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Establishing the need for an MES at the C-suite level is perhaps the first and most significant step in the long but highly rewarding journey of MES implementation. From that moment to the time an MES is deployed across the value chain, there will be a time lapse of at least 2 to 3 years.
Is an ERP as a standalone solution enough to get manufacturers Industry 4.0-ready, without using a MES or another operations management solution? Can an ERP system replace a MES in a digital transformation project, and still provide the same benefits?
There is a lot of debate and discussion pertaining to the way a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) should function from an IIoT and Industry 4.0 perspective. The words ‘open’ vs. ‘closed’ application are also encountered in such debates; I will focus on the basic difference between an open and a closed MES, and which one is suited for the times to come.
The need for an MES is strategic and its returns multiple and span across the entire value chain. Capture each gain individually, and then view as a whole to truly determine the benefits the MES application brings.
Everyone seems to have a vision on Industry 4.0 but the big question remains: how the associated digital technologies can be effectively and efficiently implemented for quick time to value. We think we have the answer, and it encompasses combining technologies such as Digital Twin and Augmented Reality (AR) with modern operations management systems such as MES.
For Industry 4.0 to have its full impact, Advanced Production Planning and Scheduling (APS) must be a MES native capability. Meeting the demands of a high-mix, constantly changing automated and digitized Industry 4.0 environment, MES is the single application that can fully embody APS. With it, you gain speed, accuracy and the execution necessary to optimize plant performance.
ROI: Return on Investment. It’s a standard measurement criteria used for most complex or costly endeavors, where the factors of time, funds and people are involved: buying a new piece of capital equipment; investing in a new production line; or buying a software product which has vast organizational impact, such as an ERP or MES.
For IT projects, an ROI exercise is a given.
Industry 4.0, Smart Factory, Digital Factory, Connected Enterprise, Factory of the Future, Plant floor to ERP, Convergence of IT & OT, IIOT and Digitization are either connected terms or very close to each other with slight differences.
The term Autonomous Factory has gained popularity in the context of Industry 4.0. In this article, we will discuss what an autonomous factory means and how manufacturers with multiple plants across the globe can move towards this coveted autonomous manufacturing infrastructure in their value chains.
