Product Areas Overview

The Capabilities of the Arda SaaS platform are organized into three main product areas:

Core Platform Capabilities
Manufacturing and Material Flow Management
Business and Supply Chain Operations

TOC¶

TOC
Core Platform Capabilities
Manufacturing and Material Flow Management
Business and Supply Chain Operations

Core Platform Capabilities¶

Foundational pillars of the Arda SaaS platform, encompassing system administration, core data management, user interaction, and integration frameworks.

Administration and Configuration¶

User and Tenant Management: Enables robust management of users and tenants, integrated with services like Cognito for scalability and security.
Subscription and Billing Management: Simplifies the financial aspects of the SaaS offering, including direct integration with Stripe for subscription management.
Self-Service Onboarding: Empowers customers with self-serve tenant and account creation, reducing friction in the adoption process.
System and Deployment Management: Includes auditing, version management of deployments, and automation for high availability and system stability.
Print Template Configuration: Allows administrators to define and customize templates for essential documents like labels and work instructions, supporting low-code configurability.
Business Rules and Process Management: Provides the ability for administrators to configure workflows, rules, and forms to tailor the system to specific operational needs.

Security and Compliance¶

Authentication and Authorization: Secures system access through JWT authentication, Single Sign-On (SSO), and MFA to safeguard manufacturing data.
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Ensures users have appropriate access based on their roles, a fundamental requirement for enterprise software.
Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC): Provides fine-grained, scope-based access control (e.g., by facility, department), enhancing security for multi-site operations.
Audit Trails and Logging: Captures a complete log of events and changes, essential for traceability, compliance, and audit readiness.
Compliance Management: Supports regulatory requirements (e.g., GxP, SOX) with features like electronic signatures, validated states, and audit-ready data.

User Experience and Collaboration¶

Responsive and Mobile Interface: Delivers a modern user experience on desktops, tablets, and smartphones, crucial for shop floor mobility.
Efficient Data Interaction: Improves productivity with UI features like advanced filtering, type-ahead fields, and intuitive search capabilities.
Real-time Notifications and Alerts: Provides timely alerts for critical events (e.g., Andons), enabling immediate response to operational issues.
Embedded Collaboration Tools: Facilitates communication with features like in-app chat, announcements, and cross-tenant collaboration spaces.
Guided Work Instructions: Delivers clear, visual instructions to operators, including text, images, and 3D models, to reduce errors and ensure process adherence.
Personalization and Dashboards: Allows for role-based and personalized dashboards that provide users with relevant, real-time KPIs at a glance.

Shop Floor and Plant Integration¶

Bridge between the digital model in software and the real-time events on the shop floor.

Vendor-agnostic connectivity and data exchange between the Arda cloud platform and the diverse ecosystem of equipment, devices, and operator interfaces found in a modern manufacturing facility. Our strategy is to provide a comprehensive and flexible integration layer that supports everything from legacy automation to the latest IIoT and operator-assist technologies, transforming raw data streams into actionable, contextualized information.

Traditional Automation and Control System Integration (PLC/SCADA): This is the foundational layer of plant integration, ensuring Arda can communicate with the established control systems that run most machinery. It involves native integration with industrial infrastructure platforms like AVEVA System Platform, which connect to a wide range of plant equipment and control systems.
- Agnostic Connectivity: Support for standard industrial protocols like OPC-UA for basic connectivity to Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems.
- Real-time Data Exchange: Capture real-time production data, downtime reasons, and short stoppage events directly from equipment, freeing operators from manual data collection.
- Closed-Loop Control: Enable MES to send commands back to machines, facilitating a higher degree of automation and process enforcement.
- Reusable Templates: Utilize MES templates to create libraries of control-system-neutral equipment models. This allows for standardization across similar equipment types, regardless of the underlying automation landscape, accelerating deployment and ensuring consistency.
IIoT, Edge Computing, and Smart Sensors: This capability extends our reach beyond traditional automation to embrace modern Industry 4.0 technologies. It involves deploying software components at the edge of the plant to process machine data closer to the source, enabling faster decision-making and ensuring operational continuity even with latent cloud connectivity.
- Edge Data Processing: Support for edge computing to handle high-frequency data locally, reducing latency and enabling near-real-time responses. This allows for local anomaly detection and predictive maintenance alerts directly at the machine level.
- MQTT Broker Support: Deploy and configure MQTT brokers on edge instances to manage lightweight, publish/subscribe messaging from a wide range of IIoT devices and sensors.
- Direct Machine Integration: Integrate with a variety of shop floor equipment, from automated and manual sources, to capture data for production management and quality control.
- IoT-based Asset Tracking: Leverage IoT sensors for real-time tracking of assets like forklifts and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), enhancing resource management.
Operator Interface and Data Capture Devices: This encompasses the physical devices operators use to interact with the Arda system, execute tasks, and capture data. The goal is to provide ergonomic, error-proof, and efficient interfaces that streamline shop floor activities.
- Scanning and Printing: Provide robust support for barcode and RFID scanning for material identification, task confirmation, and traceability. Enable on-demand printing of labels, Kanban cards, and work instructions through integrated shop floor printers.
- Mobile and Wearable Devices: Deliver a mobile-first user experience on tablets and smartphones for operators, maintenance technicians, and line leads. Support for wearables like ring scanners and smart glasses enhances hands-free operation and enables augmented reality work guidance.
- Visual and Voice-Assisted Technologies: Integrate with light-based systems (Pick-to-Light, Put-to-Light) and voice-directed systems to guide operators through picking, assembly, and replenishment tasks, improving accuracy and speed.
- Andon Systems: Implement visual management systems with light or sound signals to provide real-time status updates on production lines, enabling rapid response to issues and minimizing downtime.
Robotics and Light Automation Integration: As automation becomes more accessible, our platform must orchestrate the interaction between human workers and robotic systems, from simple guided carts to advanced collaborative robots (cobots). This ensures seamless material flow and task execution in a hybrid environment.
- AGV/AMR Orchestration: Integrate with Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) for tasks like material transport, replenishment, and sorting, optimizing material flow and reducing manual handling.
- Robotics and Cobot Integration: Support for robotics and collaborative robots to automate repetitive tasks, improve ergonomics, and increase throughput.
- Automated and Vision-Based Inspection: Integrate with AI-powered vision systems and sensors for automated quality control, such as damage detection or verification of correct assembly, reducing manual inspection effort and improving defect capture rates.

