Discrete Solutions, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)

MES has long been known to stand for Manufacturing Execution Systems, although that term is not as popular as it once was. A MES is a computer software system that helps manufacturing companies manage a whole host of tasks, including the flow of work in the manufacturing process, the collection and analysis of data generated by and during the manufacturing process, the creation of a genealogy record of manufacturing (materials, machines, people, costs, results), and the management of critical events and decision points in the manufacturing process, such as quality states and unexpected changes. To accomplish these tasks, MES performs the following functions:

• It manages work orders or production orders.
• It maintains material use and material status information.
• It monitors and analyzes quality information.
• It collects data and puts it into context, so that the data can be used both for real-time decision-making and for historical analysis.

It manages workflow, work queues, and provides general schedule visibility.

Learn More:

• Read MES: It Really is an Enterprise Application now! , an article by Tyson Foods' Director of Manufacturing Execution Systems and EnteGreat client, Jeff Stas. Published in Manufacturing IT Magazine, December 2003.
• Read MES as enterprise app, not just plant system, an article by Julie Fraser (Industry Directions), published by MSI Magazine, November 2003. Source: Mark Cubine, EnteGreat.
• Read ERP to MES Integration: An Integral Key to an Effective Supply Chain, an white paper by EnteGreat.
• Request a free CD copy of SAP-Based MES In Regulatory Industries: A Purdue Pharma Case Study, a webinar presentation by EnteGreat (Mike DePriest) and Purdue Pharma (Chuck Nardi).
• Request a free CD copy of ERP for Manufacturing: Dead-end or Destination?, a webinar presentation by EnteGreat (Ed Sullivan) and SAP (Gerhard van Niekerk).