A Manufacturing Execution System, Easy as pie?

A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) is an information system for planning, monitoring and controlling production processes with a continuous character. It is the vertical, digital connection between the office and the production floor. Where, for example, orders are now entered, planned and executed manually, MES takes over most of this digitally. 

Hellebrekers Industrial Automation has developed its own MES solution under the name Visual Link Software (VLS | MES). This is a modular system consisting of eight main components: Planning, Definition, Resources, Release, Execution, Data Collection, Track & Trace and Analysis. A complete implementation of all eight components is possible, but not necessary. This depends on your wishes, to what extent you already use other, well-functioning digitization solutions and -experienced- budget. For example, you can start digitizing your planning or inventory management. A digitalized quality registration is also possible, without the need for other functionalities.

The most important advantages of digitizing your production process are:

• Increased flexibility on the production floor: VLS | MES enables you to make product changes faster;
• Less administration on the shop floor;
• More consistent quality from a single definition; every product is produced in exactly the same way in every production run;
• Accelerated complaint handling: in practice, this can save hours of research per complaint;
• Fewer (human) errors due to unambiguous information;
• Real-time link with the machinery: this gives you an up-to-date insight into the production progress and thus the planning.

To clarify VLS | MES the white paper "Manufacturing Execution System, Easy as pie" has been written. It focuses on the fictitious company Pie-2-Go, which has implemented an MES. For each part of MES it is indicated how Pie-2-Go benefits from digitizing the production processes. 

Download the whitepaper here and get an overview of what MES is