Manufacturers today understand the importance of an innovative, flexible and skilled workforce that is enabled by technology to make fast and efficient decisions and recognize and take advantage of new opportunities. While the goal of technology in the manufacturing environment is uniting the shop floor and the top floor for improved operational visibility, decision making and performance, the manufacturing environment has to date been a house divided.
Traditionally, operational visibility in the realm of the shop floor has been provided by Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) supporting real-time process control scenarios and quality initiatives, whereas Enterprise Resource Planning has been in use upstream in the manufacturing operations, primarily supporting optimized scheduling and planning. Each system on its own can provide myriad benefits. But today’s manufacturers aren’t willing to settle; instead, desiring to drive improved performance and competitive advantage they are integrating these two systems and these two worlds to leverage the best of both.