Manufacturing Execution System

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) manages business-level planning, purchasing, and finance at Level 4 of the ISA-95 hierarchy. MES (Manufacturing Execution System) manages shop floor execution in real time at Level 3 — tracking Work Orders, WIP, OEE, and quality as production happens. They are complementary systems: ERP plans what to make, MES ensures it is made correctly and records every detail.

A typical Accevo MES implementation takes 8-12 weeks from kickoff to go-live. Accevo's modular approach allows manufacturers to go live with core production monitoring in as few as 8 weeks, then expand to quality management, traceability, and paperless work instructions in subsequent phases without re-implementation.

Accevo MES integrates with SAP S/4HANA, SAP ECC, Oracle EBS, Oracle Cloud, JD Edwards (JDE), Microsoft Dynamics 365, Infor LN, Sage X3, and other ERP platforms via certified connectors and standard REST API. Bidirectional data exchange is configured during implementation.

Based on Accevo MES deployment data across 200+ manufacturing facilities, customers typically achieve: 20% increase in operating time, 15% reduction in defect rate, 35% faster changeovers, and 5% reduction in material consumption. Most customers achieve full investment payback within 12-18 months of go-live.

The price of a professional MES system depends on the selected list of functionalities, integration with machines and required equipment (i.e. printers, scanners and computers).  The total cost will depend on the company's needs and the number of machines that need to be connected to achieve business results. The MES system is unlimited, modular and scalable, and is not tied to a specific number of users or devices, and can therefore be customized to meet the needs of any company. 

MES implementation timelines vary by company, depending on how much process data needs to be collected and how many people require training. When it comes to Accevo, a first quote and solution concept can be ready within 3 days of the initial meeting, a Proof of Concept (PoC) including machine connectivity takes around 2 weeks, and a full factory rollout is typically completed within 3 months.

We can suggest several indicators suggest it’s the right time to consider implementing an MES:

1. Growing Production Complexity: As production lines become more intricate and diversified, an MES can streamline operations, ensuring that every step is optimized and interconnected.
2. Demand for Real-time Data: In an era where data drives decisions, having real-time insights into your manufacturing processes can be a game-changer. MES provides this data at your fingertips, enabling faster, more informed decisions.
3. Quality Control Concerns: If maintaining consistent product quality is becoming a challenge, MES can offer tools to monitor and ensure quality throughout the production process.
4. Scalability Needs: For businesses looking to expand or diversify, an MES system can seamlessly integrate new production lines or processes, ensuring that growth doesn’t compromise efficiency or quality.
5. Regulatory and Compliance Pressures: Many industries face stringent regulatory requirements. MES systems can help ensure compliance by providing traceability, reporting, and documentation tools.

Further reading: Why OEE drops after MES implementation?

• Modern MES software benefits all production industries.
• Accevo has implemented systems in FMCG, Pharma, Automotive & Aviation, and High Volume Production.
• Provides clear results and transforms production processes towards Industry 4.0.

MES software raises OEE and OTIF: it predicts when the last item on an order will finish, cuts changeover time and speeds up task execution. It lowers defects through faster defect and rework handling, SPC with condition-based monitoring and scheduled quality plans. And it gives you full traceability - BOM validation before release, tool life-cycle monitoring and upstream and downstream genealogy.