How Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) Bring Order to Operations
By Heath Stephens, PE – Digitalization Leader
A specialty chemical manufacturing facility relied on paper records to track operations, creating delays and hindering its ability to respond to customer inquiries. To improve product traceability, the facility implemented a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) solution that enabled fast access to production history, including quality documentation and photos. This significantly improved its quality control and customer response times.
MES is a strategic investment that connects systems and streamlines processes to enhance operational efficiency and gain real-time data insights.
Overcoming Manufacturing Chaos with the Right MES Solution
A manufacturing facility operates like a living body, where systems such as PLCs, DCS, SCADA, LIMS, CMMS, and the ERP function as individual muscles, each performing different tasks to make the body move. MES acts as the connective tissue, linking every part of the operation to ensure real-time data flow, streamline batch management, and bridge the gap between production and business systems. The result is a facility capable of achieving operational goals with precision and consistency.
According to the ISA-95 model, MES functions as a Level 3 system, connecting low-level production systems (Levels 0-2) with higher-level business systems (Level 4). Vendors like AVEVA, Rockwell Automation, and Siemens provide robust off-the-shelf MES products, while some facilities choose customized MES platforms with database architectures and graphical interfaces custom-designed to address specific operational needs.
The Difference Between MES and Other Systems
SCADA and DCS systems often provide overlapping functionalities of MES but are not substitutes for it. SCADA primarily serves as an operator interface, providing real-time monitoring and basic control functionality. On the other hand, DCS platforms focus on managing process control and batch operations at a high level. While both systems play vital roles in manufacturing, neither integrates production data with business systems nor provides the comprehensive production management capabilities that MES delivers.
MES goes beyond monitoring and control by enabling real-time production tracking, batch sequencing, and seamless data integration across multiple systems. These advanced production management capabilities ensure workflow consistency, optimize scheduling, and align production operations with broader business objectives. By bridging the gap between production and business systems, MES empowers facilities with actionable insights and strategic coordination that SCADA and DCS systems alone cannot achieve.
Emerging Trends in MES Technology
Cloud-based MES platforms are revolutionizing manufacturing by offering greater flexibility and reducing IT overhead. Unlike traditional on-site systems, cloud MES platforms simplify server management while improving scalability and accessibility. Solutions like Rockwell Automation’s Plex MES and Siemens Opcenter X platforms reflect this trend, offering cloud-first functionality designed for modern manufacturing needs. Cloud-based MES implementations are particularly well suited to multi-site deployments where assets in different facilities can be easily integrated and monitored in one system. As more systems transition to the cloud, MES technology will continue to evolve, enhancing efficiency and integration across facilities.
How to Know if MES is the Right Solution for a Facility
Manual batch management processes often require operators to spend significant time inputting recipes and sequencing tasks, which leads to inefficiencies and errors. Facilities relying on paper-based or spreadsheet tracking frequently experience delays and lack visibility into real-time production status. Standalone laboratory (LIMS) and maintenance (CMMS) systems require human connectivity to relay important production information to production personnel in a timely manner. These disjointed processes create gaps in communication between production and business teams, resulting in wasted resources, missed goals, and slower decision-making.
An MES solution helps facilities regain control and establish fully connected operations. For example, a PLC-controlled batch chemical facility faced significant inefficiencies caused by manual recipe entry and batch scheduling. An MES solution automated recipe handling, reducing errors, saving time, and creating a more efficient production process. This company chose a custom MES solution that utilized a SQL database with a web-based user interface to manage its product recipes and provide data for its ERP. It also eliminated annual software maintenance costs associated with vendor-provided MES products.
A Path to Streamlined Operations and Real-Time Insights
Implementing an MES solution is not just a technical upgrade but a significant organizational change. An MES replaces many manual communication steps and makes accurate data quickly available to a broader audience. This means more informed decision-making by both people and automated systems in an organization. It also frees up resources that were otherwise occupied with mundane data-handling activities to do more productive tasks. Careful planning is essential to ensure the system aligns with operational goals and to address how it affects various stakeholders across production, maintenance, and management teams. A well-executed implementation considers the needs of all involved, ensuring the system becomes an asset rather than a disruption.
A Strategic Investment in Efficiency
MES implementation synchronizes batch management, tracks production progress, and integrates data in real-time, enabling manufacturers to operate more seamlessly. MES offers a transformative solution for facilities seeking to optimize batch sequencing, improve traceability, or gain real-time production insights.
Contact Hargrove Controls & Automation to explore how MES technology can create a more unified and efficient operation for your facility.
