What is Manufacturing Execution Software?

What is Manufacturing Execution Software?

 

Manufacturing execution system (MES) software is used to manage and monitor work-in-process on the factory floor. Plant managers and production personnel use manufacturing execution software to support their strategies to integrate data streams from the supply chain, the plant floor, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Selecting manufacturing execution software requires a detailed analysis of capabilities and features, as well as adaptability and flexibility.

 Some applications provide scheduling, workflow management, resource planning, production reporting and quality analysis. Most MES software is designed to improve productivity, reduce inventory carrying costs, reduce order-to-ship times, and eliminate costly rework. Typically, industries that implement manufacturing execution software treat cycle-time, the total time to produce an order, as a key performance indicator.

 Data can be collected for MES systems in a number of ways. Machine monitoring sensors can be used to automatically collect data, users can input shop floor data at collection terminals, and barcode scanners or RFID can be used as well. This information is then transmitted to a central computer for processing. 

MES software can be used to schedule tasks or jobs by facility, work center, machine, due date, raw material availability and/or employee skill set. Systems that include capacity planning features allow schedulers to load jobs against an organization’s total production capacity. Advanced production scheduling (APS) offers finite scheduling options and a visual representation of projected workloads. 

 Most manufacturing organizations perform quality checks and testing on their products. MES software usually involves quality testing and reporting.

 By combining the data from inventory, order management, scheduling and purchasing, users can benefit from material requirements planning (MRP) software. MRP software gives an accurate view into what material is available, on order and needed for upcoming production. MRP software can be configured to automatically order necessary supplies or raw materials for the upcoming production schedule as well. This would fall under the category or supply chain management (SCM).

 By connecting all of the manufacturing execution software systems together with supply chain management, customer relationship management, accounting and job costing the result is a manufacturing ERP software system.  Visit Tuppas to find out more about MES software.