COMMUNICATIONS ORIENTED INFORMATION AND CONTROL SYSTEM The Communications Oriented Production information and control system (abbreviation:

COPICS), was 1972 a collection of concepts for integrated data processing systems, published by IBM, in the manufacturing. COPICS covered 12 chapters in 8 volumes. Bound I contained an overview for the management, conditions for system, explanations and references, volume II to VII described applications and volume VIII the data base which can be taken as a basis. COPICS was consciously not conceived as system which can be used finished, therefore there was first also no realized COPICS software. The system concept should show only high-level personnel of enterprises, how they can arrange the application software fitting for it. OVERVIEW COPICS is a concept for the management, not for software developers. It is conceived for production - not for selling, personnel management or bookkeeping - and it is communication, in the year 1972 quite a novelty. Like the headings of the areas of application further down are intended a continuous distinction by planning and control with special stress of the improvement of the control possibilities show by faster and better recognition of deviations in the manufacturing process. Aids for this are of the data processing system recognizable standards, which are to be examined actions, which are to be met in the case of deviations by computation or measurement and. For actions there are action files, over which the system can convey messages. Action files can be regarded as sentence of action rules, which specify in advance, what with statement of certain deviations from the plan of the manufacturing process be done must, i.e. who must be informed. The references in the action file are arranged, responsible person coworker are informed according to priority, who must receipt of the messages by them is confirmed and by selection of certain keys can is specified who depending upon line level how much information to receive is. Further characteristics - always in the context of the time at that time direct computer monitoring of machines, automatic warehouses is on-line processing over terminals and television sets with immediate processing in the dialogue, wants to be called - if necessarily - immediate actualization of all of a procedure concerned datacorrode and so-called "Net CHANGE" processing. At the time at that time the processing of changes was usual in the week or monthly rhythm. That would have however the progress of the dialogue immediately processing countercross-hatched. For the cases, with which an immediate processing was technically or economically not possible, there was naturally from far away pile (or batch) processing. AREAS OF APPLICATION Administration of the construction and production data Administration of the construction and production data (engineering and Production DATA control). To it belong the parts list data, parts lists, technical designs, technical changes, product history, schedules, jobs with ihrern capacities and tools.

Customer order administration The customer order administration (Customer order Servicing) is interface between marketing system and manufacturing and is enough from incoming orders of the customer order up to the dispatch. In detail are discussed: Order examination and acceptance of the customer orders, job controlling with order progress control, equipment control, definition of the order priority and date of delivery adjustment, order entry with product variants, treatment of customer inquiries and the dispatch. Demand forecast The chapter demand forecast describes the technology of the forecast ( Forecasting) of the need for finished products, among other things data preparation and clearing of the data of extreme values, - screen-supported partially - the development and selection of a forecast model, consideration of the life span of a product and other correction values. All usual stochastic ascertainment of need methods are treated like sliding or weighted sliding average value, linear or nonlinear regression analysis, exponential smoothing of first or second order. Production planning for finished products Production planning for finished products (master Production Schedule Planning) develops alternative production plans for the manufacturing capacities on basis of the demand forecast, expected trends and market tendencies and adopts a production plan as basis for more detailed plans. By a production plan one understands the need for finished products according to date and quantity. The production plan is one side starting point for short term materials requirements and capacity planning, on the other hand the estimation of the long-term capacity requirements at area, machines, workers, planning service and capital. The tasks of production planning are thus:

Estimation of the long-term demand from workers, plants and capital to the Sicherstellung of the feasibility of the production plan. Planning of the capacity load in technical departments and production for the Sicherstellung of the feasibility of the production plan. Supply of the information thereby management in the context of the planned capacities the best production plan for finished products to set up can. The updating of the production plan when changes, e.g. the forecasts, the market requirements or as reaction to overload situations. Supply of simulation practicabilities

, with which effects of plan alternatives and changes of capacity can be played to the end (!). (This chapter of the 1972 (!) published document are particularly informative in connection with 10 and 20 years later led discussions approximately around PPS, MRP II, ERP, APS and like them all hot over the "weaknesses" of the old systems.) Material planning and - control The material planning and - control (Inventory management) determines on the basis of the production plan quantities and date for or parts which can be manufactured which can be ordered. It consists control, consisting of material requirement Planning (MRP, of the materials inventory update including stocktaking and inventory planning and - materials requirements

planning) and planning of the order release. One particularly refers thereby the meaning of the controlling of the effectiveness of technical changes and to the proof of need connections (need proof). Manufacturing and capacity planning The manufacturing and capacity planning (Manufacturing Activity Planning) serve the determination of the need at manufacturing capacities and the scheduled capacity alignment with consideration of available capacities. It is to be achieved by the fact that order dates kept, which workshop existence small, which are avoided turn-around times of the orders briefly, bottlenecks at machines and machine empty times. The individual steps of the manufacturing and capacity planning are the capacity requirement planning, computation or default of priorities, planning of the order release for purchase and manufacturing and planning of the order sequence. Order release The order release (order release) transfers up to then only planned orders in orders to the purchase for procurement or orders to the manufacturing. The dates of planned orders are examined. With reaching the planned starting date the orders for the release intended after the availability of the necessary tools and the necessary material were examined and booktechnically reserved. As result of the order release material and tool requirements for the and the necessary workshop papers are provided. For orders for purchase demand requirements in the activity file are stored. The advantage of the distinction between planning phase and workshop phase is in the relatively small expenditure for changes in the in relation to the increased expenditure after the release. Workshop monitoring and - control
The workshop monitoring and - control (monitoring plans and control) supervises the working progress of the production orders and provides for the punctual supply of tools, inspection devices and means of transport for transport between the workshops. In the acceptance that the productivity of a factory can be achieved by improved controlling of the workshops, it is concerned this chapter over workshop monitoring and - control as bridge between planning and the execution in the workshops. Such systems would not be necessary, if exactly as planned one produced. Basis of such systems is faster communication over in the workshops communications equipments present such as terminals, television sets and computer networks with direct connections at machines. By cooperating humans, computers, television sets and machines instructions to the workshop and status feedbacks decrease/go back. Being and actual condition can be compared, in exceptional cases can so fast decisions please and corrective measures by the workshop to be arranged. Particularly critical ranges can be supervised purposefully. Gave up in such a system to master are: Presence messages, production, adjustment and supply of the workshop papers, materials allocation in due time, distribution and assignment of the job orders, date monitoring and message from states of emergency (material is missing, to machine failure, etc.), quality control, process-accompanying supply of parts and material, control of inspection, measuring and test and tool and direct press control (DNC, Distributed Numerical control).