MES

What is MES?

MES (Manufacturing Execution System) is an information system that manages and records production progress in real time at shop floor level — from launching a production order through tracking operator time and machine status to recording scraps and finished units. MES sits between ERP (the business and planning layer) and PLC/SCADA (the physical machine layer), and is therefore called “the bridge between the office and the shop floor”.

In a mechanical engineering company, MES typically runs on industrial tablets at the machine. The operator scans their badge and production order at the start of a shift, starts the machine, records whether the first piece is good or a reject, and the system automatically calculates OEE, material consumption, and time. When something breaks, a tool wears out, or material runs out, MES records it and notifies the foreman.

When it is used

MES is essential wherever it is necessary to measure and improve production productivity — in series and small-batch manufacturing, food processing (batch traceability), automotive (PPAP, OEM customer requirements), and wherever you need to be able to tell a customer exactly where their order is right now.

See the Production module and the manufacturing industry page.

Related terms

• ERP — the upper layer that supplies MES with the plan. See /en/glossary/erp.
• MRP — the planning layer whose outputs MES executes. See /en/glossary/mrp.
• OEE — the key metric that MES typically calculates. See /en/glossary/oee.
• CMMS — the sister system for machine maintenance. See /en/glossary/cmms.

In Modulario

Modulario addresses MES functions directly in the Production module — through a mobile operator interface, BOM data capture, and integration with the Maintenance module. No additional system is required — MES, MRP and ERP run on the same database.

Operators have a tablet at the machine with large buttons for quick logging — start, break, good piece, reject with reason. Data is collected in real time and the planner can see the current shop floor status and the last 24 hours’ trend on a dashboard. When a machine breaks down, the system automatically generates a service ticket in the Maintenance module.