In today’s competitive market, manufacturers are always trying to find ways to improve production efficiency to create an advantage over competitors. The question is how to maximize productivity while minimizing costs? To meet this demand, MES (Manufacturing Execution System) was born and tends to be increasingly interested and applied by businesses. So what is MES? Please join Adtech to learn through this article!
What is MES?
Manufacturing Operations and Management Systems (MES) is software designed to optimize manufacturing processes by monitoring, tracking, documenting and controlling the entire production lifecycle.
MES improves quality control and increases uptime while reducing inventory and costs.
A key benefit of this production management and operations system is improved product tracking, which is essential for manufacturers to meet regulatory compliance and transparency requirements.
MES is particularly suitable for regulated industries such as: pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, medical devices, aviation and space, defense and biotechnology, etc., as regulated companies must comply with strict regulations to ensure traceability compliance.
Benefits of MES . application
Operations and production management systems track huge amounts of data, generating real-time insights that can improve production efficiency and save costs. Other benefits of applying MES to manufacturing include:
- Improved quality control: As quality control information is transmitted in real time, companies using MES systems can halt production as soon as problems are identified. This helps reduce waste, scrap and rework costs.
- Increase uptime: MES creates realistic production schedules by balancing human resources, materials and equipment. It integrates scheduling and maintenance to maximize product flow and asset utilization, increase uptime, and improve overall equipment efficiency (OEE).
- Reduce Inventory: This production management and operations system updates inventory records with new production materials, scrap, and nonconforming materials so that purchasing, shipping, and planning departments stay on track. know exactly what materials are available. This reduces redundant inventory and work-in-progress (WIP), which saves money on manufacturing, shipping, storage, and inventory monitoring.
- Eliminate manual reporting: Removing manual reporting means less chance of human error. It also means that data captured from the production floor is immediately available to decision makers across all integrated systems, to inform decision-making over time. real.
- Improved product tracking: MES tracks the entire production cycle from start to finish, grouping parts or final batches with corresponding production data. This data enables improved regulatory compliance for manufacturers subject to government or industry regulations.
Core Features of MES
In 1997, the International Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA) identified 11 functions of the core production management and operating system. Although the MESA-11 model has evolved over time, those original 11 core functions provide the basis for operating almost any type of plant and are integral to operating and management systems. production today.
1. Resource status monitoring and analysis: use real-time data to monitor and analyze the status of resources, including machinery, materials, and labor, to make allocation adjustments .
2. Detailed scheduling: optimize performance by planning, timing, and sequencing activities based on priority and resource availability.
3. Coordination of production units: manage the flow of production data in real time to easily make quick, calculated adjustments in production coordination.
4. Document control: manage and distribute documents, including work instructions, drawings, standard operating procedures, batch records, etc., so that they are accessible and editable.
5. Data collection and tracking: track and collect real-time data on processes, materials, and operations, and use that data to make better decisions.
6. Labor management: track the schedule, qualifications and authorization of workers to optimize labor management, reduce time and resources from the management.
7. Quality management: tracking quality deviations and exceptions to improve documentation and quality control management.
8. Process management: manage the entire production process from order release to finished product. Gain insight into bottlenecks and quality impact points, creating a full production traceability basis.
9. Maintenance management: use data from MES to identify potential equipment problems before they occur and adjust maintenance schedules for equipment, tools and machines to reduce downtime and increase production efficiency.
10. Product tracking: track product progress to make informed decisions. Having complete data on a product’s history is extremely useful for manufacturers that must comply with government or industry regulations.
11. Performance analysis: compare results and goals to identify strengths and weaknesses in the overall process and use that data to make the system work more efficiently.
The development of the MES . standards
While the MESA-11 model focuses on core MES functions, the International Automation Association (ISA) recognizes the need for consistency in terminology and also information modeling to define and integrate activities between the enterprise and the control system. So they developed the ISA-95 in the late 1990s.
By standardizing terminology, ISA-95 makes communication between stakeholders, such as suppliers and manufacturers, easier and more efficient. And consistent models reduce the risk of error when integrating production sites with business systems.
ISA-95 defines the interface between control and business functions to create technology levels and business processes. A simplified model of that hierarchy places operations and production management systems at level 3, between business planning and logistics and process control systems:
| Level | Mission |
|---|---|
| Level 4 (ERP) | Business planning and logistics |
| Level 3 (MES) | Production Operations Management |
| Level 2 (Process Control System) | Mass control |
| Level 1 (Process control system) | Continuous control |
| Level 0 (Process control system) | Discrete Control |
Integration of MES and ERP
In today’s manufacturing environment, MES and ERP together deliver operational transparency and detail that no other system can provide on its own.
ERP focuses on creating and managing factory schedules including production, material usage, deliveries and shipping, as well as gathering information about your business. Production management and operations systems, on the other hand, focus on managing and monitoring production operations and reporting on production line activities in real time.
ERP and MES create an integrated ecosystem that provides a holistic view of finance, procurement, supply chain management, manufacturing logistics, and more. Combining that information increases flexibility and supply. Data feeds help improve predictability on everything from sales to asset utilization to production management.
ERP systems provide data to determine which products to produce, while MES integrates ERP data with plant information to determine how to produce those products with less waste and more benefits. more profitable.
Trends of MES and New Technology
Driven by advanced technologies, production management and operating systems are increasingly evolving to become service-oriented, modular and connected.
“Cloud connectivity” is the backbone of smart factories, allowing advanced production systems, devices, products and equipment to interact automatically.
IoT (Industrial Internet of Things) devices and sensors in the supply chain continuously collect and generate data.
This real-time data sharing helps smart factories continuously improve their operations, automate better workflows, customize products and services, and grow more and more efficient. more effective over time.
MES software can also help manufacturers capitalize on a key trend in the evolution of production management and operating systems: on-demand manufacturing. Instead of mass production, the smart factory can shift to mass personalization and meet the demand for more affordable, high-conformity products with speed and affordability.
While personalization makes manufacturing more complex, advanced technologies can help manufacturing systems react and cycle in real time. Artificial intelligence (AI) can improve production efficiency, predict maintenance handling, and reduce waste.
By harnessing machine learning, production lines can become increasingly intelligent and efficient. With virtual reality (VR), manufacturers can simulate processes and identify potential improvements. And they can integrate augmented reality (AR) solutions to reduce production downtime and optimize factory operations.
All these advanced technologies and capabilities make it easier for companies to compete in the digital world, responding to demand quickly and accurately with quality and lower-cost customized products. higher.
CONCLUSION: A Transparency Market Research report predicts that the global MES market will “generate US$18.06 billion in revenue by the end of 2025”. This growth is being driven by the increased use of industrial automation in the process and discrete industries, the growing need for regulatory compliance, and the low deployment costs of operators and production manager. Clearly, MES is essential to driving optimal performance in today’s competitive and rapidly changing manufacturing environment.
