MES: real-time data processing
An MES system keeps track of all the production information and receives data from robots, employees and machine monitors. However, MES only contains data relevant to the production process at a particular moment in time: real-time data. MES processes this minimum amount of data quickly. This makes MES suitable for data provision during the decision points of a production process.
MES makes customer-controlled orders possible: your production only starts when there is a demand. This way you can keep your stock as low as possible and thus save costs.
SCADA & MES side by side
To illustrate: on your PC screen you see that line 4 has a fault. You zoom in on line 4 and see that machine A has stopped working. You can click on the visualised on/off switch to switch machine A off. SCADA makes this possible.
MES collects and processes information about the fault (line 4, machine A, date, duration of stoppage, etc.). In addition, MES links this information back to ERP.