Platform Architecture and Integrations¶

Microservices Architecture: Provides a scalable, flexible, and resilient foundation that differentiates from legacy monolithic MES/ERP systems.
Enterprise System Integration (ERP/PLM): Automates data exchange with business applications like ERP and PLM for master data, production planning, and results.
Supply Chain Partner Integration: Enables seamless communication with external partners through APIs, webhooks, and supplier portals.
Low-Code/No-Code Extensibility: Empowers users to create and modify workflows and integrations using visual, drag-and-drop tools.
Data Streaming and Analytics Integration: Provides dedicated data stream interfaces for integration with external BI, data warehouse, and machine learning platforms.

Data and Analytics¶

Reference Data Management: Manages foundational data including item masters, suppliers, facilities, departments, and Bills of Materials (BOMs).
Bulk Data Operations: Increases administrative efficiency through CSV-based import/export capabilities for managing large datasets.
Performance Management (OEE): Monitors, analyzes, and improves Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and plant capacity utilization by tracking production losses.
Standard Reporting and KPI Dashboards: Provides out-of-the-box reports and real-time KPI dashboards for scrap, efficiency, and throughput.
Root Cause and Predictive Analytics: Supports drill-down analysis of losses and predictive analytics for downtime and yield predictions.
Cloud Cost and TCO Monitoring: Delivers financial visibility into the total cost of ownership (TCO) through dedicated dashboards.

Manufacturing and Material Flow Management¶

Domain-specific capabilities that directly manage and control the physical and informational flow of materials through manufacturing and logistics processes. It represents the core “WES-driven pull system” functionality.

Production Management¶

Work Order Management: Manages the creation, assignment, and completion of work orders to execute the production schedule.
Production Process Modeling: Defines and manages product recipes and process information, including the sequence of operations, BOM, and equipment specifications.
Dynamic and Digital Workflow Management: Orchestrates human and machine actions with graphical, digital workflows to enforce processes and guide operators.
Shop Floor Data Collection: Captures manual and automated production data, including parameters, quality checks, and events, for real-time visibility.
Labor Management and Tracking: Manages labor certifications, tracks time against production activities, and supports scheduling of operators.
Short-Term Production Scheduling: Provides schedule flexibility and enables production management with real-time visibility into plant resources and operations.
Performance Monitoring and Analytics: Delivers real-time visibility into production status, KPIs (e.g., actual vs. planned), and decision support for corrective actions.

Kanban and Pull System Control¶

Digital Kanban Model: Implements digital Kanban as the core pull signal, with configurable cards (mutable/immutable) to manage material flow and replenishment.
Kanban Loop Management: Defines and controls Kanban loops to optimize material flow between stations, preventing shortages and overproduction.
Visual Workflow and Board Management: Utilizes Kanban boards (physical or digital) with columns like ‘To Do’, ‘In Progress’, and ‘Done’ to visualize and manage work.
Work-In-Progress (WIP) Limit Control: Enforces WIP limits to prevent overproduction, manage bottlenecks, and maintain a smooth, predictable flow.
Replenishment Signal Automation: Automates the transmission of replenishment signals to internal stations and external suppliers based on real-time consumption data.
Process Stability Management: Designed for stable, repetitive production pipelines where tasks flow at a steady rate, while offering mechanisms to handle exceptions.

