Critical Insights Blog

Covering Industry 4.0, IIoT, Manufacturing, Quality, Automation & much more. Blog posts by Critical Manufacturing or invited authors.

MES: When ERP is not enough

July 23, 2013

ERP vs. MES. The argument generally revolves around the capability of an ERP to handle manufacturing activities and whether or not an MES is really a necessity. In this article, we visit both and try to gauge which application is more suited for the management of a manufacturing plant.

Is your MES ready for Big Data?

July 16, 2013

When it comes to Big Data, it is critical for manufacturing firms to realize the importance of the data generated from within their process and the difference it can make to decision making, both in real-time and upon detailed and specialized analysis.

Is it time to go paperless?

July 10, 2013

Paper based systems hamper the ability to make real-time, informed and accurate decisions. When equipped with statistical tools, the MES becomes a vehicle for quality improvement efforts and allows for timely CAPA, preventive maintenance and higher process efficiency.

MES: Build or Buy?

July 04, 2013

If someone has convinced you that it is possible to build an MES application with a relatively low budget, in a short period time and using internal staff that have never before developed an MES system, think twice.

Lean manufacturing with MES

June 26, 2013

In a research study by Julie Fraser, “The MES Performance Advantage”, she found that manufacturing plants that used MES with lean achieved 367% higher gains, 45% greater unit cost reduction and 65% greater cycle time reductions. These statistics speak for themselves.

Tuning MES for Push or Pull philosophies

June 18, 2013

This article describes how Push or Pull processes have a fundamental divide, due to their nature and how these differences affect the way in which these processes are automated and integrated using an MES application.

Implementing six-sigma: with or without an MES?

June 13, 2013

Research shows companies using MES and Six-Sigma increased their profitability by 151% as compared to 22% for those which used only Six-Sigma. Also the firms with the former combination achieved JIT and Lean more successfully than firms without MES.

Could supply chain traceability have reduced Shanghai GM’s recall?

June 10, 2013

It’s about time suppliers start mitigating the risk through the adoption of MEs systems. Instead of waiting till, eventually, the OEM’s impose centralized systems they have to comply to, they need to think about the long-term viability of their own business, given the high-risk they’re exposed to.

The importance of Document Management in MES

June 05, 2013

In an application like the MES, an integrated DMS becomes pivotal to the overall usefulness of the system. In such applications a DMS needs to be intelligent by design and be capable of grasping the context in which a particular document is being used

Shall MES track training and certifications?

May 29, 2013

As industries become more advanced in terms of operational equipment and manufacturing procedures become more complex, a huge emphasis is placed on the training and certification of operators/workers executing the production process.

Can IT cope with empowered end-users?

May 21, 2013

User-empowerment will be the future of MES applications, where these will allow users to control their functionality and information flow. The challenge however lies the capability of providing this empowerment and still ensuring error control and accuracy.

MES as an Integration Platform

May 15, 2013

An MES must be able to replicate the process flow and ensure a precise execution of the process. It must be able to reduce the need for users to perform time consuming data entries and analysis of data collected, while ensuring real-time information and greater accuracy.

MES Usability: to infinity and beyond

May 07, 2013

MES need to facilitate the execution of a production process and contribute to improve the quality, productivity and efficiency of both the product and the process. Applications which are easier to use, configure and learn from will be able to contribute more to the productivity of an organization.

Is MES going mobile?

May 02, 2013

Modern IT applications are making process management and control more accessible to users, by providing apps that give users access to the MES systems on their mobile devices. Mobile apps are being developed to provide 24x7 connectivity, irrespective of their locations.

Evolvability - the capacity of a system for adaptive evolution

April 24, 2013

In software engineering area evolvability is the property of software to be easily updated to fulfill new requirements. An MES that is evolvable is scalable and will cost less to the organization in terms of money spent in operation, maintenance and upgrade.

MES: Different roles, different functions, the same system

April 17, 2013

A modern MES application must be able to accommodate users based on their functional areas and deliver maximum value for its users. This is possible if the system has been designed to deliver customized information using the same architecture.

MES – Much more than Execution

April 10, 2013

The power of any MES application lies in the ease with which users can operate it and the extent to which it satisfies their information needs, with functional integration playing a very important role in its usefulness.

Traceability requires proper modeling of the manufacturing processes

April 03, 2013

MES solutions may prove worthwhile in terms of traceability, if they are carefully designed and thoughtfully implemented. But is the MES application capable of properly modeling the manufacturing processes?

Visibility: Knowing what is really happening in the production line

March 27, 2013

MES systems provide a platform that presents a clear picture of the production line and helps to achieve the desired functionality of better process monitoring and control, by giving the process owners and other key personnel, a real-time status of the process.

Flexibility: the key to MES competitiveness

March 20, 2013

Every process is unique in nature and this is caused by the complex mix of internal and external factors. This means a ‘One size fits all’ strategy will fail drastically, especially in the case of MES implementation.

DOWNLOAD NEW WHITE PAPER:

IIoT Has a "Thing" for MES. Why IoT Platforms Won’t Replace MES for Industry 4.0
by Iyno Advisors and Critical Manufacturing

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