What is the difference between OEE and MES?
It's common to hear the phrase "we need an MES". While this need is real in some sectors, it's crucial to understand exactly what this solution does and whether we're acquiring the right one. Before drawing any conclusions, it's essential to understand that MES (Manufacturing Execution System) and OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) are two distinct solutions used in industry to improve efficiency and operational performance.
MES is a production control system that manages the execution of manufacturing operations in real time. It is designed to monitor and control manufacturing processes, track raw materials, manage quality, schedule production, among other functions. By providing real-time visibility into manufacturing operations, MES helps company optimize processes, improve efficiency, reduce costs, and ensure regulatory compliance.
Its definition has changed significantly over the decades, with layers of management and control added to its scope. If we evaluate this framework solely through the lens of MESInternational, a pioneering organization in assessing this type of system, we will notice that this definition has historically evolved into four different definitions. The greater the scope required for MES, the greater the complexity, the prior data work, the effort in defining processes, and the involvement of different areas of the company .
However, meswith the possibility of managing multiple facets of productive execution, many company inadvertently seek an MES solution to address a central theme in any industrial environment: the productivity of their resources. This is where OEE and solutions focused on it come in.
Essentially, OEE is a metric that evaluates the overall effectiveness of equipment on a production line. It takes into account three main efficiency factors: Availability (the time the equipment is available for production), Performance (actual production speed compared to the ideal speed), and Quality (percentage of products produced correctly). OEE is used to identify opportunities for improving machine productivity, reducing downtime, increasing production, and improving product quality. Implementing a real-time productivity system focused on OEE and highly automated is, in turn, much simpler and faster.
If you are looking to maximize the productivity of key production resources through the three pillars mentioned, monitoring your production to understand the real capacity of each product and center, as well as identifying inefficiencies and their causes in each machine or workstation, an OEE solution is the most effective.
However, if you have a very high level of criticality in equipment maintenance management, need to improve material traceability to a level beyond what your ERP allows, and/or are looking for a solution with specific and advanced quality management functionalities, you should look for an MESsolution. This solution can be off-the-shelf or even an internal industry development of these functionalities on top of a previous OEE-focused solution, given that the scopes of materials, maintenance, and quality can often be very specific to each company .
In summary, the confusion between these two solutions arises around the scope and focus of each, which can lead to misguided expectations about their functionalities and objectives. For example, implementing a MES can improve the overall efficiency of the operation, but it will not necessarily guarantee an automatic increase in OEE. mes, improving the OEE of a specific machine may not solve broader production management problems that a MES could address.
Therefore, it is crucial to understand the distinctions between MES and OEE and recognize that each plays a different role in improving efficiency and operational performance in the industry. Choosing the right system to meet specific needs and achieve desired results is essential for business success.
If you are interested in implementing real-time OEE in your industry, learn about Evocon and see how this technology can help you!
