Manufacturing Execution System (MES) software programs monitor and manage your operations and the work in progress on your shop floor.
A good MES program will offer real-time data exchange between your machines and your software. Why? To report on plant activities, trigger events, and more. Ultimately, an MES supports decision-making through operator support, planning and scheduling, resource management, and real-time production visibility.
MES tools shine a light on factory floor data that can be leveraged in several ways, including:
- Business Intelligence – Leverage the data collected by your MES software and have Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) data and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) reporting and analysis at your fingertips to make more informed decisions.
- Inventory Management – Simplify and improve inventory transactions from the warehouse to the production floor to the shipping dock for maximum accountability and total inventory control.
- Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) – Establish a complete preventative maintenance program for your machines, tools, auxiliary equipment, gages, and more to eliminate scheduling conflicts and unexpected downtime.
- Planning and Scheduling –Incorporate all your scheduling requirements and objectives into one central engine that optimizes your schedule and meets your Lean business objectives.
- Real-time Production Monitoring –Immediately track and report your results as parts are made, including overall enterprise efficiency or specific work-center performance for ultimate shop floor control.
This list is not exhaustive, but only scratches the surface of the breadth of valuable information you can gather from your shop floor. It is too valuable to ignore. MES software can complement Lean manufacturing principles at your company, too.
Why Integration Matters
Today MES software packages are increasingly integrated with enterprise resource planning (ERP) software solutions. Good ERP integration occurs when MES software complements your ERP software. The two programs should integrate fluidly. You should be able to capture data and make decisions in real-time with all your critical information easily flowing back and forth between the two programs.
With modern MES software, you can manage your entire shop floor. Here are some factors to consider regarding an MES software’s ability to integrate at the machine level:
- How will the MES package interface with your machines?
- Does it tie directly into the machine’s controller, PLCs, or directly to sensors?
- How does it get that information back to the software for analysis and alerts?
- Can you get visual aids, like machine status light sticks, to assist in the process?
Stop Complaining and Start Saving
What is happening on your shop floor right now? If time is money on the factory floor, ask yourself how you can better manage your resources and time with MES. This white paper will guide you in determining what you could save.
Many more savings can be uncovered with the right tools. Stop saying, “There has to be a better way.” An MES program can offer a single reliable version of the truth and provide a full orchestration of your resources. Your shop floor data no longer needs to be in the dark, isolated and disconnected from the top floor.
This content was originally published on the Solidworks website.
