23.09 M3 Quick Guide

Summany

The M3 Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Quick Start Guide is designed to help administrators and shop-floor employees quickly set up and use the M3 system for production scheduling, reporting, quality control, alarms, and wage calculation. It outlines roles, system features, and step-by-step instructions for efficient operation.

• System overview: M3 MES supports production scheduling by date and employee/group, real-time shop-floor reporting with mobile scanning, quality control with inspection checkpoints, production alarms with multi-level handling, and automatic performance wage calculations. There are two main user roles: administrators and shop-floor employees.

• Quick start roadmap: Administrators complete initial setup including system switch activation, employee authorization, optional configuration of wages, quality control, and alarms, followed by task scheduling and dispatch. Employees log in, access the workshop console, find tasks, start timing, enter quantities, and finish reporting.

• Logging in: Users access the system via a recommended browser, enter credentials, and administrators access the full menu while employees use the Workshop Console. Mobile browsers supportscanning work order QR codes for direct reporting access.

• Administrator first-time setup: Key steps include enabling necessary system switches for real-time reporting, scheduling by date, wage calculation, quality control, preparation stages, and auto-reporting of QC. Employee reporting authorization is managed by assigning work centers. Optional configurations cover employee groups, performance wages, QC items, alarm categories, and defective items.

• Scheduling and task dispatch: Two modes exist depending on whether scheduling by date is enabled. Without it, tasks are assigned to work centers with date ranges but no daily quantities. With it, daily output quantities are assigned to employees or groups per date. Labels and QR codes can be printed for mobile scanning. Task lists enable batch reporting by administrators or team leaders.

• Administrator data queries and reports: The system provides time records, wage reports, QC records, alarm records, andschedule or work order progress tracking, all supporting filtering, editing, and export functions.

• Employee daily reporting: Employees access assigned tasks, start timing, and report qualified quantities with defect input if needed. Drawings, process instructions, images, and material details are viewable. Preparation stages can be timed separately if enabled. QC items must be filled when enabled, with warnings for out-of-spec values and options to upload photos.

• Production alarms: Employees can send alarms for exceptions by selecting categories, describing issues, and attaching photos. Handlers receive notifications and manage alarms by confirming, resolving, or transferring to higher levels with descriptions and attachments. All related alarms are trackable.

• FAQ highlights: Troubleshooting covers task visibility linked to scheduling and authorization, missing QC items requiring configuration and enabling, wage report data dependent on wage settings, scanning issues related to label origin and permissions, and alarm category usage requiring preset handlers.

• Contents
  1. System Overview................. 1
  2. Quick Start Roadmap........... 1
  3. Logging In............................ 1
  4. Administrator: First-Time Setup (Must Read)................... 2
  4.1 Turn On System Setting Switches.......................... 2
  4.2 Authorize Employee Reporting........................ 3
  4.3 (Optional) Configure Employee Groups............. 4
  4.4 (Optional) Configure Performance Wages......... 4
  4.5 (Optional) Configure QC Items............................... 5
  4.6 (Optional) Configure Alarm Categories.............. 6
  4.7 (Optional) Configure Defective Items................ 7
  5.  Scheduling and Task Dispatch................................ 7
  5.1 Two Scheduling Modes 8
  5.2 Printing Labels and Reporting QR Codes....... 10
  5.3 Task Management and Batch Reporting............. 11
  6. Administrator: Data Queries and Reports.......................... 12
  7. Employee: Daily Reporting.. 13
  7.1 Open the Console and View Tasks..................... 13
  7.2 View Drawings and Process Instructions........ 13
  7.3 Reporting with Timing (Real-time Mode)........... 15
  7.4 Filling In QC (When Quality Control Is Enabled)..................................... 16
  7.5 Sending and Handling Production Alarms.......... 16
  8. FAQ................................... 17

1. System Overview

M3 is a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for production companies. Built around the main workflow of "Schedule -> Dispatch Tasks -> Employee Reporting -> Data Analysis", it helps your company achieve:

• Production Scheduling: Schedule and dispatch each work order operation precisely by date and by employee/group.
• Shop-Floor Reporting: Employees report work in real time (mobile scanning supported) and view drawings and process instructions.
• Quality Control: Fill in inspection data item by item against preset check points during reporting.
• Production Alarms: Report shop-floor exceptions (equipment failure, material shortage, etc.) with one click and handle them level by level.
• Performance Wages: Automatically calculate wages by piece or by time, and generate wage reports.

