MES, or manufacturing execution system, is a system for managing all manufacturing information such as manufacturing planning, resource allocation, supply chain information and quality inspection data. The enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, which stores business operating information about accounting, customer relationship management, human resources, and financials, was operated independently. Both systems have always been critical to the organization, but until more recently, had not been linked.

More and more manufacturers are realizing that by combining these two systems, they can create an integrated system that reaches from headquarters to multiple factories, engineering centers, warehouses, and sales offices. It allows them to more easily view all company operations and respond to them quickly. A holistic view of all company operations gives them greater agility and better data to help with decision making and forecasting.

operational clarity with integrated MES/ERP '

A lot of manufacturers are faced with the same problem; integrating the data from their manufacturing operations and their business operations. They simply have no effective way to combine the data from both systems. The problem becomes how to automatically convert the data from the MES system to the ERP system. This lack of system communication makes it difficult to synchronize business and manufacturing data for an overall view of company operations. The integration goal is make as much data as possible available to get an wholistic look at how a company is functioning. Return on an ERP investment can be increased by up to 50 percent by integrating it with accurate, real-time, plant information.

ERP and MES vendors respond'

As vendors are coming out with offerings that ease integration, the interest in combining MES and ERP is increasing. There is an increase in the number of people looking to integrate these business systems and reap the benefits of the view into the company this integration can provide. The case for integration has been strengthened in part due to new demands for faster response times in manufacturing. Today's vendors are offering easy-to-implement integration options. In short, MES integrated with ERP systems provide a way to visualize and utilize the manufacturing and business data to make significant process improvements and the best organizational decisions.