Why Is SAP MII The Most Trending Thing Now

SAP Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence (MII) is a software platform that provides integration and intelligence for manufacturing operations. It helps companies to connect, automate, and optimize their manufacturing processes by providing tools for data collection, process monitoring, and decision-making. SAP MII is a standardized, highly flexible, and scalable IT platform built on NetWeaver (Java). As the central information interface, it ensures that all production data, including orders, materials, machine status, quantities, costs, and product quality, is visible in real-time.

SAP MII was originally named Lighthammer CMS( Collaborative Manufacturing suite ) owned by US Based company called Lighthammer software. Which was acquired by SAP in 2005 & re-branded as SAP MII, which was running on a Microsoft internet information server (IIS). Later, SAP MII has been renamed to SAP Manufacturing integration and intelligence.

Introduction of SAP MII

Change is unavoidable in the twenty-first century, both in daily life and in business. Specifically, in the manufacturing sector, enterprises today face enormous challenges that force them to change the way traditional manufacturing processes operate in the industries. To address these issues, Sap is promoting a new concept known as adaptive manufacturing.

The SAP definition of adaptive manufacturing is simple. Adaptive Manufacturing is the ability to replenish the supply chain profitably while dynamically responding to unpredictable change. This means that manufacturing operations must be flexible enough to be modified when necessary in a cost-effective manner.

Manufacturing integration and intelligence lets you integrate your plant and enterprise systems using SAP NetWeaver and display integrated data. Manufacturing integration and intelligence measures and compares plant and asset performance with various automation system infrastructures. SAP MII lowers the cost of synchronizing plant and enterprise business processes by employing the following techniques:

• Plant system connectors
• Business logic services
• Integration scenarios

Major integration components of SAP MII are as follows

• Data Service for manufacturing plant floor connectivity
• Message service for enterprise connectivity

SAP MII as a Manufacturing Integration Platform

Manufacturing synchronization is a key enabler of adaptive manufacturing and is supported by SAP MII as a primary feature, enabling you to synchronize your enterprise business application with manufacturing plant floor application in real time.

SAP MII – Flexible Standardized & Scalable

SAP MII is a scalable IT platform based on a NetWeaver (Java), standardized, and very flexible. It ensures that all data from the production sector is visible in real-time, including order information, materials, machine status, amounts, costs and product quality, as the central information interface. All relevant data sources and data recipients can be networked without integration gaps by connecting existing manufacturing control systems, MDA/PDA, touch screens, scanners, and other mobile input devices.

Visualization with SAP MII

In order to improve understanding and to make faster choices in production, visualization is an important prerequisite. User-dependent information can be easily and in real-time presented with SAP MII in material flow monitoring, monitoring systems, control rooms, dashboards and cockpits, and KPIs, for instance in OEE reports. SAP SSCE is a powerful environment for creating dashboards for drag and drop in SAP MII. The SAPUI5 technology, which is based on HTML5, is the basis for rapid interface development and mobile MII applications.

SAP MII Architecture

SAP MII has been developed and optimized for the application in the process industry, and serves as the basis in discreet production for seamless integration into SAP ERP for all the SAP Manufacturing Execution (SAP ME) applications. SAP MII provides a foundation across all industries and is both the SAP ME to SAP ERP interface and the SAP MII to UI interface. SAP MII is NetWeaver-based and Java-based. SAP MII is the basis of applications such as SAP OEE or SAP batch fabrication.

SAP MII 12.0 runs on sap NetWeaver 7.0 Java Web as as web application.It uses the standard service of SAP NetWeaver, such as identity management and logging, and provides its own functionary, including dada service, Business logic service, Visualization service, and message service by various modules development using J2EE and Deployed in the Java Webas.

SAP MII is an Open platform that integrated the various system used for manufacturing execution operation

SAP Overall Equipment Effectiveness Management

As part of the SAP Manufacturing and Intelligence App, you can evaluate the performance of your plant in real-time and historically, with SAP OEE (Overarching Equipment Effectiveness) management application. To obtain metricians that measure the accessibility and performance of equipment and the quality of goods produced by that equipment, SAP OEE employs common sources of manufacturing information.

