j5: The MES Framework

• j5 is an MES application that addresses the needs of Mining and Mineral Refining Sites in the area of critical data capture, analysis and reporting. The application is the market leader in Industrial Control Room Logbooks and is offered by many process control engineers to complement their installations at facilities such as Anglo Platinum.
• The j5 system is used by hundreds of companies worldwide, having been deployed in many cases by well respected system integrators such as Invensys, Aspen Technology and other international professional engineering companies.
• The j5 system is a complete Mining and Metallurgy Logging System Package unlike home developed systems that use Excel, Wikis and general purpose database systems.

St James Software: The Company
St James Software is a Process Control and MES Software Development Company based in South Africa and the Isle of Man. It has distributors in Australia, England, USA, India, Europe, South America and Japan. It also has strategic relationships with Industry Leaders like Invensys, Oil Systems and Aspen Tech. St James Software and its directors have provided software solutions to the mining industry for more than 25 years. In particular, it has amassed technical knowhow in the following mining industries: Gold, Alumina (and Bauxite Refining), Platinum, Diamonds, Coal, Copper, Iron, Uranium etc. St James Software's j5 system has its roots in on-site real-world requirements from companies like Argyle Diamonds, Alcoa and Anglo Platinum.

J5: Product Differentiators

Complete Package: The j5 System is a Complete (Rounded) MES Application including all facets required to meet the needs of a Mining or Mineral Processing Site. I.e. Architecture,  Applications, Tools, Services, Connectivity, Presentation and Standards. 

Comprehensive Application Portfolio: j5 provides a suite of over 50 different applications including Operating Logbooks, Handover Management, Shift Reports, OEE, Maintenance Management, Dashboards, Advanced Process Control, Project Management, Shutdown and Start-up Management, Procedure Management, LIMS systems etc. All applications are tightly integrated into a single framework and a single presentation.

Connectivity: The j5 MES application links into (i) Real-time systems like OPC sources, PI, Wonderware, MacroView, Citect, G2, Mobile Solutions etc. and (ii) Enterprise systems like SAP, Maximo, Planning Systems and others. Additionally, j5 provides tight connectivity with resources such as Excel, Email Systems, LDAP, External Databases etc.

Architecture: A true Zero Client (no thin client necessary) System that can run on all varieties of Windows or Linux and can use any of the key databases such as Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL and others.

Agility: Ability to either (i) provide a portal to Enterprise Applications or (ii) to provide the Enterprise Application itself. E.g. j5 can provide Work Order Information from applications like Maximo or can provide a Work Order Management System itself.

Configuration: The base system can be configured through a parametric configuration toolset. This configuration enables the management of Areas of Responsibility, Personnel Management and the Permissions of User Groups, Asset Management, Shift and Handover Management. The Parametric Configuration can be augmented with a powerful scripting facility to manage more complex requirements.

Reporting: j5 includes an Integrated Report Designer that can enable users to quickly create complex industrial reports, schedule them and email them to multiple clients.

Scalability: The system is imminently scalable: j5 has been used in sites with several hundred users, more than 10 Applications and simultaneously covering more than 50 geographic sites. There is a mechanism for failover and an integrated data upload system for Head Office Data Warehouses.

Comprehensive Services: St James and its distributors provide a comprehensive portfolio of services from Project Support, to Training, Development and after commissioning support. Our support options extend from simple low cost emailing support to Technical Consulting to 24 by 7 support.

For more information on J5 OMS Specifications click here.