Operational implementation of a MES project

The MES (Manufacturing Execution System) is an IT tool designed to improve – and simplify – the analysis of a – activity, for example a – production activity, in order to improve its performance. However, this modern tool is still not widely used in companies. There are several reasons for this:

• MES tools, which have made great technological strides in recent years, both in terms of data acquisition and operator interface, still suffer from a difficult initial reputation and are not well known by manufacturers;

• the difficulty of modifying line management practices in order to integrate these new tools: modification of human management practices, but also in the use of information from the field in order to build a system for improving performance through the use of these tools and continuous improvement techniques.

In the interests of competitiveness, companies have already made huge strides in improving productivity and cutting costs. Lean management techniques, directly derived from the continuous improvement tools long used by automotive manufacturers and subcontractors in particular, are now being introduced.

To go further, the recipe is simple: we need more information on how companies operate, and above all, more reliable and accurate information. Then, we need to be able to use this information to transform it into a progress plan. Manual processing (paper or spreadsheet) of this information is no longer an option. It becomes necessary to provide field teams, who are responsible for driving progress, with suitable tools to relieve them of this extra workload. The main tool for this task is the MES (Manufacturing Execution System).