Inventory and Materials Management¶

Inventory Tracking and Control: Manages and tracks inventory levels, locations, and movements in real-time across the plant.
Material Flow Orchestration: Manages the physical flow of materials between operations, enforcing specified BOMs and reducing manual handling.
End-to-End Traceability and Genealogy: Delivers detailed product genealogy and material traceability, from raw material receipt to finished goods shipment.
Lot and Serial Control: Provides comprehensive tracking for lot- and serial-numbered items, crucial for compliance and quality control.
Floor Stock Management: Addresses materials stored on the factory floor, including local inventory creation, reservation, and reconciliation with ERP systems.
Batch Management: Supports the creation and management of batch numbers and their characteristics, with real-time data retrieval from ERP systems.
Warehouse Operations (Receiving/Shipping): Manages the ingress (receiving, inspection, putaway) and egress (picking, packing, shipping) of materials and products.

Quality Management¶

In-Process Quality Control (IPQC): Automates quality inspection procedures and enforces data collection at key operational steps to safeguard product quality.
Statistical Process Control (SPC): Applies SPC rules and charts to monitor quality data in real-time, providing instant notifications of non-conformance.
Nonconformance and CAPA Management: Manages the recording, disposition (rework/scrap), and review of nonconformances, and connects them to corrective/preventive actions (CAPA).
Electronic Recordkeeping: Provides automatic, detailed electronic records for product genealogy, quality, and material traceability to reduce compliance costs.
Supplier Quality Management: Integrates with suppliers to manage incoming material quality, inspections, and collaborative issue resolution.
Automated and Visual Inspection: Leverages machine learning models and vision systems to automate the identification of defects and ensure assembly correctness.

Asset and Maintenance Management¶

Resource Modeling and Tracking: Creates a digital representation of plant resources—including equipment, tools, and locations—to track their status and availability.
Equipment Monitoring and Fault Management: Monitors equipment health and performance metrics to detect actual or predicted failures and manage downtime events.
Maintenance Management (CMMS): Coordinates and manages maintenance activities, including scheduling preventive maintenance (PM) and responding to unplanned downtime to maximize uptime.
Tool Management: Manages and tracks the usage, calibration, and availability of production tools and equipment.
Digital Twin and Simulation: Supports a virtual representation of the shop floor for what-if scenario planning to optimize throughput and scheduling.

Business and Supply Chain Operations¶

Adjacent business functions, managing the broader context of customer demand, supplier collaboration, and enterprise-level planning.

Order and Fulfillment Management¶

Order Ingestion and Release: Receives and prioritizes fulfillment orders from various sources like ERP or e-commerce sites, and manages their release to the warehouse.
Available-to-Promise (ATP): Provides commitments based on real-time inventory and production capacity.
Flexible Fulfillment Models: Supports various production strategies including make-to-stock, make-to-order, and configure-to-order.
Picking, Packing, and Shipping: Manages the core warehouse fulfillment operations required to prepare and ship customer orders.
Waveless and Continuous Fulfillment: Enables a shift from batch-oriented “wave” processing to continuous, real-time fulfillment, reducing lead times.

Procurement and Supplier Collaboration¶

Purchase Order Management: Manages the creation, tracking, and approval of purchase orders for external suppliers.
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Supplier Data Management: Centralizes supplier information, approved vendor lists, and contract terms.
Supplier Coordination and Communication: Facilitates communication with suppliers through automated PO submission (email, PDF) and status updates.
Supplier Portals: Provides shared dashboards and a collaborative workspace for suppliers to manage ASNs, quality issues, and schedules.
Receiving and Inbound Logistics: Manages inbound flow, including ASN processing, dock scheduling, and receiving inspections.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Integration¶

Financial and Cost Management: Tracks and reports production costs, variances, and inventory valuation for accurate financial accounting.
Master Data Synchronization: Ensures alignment of critical master data (items, BOMs, work centers) between the MES and the ERP system of record.
Production and Inventory Reconciliation: Provides real-time updates on work-in-process (WIP) and inventory status to the ERP system.
Order-to-Cash and Procure-to-Pay Integration: Connects manufacturing operations with end-to-end enterprise business processes.

Advanced Planning and Scheduling¶

Demand Forecasting and Planning: Integrates with demand signals to plan production and replenishment.
Finite Capacity Scheduling: Creates optimized, constraint-based schedules that account for the finite capacity of resources like labor and equipment.
Dynamic Resource Allocation: Rebalances labor and other resources in real-time to address bottlenecks and shifting priorities.
What-If Scenario Simulation: Allows planners to simulate the impact of different scheduling decisions or constraints on production KPIs.

Multi-Site and Enterprise Operations¶

Multi-Site Standardization: Uses a model-driven approach with reusable templates to standardize best practices, KPIs, and reporting across multiple plants.
Centralized and Distributed Deployment: Supports both centrally hosted enterprise MES solutions and local plant deployments with edge components.
Cross-Plant Visibility and Benchmarking: Provides a single-pane-of-glass view for comparing performance and KPIs across different sites.
Network Capacity Planning: Enables planning and allocation of production demand across a network of facilities to optimize service levels and costs.