Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) is a specialist class of production-oriented software used in manufacturing to track, control and monitor manufacturing operations, in which raw materials are transformed into semi-finished and/or finished goods.
Manufacturing Execution Systems are powerful software systems used to improve capacity, quality, delivery and visibility. Proper implementation of a Manufacturing Execution System ups your team’s efficiency by providing the right information at the right time to the right people on how to optimize current conditions to improve production output. Not only is a manufacturing execution system key to executing production efficiently, it is also considered an essential building-block of smart manufacturing and digital transformation.
How Does an MES System Benefit Your Business?
Today’s fast-paced manufacturing environment demands complete and accurate real-time data from the shop floor. A MES system provides effective monitoring and synchronization throughout the factory to achieve high productivity and ensure responsiveness to market demand.
Here’s a look at the top five advantages of MES applications and how they can help your company grow.
Achieve operational excellence
With a MES, various costs such as labor, scrap, downtime, and maintenance are recorded in real-time from the shop floor. You can easily manage materials, machinery efficiency, energy and people and finally get rid of paper notes. No more paper notes means management can use this data to evaluate unprofitable business models and forecast future pricing. If other systems share this data, MES enables your company to optimize throughput and improve asset efficiency and increase productivity in all its production facilities.
Decrease Downtime
A MES will collect production data in context, so that you can quickly and easily recognize deviations from performance targets to understand the root causes of operational issues. Moreover, by tracking raw materials and parts inventory it enables you to create more accurate production schedules.
Reduce Waste and meet sustainability goals
The MES enables automated data capture from all machines, production lines, and equipment, accurately analyzing production lines and finished products. Therefore any inconsistencies on the shop floor can be easily detected, immediately halting them to limit the number of bad parts and materials wasted. Moreover, you can gain control of resources and start equipment improvements with a greater understanding of the effect of production on water, air, gas, electricity and steam use. A MES will constantly update your inventory records with new production, materials, and product. That means your purchasing; shipping, and scheduling departments know what is available on hand at each facility, and what needs to be on order.
Ensure compliance with regulations and trading partner reporting requirements
A MES offers a real-time view of the state of the factory, with visual controls and user-friendly role-based interfaces. You can easily take control of your vendor compliance, product safety, genealogy and traceability with better reporting and documentation. Quality Assurance and Control can also be integrated within MES systems to deliver other important added benefits.
Reduce Costs
A MES system enables increased control and cost-efficiency of all production input: now that you have a better handle on the product, time, and labor required to complete the job, you are able to streamline operations. Real-time process control that optimizes the quantity of material used to meet specifications and real-time production counting to prevent over-making can help reduce material costs. Operational data is automatically collected from the machines and equipment, improving accuracy and saving man-hours often wasted in collecting and replicating data across multiple systems. Moreover, operator time is released to focus on higher-value tasks, the system only alerting them when issues arise. Automated monitoring of energy usage of all plant equipment in MES will quickly help identify faults and optimize energy consumption.
Improving your facility’s efficiency begins with accurately recording data, production, material usage, and personnel time. You need a MES if you want to connect, manage, validate and optimize your production. Adding a MES solution to your company accomplishes this feat with ease and precision.
Check out our Manufacturing Execution System, designed to offer you accurate, real-time visibility into your production and processes and complete operational control. Schedule a free strategy discussion today to learn more!
