Manufacturing Execution Systems, or MES, are software platforms that manage and monitor the production process of a manufacturing company. The purpose of MES is to create a digital manufacturing process and improve communication between different areas of the company.
Here we will discuss exactly what MES is, who uses it, the problems it solves, and what the benefits of digital manufacturing are for you and your business.
What is MES?
MES is a software platform that integrates with your existing enterprise resource planner (ERP) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems to manage and monitor the production process. MES provides real-time data about the manufacturing process, which allows you and your employees to make better decisions about production and document and track the process.
For example, if there is a problem with one of your machines, MES can find where the problem is and provide you with the data you need to fix the problem quickly.
Who uses Digital Manufacturing Execution Systems?
Manufacturing Execution Systems are used by manufacturing companies of all sizes. MES is especially beneficial for companies with large complex production processes. For example, companies that produce products with many different components, have many machines, or that have a lot of customer customization.
What Problems can be Solved with Manufacturing Execution Systems?
MES can help you solve many different problems in your manufacturing process. For example, with MES, your company will not have to troubleshoot problems with product quality. MES will find them for you. MES also eliminates the time used to track and check the status of certain jobs in production. The system will let you know everything you need to.
And finally, and probably the most important, is avoiding unnecessary shutdowns. Without MES, production lines have to be shut down to find issues and then fix them. With MES, it informs you where the issue is as well as how to fix it so there does not have to be a long process to get back on schedule.
What are the Benefits of Digital Manufacturing?
Manufacturing execution systems can completely change your business and its productivity. They can hold an incredible amount of data while producing real-time insights into the details of our production process. Here are some of the other benefits that MES provides.
- Eliminating paperwork
- Improved quality control
- Improved communication
- Reduced inventory (cost)
- Uptime increased
- Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)
- Improved product tracking and documenting
What are Possible Barriers to Manufacturing Execution Systems?
There are a few possible barriers to implementing MES in your company. For example, you may need to invest in new hardware or software to run MES or make sure your existing system is compatible with MES. You also need to train your employees on how to use MES.
Setting up manufacturing execution systems can be a complex process, but the benefits and efficiency speak for themselves. If you’re interested in learning more about MES and implementing them into your business, we encourage you to reach out to professionals to answer any questions and start the process of setting up MES for your business.