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 industries, it's crucial to understand exactly what this solution does and whether we're purchasing the right solution. Before jumping to 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, and perform other functions. By providing real-time visibility into manufacturing operations, MES helps companies 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 within its scope. If we evaluate this framework under the unique assessment of MESInternational, a pioneering organization in the assessment of this type of system, we will note that this definition has historically had four definitions. The larger the scope required for MES, the greater the complexity, the prior data work, the greater the effort required to define processes, and the involvement of different areas of the company.
However, meswith the ability to manage multiple facets of production execution, many companies inadvertently seek an MES solution to address a central issue in any industrial environment: resource productivity. This is where OEE and solutions focused on it come in.
Essentially, OEE is a metric that evaluates the overall effectiveness of the equipment in a production line. It takes into account three main factors of efficiency: availability (time when 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 to improve machine productivity, reduce inactivity time, increase production and improve product quality. The implementation of a real -time, OEE -focused and highly automated productivity system is, in turn, much simpler and faster.
If you seek to get the maximum key resource productivity of your production through the 3 commented pillars, monitor your production in order to understand your actual capacity of each product and center, as well as identify inefficiencies and their causes on each machine or post, an OEE solution is the most effective.
However, if your equipment maintenance management is highly critical, you need to improve material traceability beyond what your ERP allows, and/or you're looking for a solution with specific, advanced quality management features, you should consider a MESsolution. This solution could be a commercial solution or even an internal development of these features based on a previous OEE-focused solution, given that the scopes of materials, maintenance, and quality can often be very specific to each company.
In short, the confusion between these two solutions arises around the scope and focus of each, which can result in misguided expectations about their functionality and objectives. For example, implementing an MES can improve overall operational efficiency, but it won't necessarily automatically guarantee an increase in OEE. mes, improving the OEE of a specific machine may not solve broader production management problems that an MES could address.
Therefore, it's 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 the desired results is essential to business success.
If you are interested in implementing OEE in real time in your industry, get to know Evocon and see how this technology can help you!
