The world of manufacturing is continuously changing. New technologies, processes and products are only a handful of the challenges faced by companies on a regular basis. Considering these changes, however, one thing remains constant: customers are going to expect more for less. That being said, many companies struggle with these new demands and aren’t able to keep pace with their more adaptable competitors. What’s the solution to overcoming this while maintaining product quality? Using the right data.
This is where many manufacturers get stuck. While it may appear on the surface that they are collecting more than enough information from their production processes, maybe even information that has served them well in the past, much of the data is being unused or being used incorrectly as the result of the limitations of their reporting system.
For most growing manufacturers, this system is their manufacturing execution system (MES) provider. As such, there inevitably will come a time when a manufacturer must take a good look at their current provider and may be faced with the realization that they have outgrown their current MES. So, today we are going to discuss three reasons why it may be time to evaluate and possibly upgrade your manufacturing execution system.
1. System Performance Can’t Keep Pace with Demand
Today’s MES solutions are designed with scalability and adaptability in mind. If your current MES is limited in the amount of data its able to report and store or it does so in a way that is difficult to utilize by your team, it’s a sure-fire sign that it may be time to look into different options.
2. MES Maintenance Issues
If you’ve had your current MES for an extended period of time and your provider has failed to keep your system up to date, causing you to experience issue after issue and forced your IT team to either deal with or work around hardware or software glitches on a regular basis, it’s probably time to say goodbye. A good MES will provide users regular updates and improvement via some sort of maintenance agreement, and will allow for predictive maintenance. You also should be receiving fast and friendly support from your current MES provider. Having such an agreement in place is vitally important in keeping your production system in peak efficiency.
3. Not Providing the Right Data
One problem with older, cookie-cutter MESs that have outlived their shelf life is that they can be extremely rigid in their data collection and the way in which that information is used. If you are experiencing such limitations with your MES, it may be beneficial to look into an Manufacturing Execution System that allows for a more robust and customizable configuration based on your company’s particular needs.
If you are experiencing any of these warning signs, consider upgrading to a new MES. For more information about what to look for, subscribe to our blog!
