Key Business Benefits of a Manufacturing Execution System

The modern global economy is competitive and interconnected with equal measures. While this means different things for various sectors, it has made things especially complex for manufacturers. The demand for increased production efficiency and stringent quality control has never been greater. Then there is also the fact that consumers expect personalized products to be delivered quickly. So, we need manufacturing operations that are agile and responsive. This pressure is exacerbated by the need to manage complex supply chains. Then there are all the compliances with changing regulatory standards. Traditional approaches to managing manufacturing floors are usually characterized by fragmented data and manual processes. Hence, they are no longer adequate. They require solutions that can provide immediate feedback on production performance and track work in progress among other things. These imperatives drives the sector toward manufacturing execution systems (MES).

In this blog, I will discuss the primary benefits of this new crop of solutions to emerge in the world of digital manufacturing solutions.

MES 101: A Quick Introduction

It is a software solution that basically serves as the real-time operational backbone on a manufacturer's factory floor. It connects high level business planning to actual production. It not only monitors and documents but also controls the entire manufacturing process. Real time data collated from machines and operators empowers an MES to provide critical visibility into production performance and enforce quality control among other things. This ultimately leads to increased efficiency and improved product quality.

MES Benefits You Definitely Need to Know

MES might sound technical, but they’re about helping people on the shop floor work smarter and faster. By connecting machines, people, and processes in real-time, MES makes it easier to track production, spot issues early, and keep everything running smoothly. The result? Less stress, better quality, and more time to focus on what really matters, getting great products out the door. Here’s a quick look at the real benefits you shouldn’t miss.

●Better quality control: An MES system integrates quality management directly into production. It requires the completion of specific quality checks at predetermined stages of manufacturing. The system can be configured to stop it is moving on to the next production step if a quality check fails or if required data is not entered. All quality related data are recorded in real time and digitally stored. This does away with errors in manual data entry and ensures a verifiable record of quality at all stages. Such a proactive approach helps ensure that products consistently meet specifications. Consequently, you get a lower likelihood of costly rework and customer returns.

●Improved product tracking: The system allows for the assignment of a unique identifier to each raw material, component, etc. As these items pass through various stages of production, the MES records their exact location, the operators involved and other such relevant details. This gives you a complete digital history for each individual product manufactured. In case a quality issue arises, one can quickly trace back to the exact batch of raw materials used and other data points specific to the product. This capability is critical for effective root cause analysis and targeted product recalls, if necessary.

●Increased uptime: An MES helps to achieve this by providing real time visibility into machine status and performance. It continuously monitors equipment health and can even predict potential failures using integrated sensor data. When a machine fails or an issue crops up, the MES immediately logs into the event. It can also identify the specific cause of the stoppage. The MES can also help optimize preventive maintenance schedules by collecting data on machine performance over time.

●Enhanced equipment utilization: An MES makes significant contributions in this regard as well: by providing real-time data on how a given piece of equipment is used. It monitors metrics such as machine run time and actual output vs. planned output. This data enables managers to identify underutilized assets or even bottlenecks in the production process. The analysis of this data stands to help manufacturers make substantially more informed decisions about scheduling and balancing workloads across machines among other things.

Final Words

Truly a wonderful addition to have to your manufacturing arsenal, wouldn't you say? Now, it is time to start looking for a trusted digital manufacturing solutions company.