Manufacturing execution systems are on the rise

Manufacturing execution systems (MESs) are increasing in popularity and choice – and more of them are relying on wireless connectivity for the plant to business links. Those are the apparent top level findings of the sixth annual Logica CMG MES product survey, which indicates a full 30% rise in the number of MES products now available against last year. Most interesting, that demonstrates increasing demand for MESs, as users grasp the lesson that a flexible, scalable MES infrastructure can significantly increase efficiency in production and enable the sought after agility to respond to changing customer demands without compromising quality and additional costs. Perversely, however, although increasing MES ranges mean more industry- and business-specific manufacturing problems can now be successfully addressed, it also gives users a problem. Says Chris Harries, group director industry solutions at Logica CMG: “MES buyers now have more technologies and platforms to choose from than ever before, offering a greater opportunity to find the perfect solution but also increasing the challenge of finding it.” He sees the firm’s survey as providing something of a solution – through user feedback and testimony, and there is this journal’s Shortlist annual reference guide and the website.