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The Challenges of Implementing Manufacturing Execution Systems: Learning from Noah
by Vince O'Rourke, EnteGreat

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Paper Overview
Manufacturers can gain a wealth of benefits from the use of manufacturing execution systems. These systems can help companies increase manufacturing agility and reduce operating costs. If implemented and used wisely, manufacturing execution systems provide powerful tools that support progress toward the fundamental business and manufacturing goals. The catch is that preparing for and implementing commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) manufacturing execution systems is extremely complicated. It is also unfamiliar. Despite years of experience with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and process control systems, both of which may have some execution functionality, many manufacturers find that the initial move into a manufacturing execution system is a move into uncharted terrain.

A host of new issues arise. For starters, execution systems form a new layer between plant systems and enterprise systems, so one of the sticky points early on is the question of ownership, engineering or IT, who owns the data, where is the master data maintained, which is the system of record?

This new layer will also present two fundamental challenges. One is that it will mean new work practices for personnel throughout the company. The second is that the full use of execution systems requires an extensive degree of integration with both control and enterprise systems. If either of these challenges is neglected, the success of the entire project is put at risk.

There are proven and repeatable approaches to these challenges, and best practices that offer guidance for manufacturers who are making the transition to their first use of manufacturing execution systems. This paper gives an overview of best practices for the MES project lifecycle.

Paper Outline

• Prologue
• Introduction
• Establishing a Shared Vision
• Building a Framework
• Creating a Logical Design
• Determining the Physical Design
• Development and Testing
• Implementation and Startup
• Conclusion

About the Author
Vince O'Rourke has over 35 years of experience in Food manufacturing. Prior to joining EnteGreat, Vince spent 25 years with Kraft Foods in various assignments, including: Corporate Audit, Systems Development, Plant Systems Management, Division Systems Manager (Maxwell House), and was most recently Director of Manufacturing Systems for North America.

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