Development Prospects, Current Status, and Trends of the Machinery and Equipment Industry

　　The machinery industry is a typical discrete manufacturing industry, characterized by multi-variety and small-batch production; there are many product types, complex products, and many uncertain factors affecting the production process. Emergency orders and equipment failures frequently occur, leading to changes in production plans; the manufacturing process is complex, with many uncertain factors in the production process. Dispatching based on experience cannot guarantee the coordination of the entire production process, making process control difficult and management challenging.

　　Four Characteristics of the Mechanical Equipment Manufacturing Industry

　　1. Production is based on customer requirements, product processes frequently change, and production plans change frequently;

　　2. Multi-variety and small-batch production, with production primarily driven by orders and supplemented by market forecasts;

　　3. The production process mainly involves machining and then assembling the various components, with assembly being the key, and numerous processing equipment;

　　4. There are many semi-finished products and outsourced parts, frequent warehousing and de-warehousing, requiring high accuracy of BOM and inventory.

　　Three Major Management Challenges in the Mechanical Equipment Manufacturing Industry

　　Difficult Planning Management

　　Intense market competition, increasing personalized product demands, and increasingly shorter customer-required delivery times;

　　Production plans are heavily influenced by the market. The multi-variety and small-batch production model leads to heavy planning management tasks, low plan accuracy, and difficult market prediction.

　　Difficult Production Coordination

　　The main production model in the machinery manufacturing industry is primarily discrete, supplemented by process-based manufacturing, with assembly as the focus. Product production takes the form of multi-variety and small-batch production, with the possibility of inserting orders, placing high demands on production process coordination;

　　Simultaneous R&D and production, with a project-based manufacturing model, frequent product changes directly affecting production cost control, especially in project-based cost accounting production models, where data accuracy directly impacts project costs and company profitability;

　　The product production process is long, with many quality control points, making it difficult to promptly identify problems and defects. Therefore, the ability to control the production process and quality directly relates to production efficiency and product quality.

　　Difficult On-site Control

　　Mechanical equipment industry products have a clear and well-defined structure, but complex product configurations and multi-level BOMs lead to complex production order issuance and on-site process management;

　　The management of materials and logistics at the production site and the control of the line-side warehouse are key points. There are many semi-finished products and outsourced parts, requiring high inventory accuracy;

　　Raw materials, semi-finished products, and finished products are frequently warehoused and de-warehoused. Material loading, unloading, and fool-proofing are key to improving production efficiency and product quality.

　　Two Major Digitalization Needs in the Mechanical Equipment Manufacturing Industry

　　Production, Supply, and Sales Coordination

　　Mechanical equipment companies need to design, manufacture, and deliver products on time based on market and customer needs. However, the production process involves problems such as dispersed production workstations, non-fixed process routes, and random resource allocation. Therefore, the optimal utilization and reasonable arrangement of resources are crucial. It is necessary to fully consider market, supply chain, manufacturing site, and customer factors to develop scientific production plans. At the same time, to better utilize resources, it is necessary to promptly feedback information from the production site to support production decisions.