What is Manufacturing Execution System (MES)?

Manufacturing Execution System Definition

Manufacturing Execution System (MES) are manufacturing enterprise solutions that track, document and process control the manufacturing process of goods from raw materials to the final product. In the process of production operations, MES establishes a link between a company's planning and control systems (such as ERP system) and actual production operations. It ensures that quality and efficiency are included and systematically implemented in the manufacturing process.

The Manufacturing Execution System is a system that targets maximum performance and increases production efficiency and productivity. In other words, In other words, it is to produce products in the most efficient conditions by evaluating the physical strength, material and equipment resources of the existing system of any enterprise. The main purpose of the Manufacturing Execution System is to provide managers with accurate and reliable production data to make the plant floor more efficient and optimise production. MES makes the manufacturing process data-driven and information-oriented for production operations of all sizes. Thus, it contributes to overall productivity.

Core MES Features

• Performance Analysis: Identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the overall process by comparing targets and outputs.
• Resource Allocation and Status: Provides real-time data to monitor the status of resources (labour, machinery and materials, etc.).
• Operations/detailed scheduling: Optimises performance by planning and scheduling operational activities based on resource capacity and priorities. 
• Quality Management: Helps monitor quality deviations for quality control management and documentation.
• Process Management: Helps manage the entire manufacturing process from the order process to the final product.
• Maintenance Management: With data from the MES, it helps to set equipment, machine maintenance programmes to prevent potential equipment failures. Thus, downtime is reduced and productivity increases.
• Labor Management: It helps to manage employee qualifications, schedules and authorisations to improve workforce management with less resources and investment.
• Document Control: It enables to manage and distribute many documents such as drawings, work instructions, batch records, operating procedures by making them accessible.
• Production Tracking and Genealogy: It helps to track the progress and pedigree of products to make informed decision-making processes. Having a product pedigree is an important feature for manufacturers who have to comply with legislation.
• Dispatching production units: A feature to manage production data flow in real time to make calculated adjustments to production distribution in an easy way.
• Data Collection: Helps track and collect instant data on materials, processes, operations and more, and make data-driven decisions.

Why MES is Important?

MES provides real time visibility and process control of production processes. Thus, businesses can monitor production line operations, minimize downtime, identify bottlenecks, and make more informed decisions with this data.

MES systems increase the profitability of businesses by offering benefits such as workload balancing, efficient resource allocation, and on-time delivery. It implements quality control procedures, captures real-time data and monitors measurements. Thus, they play an active role in quality assurance and regulatory compliance.

At the same time, the Manufacturing Execution System helps businesses determine OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), a measurement technique used to monitor production efficiency.

SAP MII (SAP Manufacturing and Intelligence)

How does Manufacturing Execution System work?

The manufacturing Execution System (MES) is an information system that can be connected to the factory floor to monitor and control complex production systems and data flows. The main purpose of MES is to ensure the efficient execution of the production process and to increase production output. MES helps achieve this goal by monitoring and collecting accurate, real-time data about the entire product life cycle, from final product order to product delivery. Manufacturing Execution System allows tracking of existing tools and calculating their costs.

Manufacturing Execution System links, monitors, and controls complex production systems and data flow in the factory. It also integrates multiple factories and suppliers with real-time production information.

MES collects data on facility activities such as product, performance, and material management. These data allow decision-makers to understand the current settings of the factory floor and to better optimize the production process.

Examples of MES Software System

MES solutions can be customised according to the specific business needs of different industries. How does MES software work in different industries? Let's analyse:

MES in Automotive Industry

MES helps to plan complex assembly lines in the automotive industry. It tracks the progress of vehicles and harmonises processes between different workstations. The purpose of MES in the automotive industry is to manage recalls, comply with industry standards and ensure quality control.

MES in Pharmaceutical Industry

MES helps to ensure product integrity and comply with strict regulations in the pharmaceutical industry. It emphasises recipe management, batch management, real-time quality control and electronic batch records.

MES in the Aerospace and Defence Industry

In the aerospace and defence industry, it helps to comply with strict regulations, maintain a high level of quality control and manage assembly processes. It manages work orders for defence or aircraft system assembly, tracks parts movement, documents test and inspection processes and more.

MES in Food and Beverage Industry

MES helps to ensure compliance with food safety regulations in the food and beverage industry. Manage recipes, track ingredients, implement procedures related to quality control.

Benefits of MES Solution

Automation

MES software automates tasks, eliminating manual processes and greatly reducing the error rate. By streamlining workflows, it helps the plant floor increase efficiency.

Real Time Tracking

MES systems monitor the entire movement of processes and materials throughout the smart manufacturing lifecycle. Monitoring of production processes is a very important need in manufacturing industries that are subject to strict legal regulations. MES responds to this need.

Improved Quality Control Management System

In the MES system, quality control data is sent in real time. Companies using MES have the ability to stop production immediately when any problem is detected. This benefit reduces redundancies, rework and waste. It also ensures the full efficient use of the Quality control management system. 

Reduced Inventory

MES keeps inventory records up to date with information such as mismatched material, scrap, new production. In this way, the transport, purchasing and planning departments always know which material is on hand. Thus, transport, storage and production costs are reduced.

Paperless Shop Floor

MES reduces the rate of human error by eliminating paper-related work. The data recorded in the system becomes instantly available for all employees in integrated systems.

With accelerated innovation, changes in production are tracked faster, increase variability and have a major impact on operations to maintain a high level of quality. Manufacturing Execution System (MES) monitors and synchronizes production activities in globally distributed facilities; It links them to the organization in real-time for optimum performance. Manufacturing Execution System (MES) helps eliminate human errors in production by providing real-time quality data control, output tracking, automatic implementation of specifications and business rules, and traceability of equipment or units. All of these provide improved product and process quality. Higher efficiency is achieved. The Manufacturing Execution System (MES) keeps track of product and order information on the factory floor, gathers transactions for reporting to the financial and planning systems, and sends orders and production instructions to workshop staff electronically. It helps reduce waste and eliminate unnecessary controls. Manufacturing Execution System also provides the necessary real-time feedback to quickly identify and resolve problems to achieve continuous product and process improvement and production process optimization. Manufacturing Execution System (MES) provides the flexibility to model and modify complex processes and implement them instantly.

What is the difference between MES and ERP?

First of all, I want to clarify how most customers use ERP and MES. ERP; used to create and manage basic factory plans, including production, material use, delivery, and shipping, thus becoming the core of computing.

ERP module is usually a combination of production, supply chain, order processing, inventory management, human resources, and customer relationship management. It focuses on working over a period of time (eg months, weeks, and days). MES is used to manage and report facility activities and run production operations in real-time when events occur. It keeps records and highlights anomalies. Typical functions are electronic batch recording, weighing and distribution, equipment management, setup and cleaning. MES works within a time frame of days, shifts, hours and minutes.

In short, an ERP system is for manufacturing and logistics, while a MES system is for manufacturing operations management.

MES and ERP Integration

Integrating MES and ERP allows to connect the potentials of both systems and helps businesses to fully utilize the features of both systems.

MES and ERP integration creates a centralized data system that provides a single view for many processes such as procurement, supply chain management, finance, and production logistics. ERP systems provide businesses with data on what products they need to produce, while MES integrates ERP data with production line data, helping to produce production with less waste and more profitability. Integrating these systems increases agility and efficiency.

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