Manufacturing execution system (MES), as the name suggests, it’s a computerized system, which can be implemented in the manufacturing process, to increase manufacturing efficiency and accuracy. It manages and monitors work in process on a factory floor. The goals of MES are to make the manufacturing process more efficient and improve productivity by reducing the cycle time. MES has replaced manual operations into paperless operations for faster transfer of information and improve the process of decision making. The two basic factors that necessitate the use of MES is total quality in production and help in the decision making process. Key benefits of MES include reduced work in process inventory, support for stock keeping unit, labour tracking and ability to review efficiency by work centers, operators and equipment. Manufacturers can benefit from the integration of MES with product lifecycle management (PLM), supply chain management (SCM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) to transform the manufacturing processes in terms of control and synchronization.
Based on the applications, MES can be segmented into two segments as discrete manufacturing industries and process manufacturing industries. The various process manufacturing industries include chemical, oil and gas, pulp and paper, food and beverages, waste water management etc.On the other hand various discrete manufacturing industries include automotive, healthcare, aerospace and defense. MES has been nowadays accepted across various segments.The process industries have made use of MES to a very large extent and seems to be matured unless more advancement in technology takes place. There is a lot of scope and potential for MES in discrete manufacturing industries. On the basis of functions, MES market is segmented as scheduling, resource allocation & dispatch, product tracking &status, performance analysis, labour management, overall equipment effectiveness and inventory management.