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OMM in 5 Minutes

Welcome to a quick tour of the Open Manufacturing Model (OMM). Let's explore how OMM helps represent and organize your manufacturing system in a clear and intuitive way.

The Big Picture​

Think of OMM as a digital blueprint of your manufacturing facility. It helps you keep track of:

  • Where everything is (Locations)
  • What you have (Resources, Products, Parts)
  • Who's involved (Actors and Workers)
  • What's happening (Actions and Jobs)
  • How things move around (Routes)
  • Where things are stored (Storage)

How Everything Connects​

At its heart, OMM models your manufacturing system through interconnected components that work together, just like your real facility. Here's how they relate:

  • Jobs coordinate the production of Products
  • Products are made from Parts using various Resources
  • Workers operate the Resources to perform Actions
  • Everything happens at specific Locations
  • Routes connect different Locations
  • Storage areas hold your Products and Parts

Meet the Classes​

Let's meet each major component of OMM.

🏭 Resources​

Resources are your facility's workhorses - the physical equipment that gets things done. This includes:

  • Machines (like CNC machines, 3D printers)
  • Workstations (assembly areas, quality control stations)
  • Vehicles (forklifts, automated guided vehicles)
  • Conveyors (for moving materials)
  • Robotic Arms
  • Tools (handheld equipment)
tip

Think of Resources as anything that actively helps in manufacturing.

📍 Locations​

Locations are the "where" of your facility. They can be:

  • Inside your facility (production areas, storage zones)
  • Outside (supplier locations, customer sites)
  • Connected by routes
  • Associated with specific resources and activities
note

Depening on the required level of detail, OMM allows you to connect your resources to indvidual locations (e.g., a Location for each Machine), or group them to one location (e.g., all Machines belong to the same Location - your manufacturing plant).

👥 Actors & Workers​

These represent the people directly or indirectly involved in your manufacturing system:

  • Actors are any stakeholders (customers, suppliers, managers)
  • Workers are specialized actors who actively work in production
    • They have specific roles and authorizations
    • They operate resources and perform actions
    • They can be assigned to specific locations

⚙️ Actions​

Actions are the individual tasks that make up your manufacturing processes:

  • Setting up machines
  • Moving materials
  • Assembly operations
  • Quality checks
  • Maintenance tasks
tip

Think of Actions as the building blocks of your manufacturing processes.

📦 Products & Parts​

  • Products are what you're making - your finished goods
  • Parts are what you use to make products:
    • Raw materials
    • Purchased components
    • Work-in-progress items

📋 Jobs​

Jobs are your master organizers. They:

  • Track production of specific products
  • Manage required resources and workers
  • Schedule and coordinate actions
  • Monitor progress and completion
  • Handle priorities and due dates
tip

Think of Jobs as everything that needs to be done to fulfill an order.

🗺️ Routes​

Routes are the paths that connect different locations or resources:

  • Used for moving materials and products
  • Define paths for vehicles
note

You can create routes between resources (from Machine A to Workstation B) or between internal locations (if you chose to have individual locations per resource). You can also create routes between external locations (from your Manufacturing Facility to the Warehouse across the street). You can also mix-and-match resources, interal locations, and external locations. It's up to you!

🏪 Storage​

Storage areas are specialized locations for keeping your inventory:

  • Warehouses for longer-term storage
  • Buffer zones between operations
  • Racks and shelving systems

Real-World Example​

Let's look at a simple example: Making a custom electric motor.

  1. A Job is created when a Customer (Actor) orders the motor
  2. The job specifies which Parts are needed (housing, rotor, stator)
  3. Workers operate Resources (machines, tools) to perform Actions:
    • Machining the housing
    • Assembling components
    • Testing the motor
  4. Vehicles or Workers move materials along Routes between Locations or Resources
  5. Finished motors wait in Storage until shipping

What's Next?​

Now that you have a basic understanding of OMM, you can:

  • Explore each component in more detail. See our Reference
  • Map your facility using OMM concepts
  • Start implementing OMM in your systems or Digital Twins
  • Use OMM to monitor and improve your operations

Remember, OMM is flexible and can be adapted to fit your specific manufacturing needs, whether you're running a small workshop or a large factory. You are encouraged to adapt, extend, and remix OMM to fit your specific use case.