on the fi rst entry of a job and not after weeks or months.

«MPS Cockpit» also displays the productivity and effi ciency of the individual sub-processes as it knows the effective utilization of machines and personnel and the materials used per cost center. Valuable and objective criteria that indicate weak points, improvement potential, etc. result from comparing the available resources with those effectively used. «MPS Cockpit» will therefore be an indispensable instrument for managing the enterpriseAll entered jobs and their production data are archived long-term by «MPS Cockpit». These data can be reactivated at any time for analysis or for copying as new jobs.

Effi ciency Features

• Immediate determination of the pre-calculated and effective costs for each job,

• Immediate information on the effi ciency of production alternatives,• Concrete facts as a basis for decisions,• Optimum personnel planning as a function of the production requirements,• Indications for the more effi cient use of materials,• Capacity utilization of personnel and the means of production is made clear,• Support for the amortization calculation for new investments,• Print outs of the key job and production data.

7ABB

The ultimate addition to production control systems

«MPS Cockpit» is an extension to existing produc-tion control systems, not a replacement. The pro-duction control systems for platemaking, press, roll supply and mailroom are still responsible for the detailed production processes in their area. In addition, the integration and the exchange of data between these systems for the purpose of optimizing the processes with each other are not questioned. Basically, «MPS Cockpit» is to be understood as an autonomous, high-level system for the allocation of the most important job data, such as product structure, delivery times, etc. This implicitly assumes that this data will be taken over by the lower-level production control systems.«MPS Cockpit» is suitable for all types of plants, whether old or new installations, with a higher or lower level of automation, «MPS Cockpit» is always applicable. In plants with a low level of automation control system are either very simple or not present. In these cases «MPS Cockpit» work-stations replace the direct coupling with the pro-duction control systems. The planning data are then to be implemented by the personnel.In «MPS Cockpit» the process sections are mod-eled with little but signifi cant data. Dead times, changeover times, etc. are defi ned by delay times. The distribution data, the cost structure and other key data are arranged in table form. All this data can be adapted to the conditions at any time. Normally, independent sensors and counters are used for the acquisition of a few signifi cant actual values. These are connected directly to «MPS Cockpit». Ideally this data is taken from the lower-level systems.

«MPS Cockpit» is designed as a classical client-server confi guration. Therefore, there is nothing in the way of the extensive installation of work-places within the whole company or the inte-gration of a second printing site. The operating system used is Windows 2000 and the database is Oracle. Therefore, the exchange of data with lower-level systems is assured by the usual methods.

Integration Features

• Stand-alone system with its own sensors and counters for the most important actual values,

• Network arrangement for the extensive placement of workstations within or outside the printing plant (e.g. with several printing sites),

• Coupling with lower-level production control systems for the exchange of the most important job data and deadlines,

• Client-server system architecture with Windows 2000 and Oracle data-base,

• Easy to take over and adapt specifi c process values, distribution data,cost structures, etc.

MPS InsertManager

«MPS InsertManager» can be used as a self-contained application or as an additional module to «MPS Cockpit». It is the ideal extension to «MPS Cockpit» for supporting the sale, planning, commercial management, store management and fi ne distribution of newspaper inserts.

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IndustrialIT for Printing

MPS CockpitRevolutionary planning, tracking and controlling system for all products of a newspaper publisher, taking account of all involved processes — from plate production to truck loading.

MPS InsertManager«MPS InsertManager» supports the sale, planning, production, stor-age and target-orientated distribution of newspaper inserts.

MPS Workfl owIntegrated, digital workfl ow solution for the coordinated planning and production of pages and plates, in cooperation with the prepress, platemaking and production management of the press.

MPS Roll HandlingLogistics and control system for the entire paper roll handling up to the reelstand loading. It takes care of allocation, transport and tracking of paper rolls, the returning of rest rolls and the disposal of waste.

MPS PageManagerPlanning system for the volume, structure and content of newspa-pers. The positioning of content is carried out in close cooperation with the editorial and advertisement systems. The integration with «MPS Production» ensures that the newspaper structure and color wishes are compatible with the possibilities of the press.

MPS InformInformation system for the global acquisition and evaluation of data in newspaper printing. In conjunction with «MPS Production», it provides information relating to press operation, maintenance and material management.

MPS ProductionProduction management system for printing presses. It contains comprehensive functions for job and product planning, production preparation and press presetting. Core system for integration with systems in the prepress, fi lm and plate handling, roll supply and the mailroom.

MPS Control Console 750Control console for the central control and supervision of printing presses. It includes a logging system to record all events, operating statuses and faults.

MPS Press Control 760Drive control system suitable for shaftless newspaper presses manufactured by the leading press manufacturers. It is currently the only system in operation that can handle fl ying page and volume changes.

MPS Drive 760Drive system for shaftless printing presses using standard three-phase AC drives from ABB instead of servo-drives plus new control methods for smoother web running and improved control of the web stretch in multi-web operation.

We reserve all rights in this document and in the information contained herein. Reproduction, disclosure to third parties or use without our express authority is strictly forbidden.

The data provided herein purports solely to describe the product and is not a warranty of quality or characteristic. In the interest of our customers we constantly strive to improve our products in line with technological progress. Differences may therefore exist between the product and its description.

© ABB Switzerland Ltd. 2002

ABB Switzerland Ltd.Business Unit PrintingCH-5400 BadenPhone +41.58.586 87 68Fax +41.58.588 00 20Mail bu.printing@ch.abb.comInternet www.abb.com/printing