Advantages of implementing an MES system in your factory

A MES (Manufacturing Execution System) system plays a fundamental role in the digital transformation process of your industrial company. Whatever sector your business belongs to, this solution is the key to obtaining reliable, real-time information on all the manufacturing processes that take place in your production plants.

Many industrial companies are still unaware of the benefits of implementing a MES (Manufacturing Execution System) in their factory in terms of production control. Most think that with an ERP they already have all their needs covered. However, these types of platforms are not specialized in production management nor do they work with real-time data.

Instead, a MES system plans and executes manufacturing orders and tells you, at all times, how you can improve the performance of your production plant and get on board with continuous improvement. Thus, it is a software that allows companies to carry out intelligent day-to-day management of their factory. For this reason, it is an essential tool needed evolve into a smart factory.

An MES system is based on data that is captured and analyzed in real time and, therefore, provides reliable, complete and up-to-date metrics for decision making. In addition, it is a solution that guarantees interoperability with the rest of the factory’s IT infrastructure, mainly with the corporate ERP. In this way, the different elements involved in the production process can be controlled: machines, people, raw materials, auxiliary services, etc.

How can your production plant change thanks to an MES system?

Ever wondered what the benefits of implementing an MES system in your industrial company are? Keep reading…

1. Digitization of production processes

One of the main reasons why industrial companies decide to search for an MES systems supplier is to address the digitization of their production processes when faced with strong competition.

With the implementation of a solution such as Mapex, you say goodbye to inaccurate, unreliable information, human errors and delayed implementation of corrective actions. The software enables the automatic capture of reliable real-time data with the resulting advantages: knowing the status of equipment and the progress of manufacturing orders at all times, detecting stoppages and incidents to reduce them, standardizing processes, speeding up decision making, etc.

2. Industry 4.0: a global vision and centralized information

Another of the most common problems in industrial companies is the duplication of data in fragmented systems. In fact, those factories that have not yet evolved towards the smart factory have teams that function as silos within the same production plant, a factor that does not favor the optimization of processes or the efficient, fluid exchange of information.

With an MES system, companies can obtain a global and transparent view of what is happening in their production plants. Data is centralized on a single platform and can be accessed quickly and intuitively. In this way, it prevents errors and facilitates cooperation between teams and departments.

3. Continuous improvement (Lean 4.0) and greater control of production

Industrial companies that neither commit to digital transformation nor see the need to embrace Industry 4.0 tend not to be aligned with the continuous improvement process. Do not forget that it is impossible to improve any process if you do not have reliable, real-time information about that process.

One of the most important advantages of implementing an MES system is to start to detect the factory’s strengths and weaknesses; to establish a suitable continuous improvement strategy; and to know the real impact of corrective actions on the organization’s productivity and efficiency.

4. Increased efficiency, productivity and savings in the production plant

Delayed error detection is one of the downsides of not running an MES system. In turn, this causes the factory to be inefficient and the continued appearance of stoppages, production losses or non-conformities is inevitable. In addition, this waste is compounded by unnecessary wastage of paper and hours spent filling out documents.

The vast majority of companies we work with have managed to eliminate 100% of the paper record keeping from their factories. This is one of the benefits of implementing an MES system, a software that not only increases efficiency in the production plant, maximizing asset utilization and reducing scrap and waste, but one which also helps to increase production quality and customer satisfaction.

As we have seen, implementing an MES system is a profitable investment in the short, medium and long term. It is a solution that provides greater visibility and transparency to manufacturing processes, favors compliance with regulations, reduces operational costs, and improves productivity and quality.

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