Laying the foundation for smart factory enhancements

Smart factory MES: Tap into the full potential

The smart factory era has arrived, but not all manufacturers are ready for it. Spurred by the promise of outsized returns, manufacturers are looking to acquire and integrate smart factory capabilities across their plant networks. The benefits can be significant. Early smart factory adopters report average three-year gains of 10% for factory output, capacity use, and labor productivity, according to a Deloitte study.

With so much potential, many enterprises are experimenting with smart factory MES technology and use cases. Yet, far fewer manufacturers are approaching this transformative suite of enhancements in a way that consistently scales across all plants. What’s missing in many cases is a global manufacturing process and data model that a modernized, enterprisewide manufacturing execution system (MES) can provide. Without it, business leaders may be missing out on unrealized value and capabilities.

MES processes and data models that are designed to drive standardization across plants address common pain points such as labor and machine productivity, limited visibility into inefficiencies across the value chain, and material and labor traceability. To learn more about the value of MES, read the first installment of this series.

But MES is also essential as the foundation for taking the next step in smart factory adoption. With a single MES solution design that is tailored to each plant, manufacturers can implement an enterprise structure across the plant networks that permits connected and consistent data; repeatable, standardized processes; and harmonized software solutions. These global processes and data standards are essential for delivering smart factory capabilities at scale. Far from random acts of digital popping up in isolated plants, the manufacturer is positioned to take a whole-of-enterprise view and drive the entire organization toward seizing the benefits of smart factory enhancements.

To better understand this opportunity, consider the pitfalls of smart factory exploration in the absence of a foundational organizationwide MES.