Success Story: Precise Production Planning for Precise Medical Technology

APS System GANTTPLAN From Dualis Increases Delivery Capacity at EPflex

Few industries face as stringent requirements and regulations as the medical technology sector – and rightly so, since it is literally a matter of life and death. For manufacturers in this field, utmost care and reliability are paramount. Since 2017, EPflex, a specialist in medical precision instruments, has been meeting these demands with the smart APS solution GANTTPLAN and Asseco ERP. This solution optimizes the planning of production processes, thereby enhancing delivery capability.

Key Highlights

Initial Situation:

• EPflex Feinwerktechnik GmbH, a leading manufacturer of metallic components for minimally invasive medicine, was facing challenges in production planning.
• The existing planning was inefficient and could only be updated once a day, which led to delays and a lack of flexibility.

Special Features:

• Processing of approx. 500 orders with 2-3 million parts per month.
• Meeting the strictest requirements of the medical industry, always including the need for seamless lot traceability.
• Integration of GANTTPLAN into existing ERP and MES systems for seamless data transfer and processing.

Benefits:

• Improved on-time delivery by approx. 20 percent.
• Significantly enhanced ability to respond to unexpected events through more frequent planning adjustments (rescheduling is possible within 30 minutes and can be repeated 5 to 10 times a day).
• Improved resource utilization and shorter throughput times.

EPflex: Innovative Medical Technology Solutions for Minimally Invasive Surgery

The series manufacturer, which supplies various medical facilities as an OEM manufacturer, boasts a portfolio of nearly 3,500 items.

Challenge: Stable Delivery Capability Despite Process Complexity

EPflex not only manufactures to order but also independently develops new manufacturing processes, having registered 57 patents to date. The company’s high level of innovation and positive order situation have driven strong growth. To meet this demand, EPflex plans to open a third building in Dettingen. However, new customers, new products, and new manufacturing processes have simultaneously increased the complexity of the company’s operations, pushing the previous scheduling system to its limits.

This complexity posed significant challenges, especially given the strict requirements of the medical industry. All manufacturing processes at EPflex are continuously monitored by relevant authorities, and all lots must be fully traceable. Additionally, customers have the right to audit at any time.

“The ISO 13485 standard for the manufacture of medical products, to which we are certified, plays an important role for us. Among other things, it includes the requirement to be able to deliver at any time. Efficient and high-performance planning and scheduling is therefore essential for us,” explains Jürgen Class, Head of Production Control at EPflex.

The Solution: Flexible APS Tool Compatible With ERP System

Since 2003, EPflex has been managing its business processes with the Asseco ERP solution APplus. However, the dedicated solution for detailed planning, in use since 2010, could no longer meet the increasingly complex requirements. In 2016, EPflex searched the market for a new APS system and shortlisted three options. The decisive factor was which solution could best integrate into the existing process landscape. Given their successful long-term use of APplus, the decision-makers at EPflex leaned towards GANTTPLAN APS from DUALIS, a partner solution from Asseco that seamlessly integrates with the ERP system.

Jürgen Class explains: “We were convinced by both the functionality and user-friendliness of the solution. Many systems only visualize rough-cut planning from the ERP system. For us, this is not the detailed planning we need, which we now achieve with the DUALIS and Asseco system. Moreover, we can now rely on optimal interaction between ERP and APS.”

In Practice: Flexible Planning Improves Responsiveness

After using a pilot version that ran parallel to the previous system for six months, the DUALIS and Asseco solution went live in May 2017. Currently, EPflex is primarily focusing on capacity planning, with other areas to follow step by step.

Torsten Habelmann, Production Manager at EPflex, explains: “Adherence to delivery dates is essential in our industry. If customers have had negative experiences, it can quickly lead to a vicious cycle: orders that are not actually due until the future are placed earlier because customers ‘plan’ for the supposed delay from the outset. This means that we have to handle an unnecessarily higher volume of orders.”

In the past, inflexible scheduling repeatedly caused unwanted delays in production. With the new solution, contextual rescheduling is now easily achievable. It is immediately clear what further shifts a particular delay will cause, making it simple to devise the best possible alternative production process.

“The new system works very quickly. If necessary, we can create a new plan within half an hour. This has significantly improved our ability to react to unexpected problems in production. While in the past we could only reschedule once a day, we now have the option of rescheduling between five and ten times if necessary,” explains Jürgen Class.

EPflex was able to significantly increase its delivery capacity with the help of the solution duo from DUALIS and Asseco.

[This article was originally published in 2018 and was updated in November 2023]