There are two types of users:

2. Quick Start Roadmap

Administrator, first-time use (about 10 minutes):
(1) Log in  ->  (2) Turn on setting switches  ->  (3)Authorize employee reporting ->  (4) (Optional) Configure performance wage / QC items / alarm categories  ->  (5)  Schedule and dispatch tasks 
Employee, daily use (ready in about 1 minute):
(1) Log in  ->  (2) Open MES Workshop Console  ->  (3) Find today's task (or scan)
->  (4) Click "Start" to time  ->  (5) Enter qualified qty  ->  (6) Click "Finish" to submit

3. Logging In

1. Open a browser (Chrome/Edge recommended) and go to your company's system address.
2. Enter your username and password on the login page, then click Log In.
3. After logging in, administrators see the full M3 Box menu; employees use the Workshop Console entry.

Tip: The employee pages also work on mobile browsers. You can scan a work order QR code with your phone to jump straight into the reporting page.

4. Administrator: First-Time Setup (Must Read)

4.1 Turn On System Setting Switches

Go to M3 Admin -> Control (M3 Setting) and turn on the switches your company needs:

4.2 Authorize Employee Reporting

Go to M3 Admin -> Control -> Work Center Assignment:

1. Find the target employee in the employee list and open the authorization page.
2. Check the work centers the employee is allowed to report on, then save.

Employees without authorization cannot report on the corresponding work center.

4.3 (Optional) Configure Employee Groups

This configuration is only meaningful when "Enable Schedule by Date" is on. If not enabled, skip to 4.4.
go to Control -> Employee Group Setting to organize employees into groups by shift/production line. You can then dispatch a task to an entire group when scheduling.

If Schedule by Date is not enabled, the core permission mechanism is the "Reporting Authorization" described in 4.2: employees can only report on work centers they are authorized for, and employee groups are irrelevant.

4.4 (Optional) Configure Performance Wages

Go to Control -> Performance Wage Setting:

1. Click Add and select a part number and operation.
2. Choose the wage type: By Piece (qualified qty x unit price) or By Hour (work hours x unit price).
3. Enter the unit price and save. Excel batch import/export is supported.

After an employee finishes reporting on that operation, the system calculates the wage automatically based on actual quantity or time.

4.5 (Optional) Configure QC Items

Go to Control -> QC Setting:

1. Click Add QC Item and select a part number and operation.
2. Enter the item name and standard value. Standard value types include: any value, range (m~n), greater than or equal, less than or equal, yes/no (Y/N), and fixed value.
3. After saving, employees must fill in each item when reporting on that operation. Excel batch import/export is supported.

4.6 (Optional) Configure Alarm Categories

Go to Control -> Alarm Category Setting:

1. On the left, click Add Alarm Category (e.g., "Equipment Failure", "Material Shortage"); you can keep adding sub-categories.

1. Select a category, then on the right configure each handling level: Preset Handler, Preset Response Time, and Preset Handle Time.

The level-1 handler is the first person to respond to an alarm. If they cannot resolve it, the alarm can be transferred to the level-2 handler, and so on.

4.7 (Optional) Configure Defective Items

Go to M3 Box -> Control -> Defective Items to maintain common defect types (code + name). Employees can select them directly and enter the quantity of each defect type when reporting.

5.  Scheduling and Task Dispatch

5.1 Two Scheduling Modes

The scheduling interface depends on whether "Enable Schedule by Date" is on. The two modes operate entirely differently.

Mode 1: Schedule by Date Off

Scheduling is centered on assigning operations to work centers. Dates serve as auxiliary information (operation start/end dates); the system does not allocate specific quantities per day.

1. Go to M3 Admin -> General -> M3 Schedule WO, select a work order to set its overall scheduling date range.

1. Go to M3 Admin -> General -> M3 Schedule Seq, search by work order number, part number, operation, machining status, etc.
2. Select a row and click Assign, or select multiple rows and click Schedule:
1. Specify the work center and start/due dates;
2. Select assignees from employees already authorized for that work center (multiple selection supported);
3. After submission, those employees can see the operation task on their console.

Mode 2: Schedule by Date On

Scheduling is centered on allocating a daily output quantity to each employee or group for each date.

1. Go to M3 Admin -> General -> Schedule.
2. Search for operations to be scheduled by work order number, part number, operation, machining status, etc.
3. Select multiple operations and click Batch Schedule: set the target date (required date), select the assignee or employee group, and apply to the selected rows.

 

3. Open the scheduling editor (scheduling matrix), and in the "Employee/Group x Date" grid, assign a specific daily production quantity per person or per group.

• Once scheduling is done, the task automatically appears in the employee's "Today's Task" on their console, organized by date.

You can track progress anytime on the Schedule Progress / WO Progress pages.

5.2 Printing Labels and Reporting QR Codes

• WO Item Labels: In M3 Admin -> General, enter the work order number and click Print WO Item Label. Choose the paper size (100x60 / 100x80 / 80x60 mm) and number of copies, then print. Labels are used together with mobile scanning for reporting.

• Reporting QR Code: On the work order schedule page, click Generate Report QR Code and scan to reach that work order's reporting page directly.

