When it comes to the manufacturing industry, staying ahead of the competition can be tricky. You may have the best product on the market, but without a scalable platform to lend a hand, your product is worth as much as the next.
An ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system is typically the starting point for most companies, as it automates core business processes as well as plans, budgets, and predicts all your organization’s financial reports.
However, an ERP for manufacturing is just the beginning. It may be solving your supply chain issues and providing acute performance indicators, but what about your plant floor? Are you really tracking viable data from production to finished goods? Or are you losing profitability due to unknown circumstances?
If there’s an obvious gap in your shop floor data collection, an MES, or rather a Manufacturing Execution System is highly recommended.
What is a manufacturing
execution system (MES) ?
The complete production lifecycle is tracked by real-time – and highly accurate – data from the customer order until the delivery stage. For example, the moment the operation begins with cutting metal for a desk to the work in progress (WIP) to the delivery at an office building, an MES provides clear and concise information on each phase.
A full understanding of what occurs on the plant floor not only optimizes the production, but allows executives to make decisions at the drop of a hat, which ultimately facilitates the company’s growth and scalability.
Manufacturing companies who specialize in products that are made-to-order, engineer-to-order, or configure-to-order will benefit from MES due to the fact that they don’t start production until an order has been placed. Having a functional integration that provides an extra layer between a manufacturing ERP software and the controlled processes on the factory floor is critical for customized orders.
How can a MES
help your business?
“Epicor recognized as a MES leader in the plastics and rubber category”
According to ARC Advisory Research
MES and ERP:
The Perfect Fit
An ERP software houses all the necessary core functionalities a business needs to run, from finance to human resources to sales. Its comprehensive system has a limitless capacity to provide users with real-time data to make informed decisions on the spot. There are many ERP providers on the market and are typically suitable for most, if not, all industries. Depending on your organization’s goals and objectives, you can add integrations and customizations that better suit your industry vertical.
Enter MES. It’s a system designed solely for manufacturing businesses and integrates the shop floor (production, machinery, etc.) with that of your business processes (logistics, supply chain, etc.). MES supersizes your backend operations and provides you with the missing binoculars to have an explicit view on all enterprise activity.
Whether your industry is aerospace, fabricated metals, or furniture and fixtures, – among others – finding the right solution is no easy task. A key player, like Epicor Kinetic, is a Cloud-based ERP solution designed for the manufacturing industry. Throughout the years, they have learned all about the challenges faced by manufacturers and spent time working on the ultimate solution.
MES and your business:
Do you need it?
As is the case with most software purchases, a company must weigh the pros and cons and come to the conclusion: is it really worth it?
A full understanding of what occurs on the plant floor not only optimizes the production, but allows executives to make decisions at the drop of a hat, which ultimately facilitates the company’s growth and scalability.
Manufacturing companies who specialize in products that are made-to-order, engineer-to-order, or configure-to-order will benefit from MES due to the fact that they don’t start production until an order has been placed. Having a functional integration that provides an extra layer between a manufacturing ERP software and the controlled processes on the factory floor is critical for customized orders.
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