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Preactor APS vs. Plant Simulation

Round II of II
Veröffentlicht am 14. August 2019 Artikel bearbeiten | Statistik anzeigen

Jakob Schillinger
Leading the way with Industrial Digitalization at 5 Artikel
SIEMENS Presales Manager | Mendi... See more

Part I of this article elaborated where Siemens Plant Simulation and Preactor APS are
situated in the Digital Enterprise solution landscape and what implications can be drawn
from this. This part will focus on the capabilities of both tools concerning the following
expectations users have towards software products:

Scaleability

Granularity

Repeatability

Credibility

Scaleability

Challenges and targets in complex systems sometimes shift. Approaches for solving
challenges have to scale flexibly adapt to new situations.

Preactor supports solving planning and scheduling challenges in a production planning and
control environment. Due to that, projects with a focus on production planning and control
and holistic data will be successful in Preactor.

Plant Simulation (in its core) is a flexible integrated development environment specializing
on business, logistics and production needs. Projects with sufficient data and process
comprehension detailing the current challenge will be successful in Plant Simulation. Project
scope between projects of over a longer project duration can be changed flexible.
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Granularity

Granularity appears to be pretty much set in Preactor. You are either dealing with planning
and/or scheduling. Under closer inspection there are many different enablers to granularize
more, like:

attribute based planning priorities

directional scheduling

planning events

algorithms...

This gives the user quite some freedom to granularize as needed, but the Preactor data model
remains focused on production planning and control. A purchase order will always be a
purchase order- maybe you will add some attributes. This can be a blessing as it reduces
complexity!

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Any Plant Simulation model sub-sytsem can be restructured, reorganized down to attribute
and event level. This delivers a lot of freedom to the user.

Enablers to granularize are:

Libraries

Structures

Attributes

Events

Methods

It also means that, as soon as you want to grow from point and click based simulation into
something more sophisticated, you better understand some basics of coding and object-
oriented programming.

Repeatability

Out of the box Preactor uses current, ERP and MES based events to perform. Plant
Simulation works with collected past-time data. This is a big differentiator.

Preactor schedules are created based on ERP, MRP, operating and other data. New schedules
are often created when input data changes over time or when significant events happen.

Variants of a schedule can be created and compared using alternate planning rules based on
the same data state.

Plant Simulation models are created based on input structures and statistical data from the
past. Repetitions in simulation model execution are based on a Design of Experiments.
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statistical data has been changed significantly.

This differentiation implies that Preactor will be used to answer day to day planning and
scheduling questions on a tactical level. Plant Simulation will answer what-if questions on a
more strategical level.

Credibility

Result credibility is an often-overlooked factor, but from my experience, it is a very

important one.

Preactor delivers planning results based on „invisible“ decisions, algorithms and priorities.
Representation of the results will be in chart and GANTT form. In many cases, credibility
towards the result must be built as non-APS experts don't know what they are looking at.

Plant Simulation delivers planning results can be delivered in many different forms:

Structures

Data tables

Graphs

3D representations

Animations

Having the capability to represent results in 3D animations can be a real blessing when
talking to non-technical stakeholders. Showing them a visual environment, helps them to
connect your model to their experience- this builds trust better and faster than tons of data in
tables. And you will need trust to kickstart strategic changes you proofed necessary in Plant
Simulation.

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Conclusion

The features of the discussed tools clearly support their position in the Digital Enterprise
landscape.

If you search for a tool to do Planning and or Scheduling in a tactical environment, Preactor
should be your first choice.

If you need more flexibility, need to look at challenges on a broader scale or have to answer
strategic questions go for Plant Simulation.

This differentiation is not set in stone. There are examples where strategic questions where
answered with Preactor and I know Plant Simulation implementations that schedule on a
daily level.

Outlook

Repeatability is a key enabler to create value in Plant Simulation via Design of Experiments.
Credibility is necessary to turn this simulated value into a business reality. The SIEMENS
Heeds solution, normally employed for CFD and FEM simulation, is a great environment to
get up on speed with both topics.

I will layout how to employ HEEDS and Plant Simulation together soon.

Dies melden

Veröffentlicht von
Jakob Schillinger 5 Artikel Folgen
Leading the way with Industrial Digitalization at SIEMENS Presales Manager |
Mendix Ambassador
Veröffentlicht • 4 Tage
Learn how #SIEMENS #Preactor #APS and #Tecnomatix #PlantSimulation differentiate, based on the following
capabilities: - Scaleability - Granularity - Repeatability - Credibility

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Patrizia Bucci • 1. 4 Tage

Chief Executive Officer presso Sim.tec.s.r.l. SIMULATION TECHNOLOGIES

Compared to the past Plant Simulation implementations that schedule on a daily level are growing for
complex processes (with ODBC and OPC UA interface with ERP, MES, MOM, SCADA, PLC)
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Jakob Schillinger • Sie 3 Tage

Leading the way with Industrial Digitalization at SIEMENS Presales Manager | Mendix Ambassador
You are absolutely right, there are great use cases where Plant Simulation is scheduling on a daily level
based on tight integration to other systems. As stated in the article I cater to the standard use case. 
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Dominik Fürst • 1. 4 Tage

Production Digitalization

Great Job! 
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Jakob Schillinger • Sie 3 Tage

Leading the way with Industrial Digitalization at SIEMENS Presales Manager | Mendix Ambassador
Thank you very much- I hope it helps to differentiate value and uses of both tools.
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Jakob Schillinger
Leading the way with Industrial Digitalization at SIEMENS Presales Manager | Mendix Ambassador

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