What is a manufacturing execution system (MES)?
A manufacturing execution system, or MES, tracks and controls what happens on the factory floor in real time. It connects the high level production plan to the actual machines, materials, and people making the product, and reports back what really happened.
Planning software says what should be built. An MES knows what is being built right now: which order is on which line, how fast, with what yield, and where it is stuck. That live picture is what lets a plant react instead of guessing.
It is the layer that turns a factory from a black box into something you can measure and improve hour by hour.
Sthenos built an MES for a manufacturing firm, giving the floor real time visibility and control. Engagements like this often start with a free proof of concept on one production line.
Related terms: overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), digital twin.
What is the difference between MES and ERP?
ERP plans and manages the business. MES runs and monitors the actual production on the floor.