The following features are provided by SAP OEE:

• Allows the collection of all manner of production losses and data gathering which can extend beyond the traditional KPI definitions of the OEE.
• The dashboards of the OEE allow the collection of production data relevant to OEE such as downtimes, quantities, codes of reason, etc.
• Provides integration of SAP ERP, shop floor (SAP MII), and analytics systems (SAP HANA) out of the box.
• Analytics and charts focusing on OEEs and KPIs associated with production loss. Extract the ability to allow root cause of loss analysis provides you with an overview of the reasons for losses.
• Customization of analytical report flexibility.

SAP Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence Self-Service Composition

• A robust and lean, standard-based platform for creating, designing, configuring, and displaying dashboards based on your needs. SSCE is a strong SAP Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence (SAP MII) drag and drops environment for the creation of dashboards.

• Create dashboards with all SAP MII content, UI elements, and Plant Information Catalog Tags (Display Templates, MDO/KPI objects, and resource files).

• SAP MII Provide bi-directional data access both in synchronous and asynchronous mode to enterprise and manufacturing plant floor system.

Its integration capability is unique because it provide specific data connectors to various standard manufacturing plant floor systems, as well as seamless connectivity to SAP ERP using standard protocols  such as SAP Java Connector, ALE, and Web service, unlike the application and system such as the process historian LIMS, SCADA, DCS, and MEES, which have a specific purpose such as maintain process data, quality information, execution scheduling and so on,

Key Features of Manufacturing integration and intelligence

• Data collection and integration: MII integrates data from various sources, such as ERP systems, machine controllers, and sensors, and presents it in a unified format for further analysis and decision-making.
• Process monitoring and control: MII enables users to monitor and control manufacturing processes in real-time, and to identify and resolve problems before they become critical.
• Decision support: MII provides tools for data analysis and visualization, helping users to identify trends and patterns, and to make informed decisions about their manufacturing operations.
• Custom application development: MII allows users to build custom applications to meet their specific business needs, using SAP NetWeaver as the underlying platform.

Universal Connectivity to real-time plants floor data

• Provide an extensive library of the plant system and application connectors
• Exchanges data with virtually any plants floor level
• Utilized standard APIs, Communication standards ( for example OPC), and data access methods to connect to this system
• Require no modification to the existing plant’s floors system
• Perform transactional exchange of information with SAP ERP
• Offer real-time accessibility to transaction data at the plant and enterprise levels.

Synchronization of SAP ERP and Plants Floor system and process

• Extends the models, rules, and processes of sap manufacturing (ERP) for use in plants floors process
• Uses standards-based communication structure to simplify the processing and interface requirement
• Provide easy development tools to help address requirements, information, and processes specific to particular manufacturing sites
• A portfolio of data service
• Provide single manufacturing data service for other composite application
• Provide local data caching for vital information as needed to support 24X7 Operation
• Exposes all integration level processes to enhance manufacturing intelligence application

Additionally SAP MII includes the following business scenarios as below

• Shop Floor Production Integration
• Shop Floor Quality Integration
• Content Versioning
• Ad Hoc Reporting
• Transactions for BAPI Consumption
• Trend Chart Visualization
• KPI and Alerts
• Plant Information Catalog
• Energy Monitoring and Analysis
• Business Objects Integration (Dashboards and Crystal Reports)
• Joined MDO, Join mode on MDO Queries
• OData Services
• Self Service Composition Environment
• OEE Management with HANA
• OEE Management without HANA

Latest versions of installation and upgrade guides

Conclusion

Overall, SAP MII helps manufacturing companies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations, and to make better-informed decisions about their production processes

SAP MII is a solution that connects manufacturing operations and enterprise systems. It acts as a central integration hub, connecting shop floor systems with business applications like SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA. It provides real-time data exchange, enabling accurate information flow. It offers shop floor visibility into production processes, machine performance, and quality metrics. SAP MII also offers powerful manufacturing analytics capabilities, enabling predictive maintenance, yield analysis, and downtime reduction. It promotes standardization across manufacturing sites and allows organizations to customize it to their specific needs. It’s a crucial part of the Industry 4.0 journey.

FAQ’s about Terminology use in the articles

Here are a below couple more articles to help you improve your knowledge.

• SAP Leonardo
• SAP Cloud platform
• Hybris Marketing
• SAP Fieldglass
• SAP Ariba
• SAP CEC