5.3 Task Management and Batch Reporting

Go to M3 Admin -> General -> M3 Task List:

• Query all dispatched tasks by date, work order number, part number, operation, work center, employee, status, etc.
• Select multiple tasks and click Batch Report to fill in together: Reporting Employee, Qualified Qty (one-click fill supported), Defective Items/Qty, and Reporting Start/End Time or Duration. After submission, the tasks are marked "Completed".

Batch reporting suits scenarios where employees cannot operate the system themselves and a team leader reports on their behalf. Administrators can also use the "Add Report" function on the console to report for a single employee.

6. Administrator: Data Queries and Reports

7. Employee: Daily Reporting

7.1 Open the Console and View Tasks

1. Log in and click Workshop Console -> MES Workshop Console.
2. In My Task, view the tasks assigned to you: task date, work order number, operation name, work center, task quantity.

1. Click Time to open the reporting panel; or scan a WO label/QR code to have the system fill in the work order and operation automatically.

7.2 View Drawings and Process Instructions

Click Time -> Start/(Prepare) -> My Task  -> Time,enter the detail page.

The steps above apply when real-time reporting is enabled. If it is not enabled, employees can skip the timing steps and simply click Report to submit their work directly.
In the detail area on the right of the reporting page:

• Drawing: View the manufacturing drawing of the current part.
• Process: View the content of each operation for the part; the current operation is highlighted .

• Image / Part Detail: View operation images and the work order's issued material detail.

7.3 Reporting with Timing (Real-time Mode)

1. Confirm the work order number, operation, and work center are correct.
2. Click Start - the system starts timing automatically.
3. During work, click Pause / Resume, or Cancel to abandon this report.
4. When finished, enter the Qualified Qty (one-click fill available); if there are defects, click the defect input area to select defective items and enter the quantity.
5. Click Finish - the system calculates the actual work time and submits. The page shows today's reporting progress (e.g., 1 / 10 completed today).

When real-time reporting is off, employees fill in the reporting start/end time, duration, and qualified qty directly, then click Submit.

If "Enable Prepare Stage" is turned on: in real-time mode, click Prepare first to start计时 for preparation work (such as mold change or machine adjustment). Once preparation is complete, click Start to begin production timing. Preparation reporting and production reporting run in parallel — you can directly start production reporting without waiting for preparation to finish. In non-real-time mode, you will additionally need to fill in the preparation time range and duration.

7.4 Filling In QC (When Quality Control Is Enabled)

1. On the reporting page, switch to the QC tab. The system loads inspection items automatically based on the current part and operation(QC items must be configured for the specific part and operation).

1. Each part has a fill-in button. Colors mean: gray = not submitted, blue = saved draft (not yet submitted), green = submitted today, orange = submitted previously, gray-green = submitted by someone else.
2. Click a button to enter the measured value for each item. A yellow warning appears when a value is unqualified or out of the standard range.
3. You can scan to upload on-site photos; click Save to keep a draft, or Submit to complete the QC.
4. After submission, you can reopen it to view history. If "Enable QC Auto Report" is on, submitting QC completes the report automatically.

7.5 Sending and Handling Production Alarms

Sending an alarm (for exceptions such as equipment failure or material shortage):

1. Find the Production Alarm area on the reporting page and select the matching type from the alarm categories.
2. Click Send Alarm, fill in the alarm description (within 200 characters), optionally scan to attach on-site photos, and submit. The preset handler is notified automatically.

Handling an alarm (by the alarm handler):

1. Go to Alarm -> Alarm Related to Me to view alarms awaiting handling.
2. Click Confirm Alarm to indicate you have responded.
3. Choose the handling method:

• Resolve: the problem is handled;
• Transfer: this level cannot resolve it, so pass it to the next-level handler (select an employee).

4. Fill in the handling description (required), optionally attach photos, and click Submit.

All alarms related to you (those awaiting your handling and those you have handled) can be queried on this page.

8. FAQ

Q1: An employee cannot see tasks?
Schedule by Date is on: Check: (1) Has the administrator finished scheduling and dispatched to this employee/group? (2) Is the task date today?

2. Schedule by Date is off: Check: Has the employee been granted the corresponding work center in "Reporting Authorization"? (Only operations on authorized work centers are visible to the employee.)

Q2: No QC items appear when reporting?
QC items are matched by "part number + operation". Confirm the administrator has configured check items for that part/operation in QC Setting and has turned on the Enable QC switch.

Q3: The wage report has no data?
Confirm the Enable Price Wage switch is on and that piece/time unit prices are set for the corresponding part/operation in Performance Wage Setting. Wages are calculated automatically based on actual quantity/time after the employee reports.

Q4: Scanning does nothing?
Confirm you are scanning a WO label or reporting QR code printed by the system and that the browser has been granted camera permission.

Q5: An alarm category cannot be clicked when sending?
Only alarm categories configured with a Preset Handler can be sent. Please ask the administrator to add a handler in Alarm Category Setting.