What Is A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) And Should My Factory Get One?
The Manufacturing Execution System (MES) is just one of the many tools at your disposal if you’re considering taking your factory digital. Think of MES as your all-powerful, see-all, know-all assistant – on hand 24/7 to ensure that you meet your production goals, manage your inventory efficiently, decrease operational costs, and fulfill the highest levels of customer demand.
The Good Old Days!
The life of a manufacturer seemed so simple in days gone by – produce products, sell products, rinse and repeat. If you are a manufacturer operating in today’s market however, you know that things are no longer quite so simple. You may have loyal and diligent workers, top-of-the-range machines and all the know-how and experience in your game, and yet still be struggling to streak ahead of the competition. This is because technology has changed the manufacturing playing field. Machines can spot inconsistencies and errors at lightning-speed, solve issues and prepare complicated schedules that would take a human operator hours. What’s more, machines can integrate information from many different sources seamlessly, making connecting and interpreting data faster and better than ever. All this means that the era of the “super-factory” is here. It is no longer smart (economically or otherwise) to keep on doing what your grandfather did when he opened the factory at the turn of the century. Technology has made it possible to be more productive, eliminate waste, and uphold the highest quality standards. If you are not harnessing this technology, you are almost certainly falling behind.
What Exactly IS MES?
In simple terms, Manufacturing Execution Systems are computerized systems used to track, control and document the entire manufacturing journey – from raw material to finished goods. MES gathers real-time information that can help the decision-makers in your factory understand exactly what’s going on at every point on the factory floor and make it easier for them to take steps to optimize and improve production. Whether you have already embraced digitization or you are just in the stages of thinking about it, it is important to understand how tools, such as MES, can help manage your transition to a truly digital factory that is in the best position to benefit from all that industry 4.0 has to offer.
The true power of MES lies in its ability to eliminate all those pockets of isolated information that tend to hang around in factories – handwritten notes, whiteboard drawings, Excel spreadsheets, and isolated software systems that don’t know how to speak to or another. MES can integrate all databases, machines, and people within your plant into one cohesive, interconnected system. Aside from interconnectivity, MES also provides speed and the ability to see and know all, at a glance. MES can also plug directly into your existing ERP systems, letting you reach ever-higher levels of efficiency, management, and customer service. It doesn’t even matter what kind of business you operate as MES can be tailored to fit into your factory whatever your product.
Imagine being able to get a handle on such things as:
- equipment downtime
- quality control
- materials track and trace
- management of all processes
- resource scheduling
- job execution and dispatch
- data collection and analysis
- reporting of metrics on schedule, cost, quality, and utilization
Now you’re starting to see why some of your competitors have already embraced MES!
MES – What’s in it for me?
Your factory may be staffed with great people who are smart, enthusiastic and switched-on yet no one person can take in all the factory data, analyze it, schedule all your processes, notify everyone, and point out all the areas for improvement; but MES tools can! Through automation, software, and networks, MES brings every bit of information and brainpower into one, unified super-whole.
Let’s look at the issue of traceability for a minute. Say your customer calls to complain that they have not received a scheduled delivery – a stressful yet probably common occurrence in the life of a manufacturer. What went wrong and where in the supply chain did it happen, is your first thought. With MES, you can track and trace each component that comprises your product – from suppliers and manufacturers, through assembly and final delivery to the customer. If something goes wrong, there is a digital record and you will be able to instantly trace back to exactly the source of the problem. You also have digital proof to share with the customer and you have the ability to fix the issue fast because you have not wasted hours trying to define where the issue was in the first place. Compare this to what can happen when using the old-fashioned paper-trail method – there is no comparison!
Is It Time For You To Embrace MES?
In today’s competitive global market, manufacturing is getting more challenging and more complex every day. MES can certainly give you greater control and visibility but how do you know if it’s time to invest in MES – you dont want it to be just another expensive exercise in getting technology that no one knows how to use.
The truth is, even if your tried-and-tested methods of old have worked to date, you cannot afford to ignore technology if your competitors are already jumping on the bandwagon. Experiencing problems in any of the following areas might be a sign that it’s time to update your systems and look into investing in an MES:
- You are struggling to keep up with changing customer demand
- You are unable to cope with the pace of change
- The data you are collecting is arriving too slowly for useful analysis
- You are having issues tracing materials
- Your factory is suffering from poor visibility of work-in-progress
- You’ve merged with another factory, or acquired one, and integrating the new plants is proving a bit of a nightmare
- System performance in your factory is visibly hampering your growth
- You are finding it hard to collect truly useful data that will help you improve your processes
- You can’t easily report on the data you’ve collected or make workable sense of it
- You are not meeting production schedules or achieving production throughput
Are you finding that there is simply too much going on on the factory floor every day and the lack of one unified version of the truth is impeding your growth? Are you simultaneously tired of the risks (and the errors) involved in relying on paper-based or manual processes? If you answered yes to the above, you are probably ready for MES.