In a world where digital transformation initiatives are critical in helping companies optimize their entire manufacturing process and maintain a competitive advantage in the industry, key stakeholders need a scalable solution that can evolve to meet their needs.
The SAP Manufacturing Execution System (SAP MES) revolutionizes the way manufacturing processes are managed and optimized by seamlessly integrating production activities, data collection, and real-time analytics across the board.
The SAP Manufacturing Execution System solution empowers organizations to leverage real-time data to enhance operational efficiency, improve quality control, and drive overall productivity.
This article will discuss the key components and capabilities of the SAP Manufacturing Execution System, as well as where our team of SAP consultants can come in to help.
Read on to learn more!
What is MES in SAP?
The SAP Manufacturing Execution System (SAP MES) is a software solution designed to help companies monitor, track, centralize, and control their manufacturing processes to improve production efficiency, manufacturing reliability, and product traceability.
By providing a functional layer between enterprise resource planning (ERP) functions and process control systems, the SAP Manufacturing Execution System gives companies the data they need to improve decision making, optimize production processes, and increase operational visibility across the entire plant floor.
Key Capabilities of SAP Manufacturing Execution
Let’s take a closer look at the main functions included in SAP Manufacturing Execution…
1) Automated Data Collection
SAP Manufacturing Execution System allows customers to record important production data, like quality and traceability, to improve the efficiency and reliability of their manufacturing operations.
The solution also provides intelligent tools that trigger an automatic non-conformance process if there’s any deviation from production specifications to ensure compliance over time.
2) Centralized Manufacturing Operations
With role-based interfaces to support manufacturing and production workflows, the MES solution in SAP solutions allows users to manage production processes for lots, orders, and serial items and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of product routing across teams and systems.
3) Product Traceability and Tracking
SAP Manufacturing Execution System capabilities allow customers to create full production histories for serial products and analyze manufacturing performance for improved operational efficiency in the future.
Users can also leverage track-and-trace features to improve visibility across the full supply chain and ensure customers receive the right products at the right time.
4) Labor and Process Management
From tracking worker schedules and qualifications to managing the full production process, gaining insight into production bottlenecks, and creating process traceability, MES capabilities in SAP allow companies to optimize labor and process management with less time and money.
Understanding SAP MES Integration with S/4HANA
The S/4HANA-MES Integration component enables companies to integrate their core S/4HANA functions with the SAP Manufacturing Execution System to manage, monitor, and optimize manufacturing processes in both discrete and repetitive manufacturing industries.
With this integration, manufacturing companies can connect their shop floor data with MES functionality to simplify asset management and ensure data consistency between systems.
Here are a few of the key integrations provided by the S/4HANA-MES Integration component…
- Integrations with production orders through Production Orders component (PP-SFC)
- Integrations with specific goods movements through Inventory Management component (MM-IM)
- Integrations with planned orders through Material Requirements Planning component (PP-MRP)
Main Advantages of the Manufacturing Execution System
- Reduced inventory: With a manufacturing execution system, companies can reduce their just-in-case (JIC) inventory and work-in-progress (WIP) inventory for reduced manufacturing, storage, and transportation costs and automatic inventory updates.
- Elimination of paperwork: By digitizing shop floor documentation, companies are enabled to eliminate the need for physical data records and management, making it easier to improve decision making and reducing the risk for human error.
- Improved quality control: SAP MES offers quality control tools that transmit data in real time and identify issues as soon as they occur to reduce scrap, overage, and waste across the entire supply chain.
- Better product tracking: MES software allows companies to improve manufacturing and production management to improve time-to-value across the production cycle and improve regulatory compliance for suppliers.
- Increased uptime: With realistic production schedules and maximized scheduling and maintenance processes, SAP MES users can improve the functionality of their production lines, enhance overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), and drive better uptime.
How Can We Help?
Whether you need help implementing intelligent manufacturing execution systems for this first time, manufacturing reliability, integrating SAP Manufacturing Execution System with other asset utilization and manufacturing management solutions, or leveraging functional tools to meet specifications and requirements, Surety Systems is here to help.
Our team of senior-level SAP consultants has the functional knowledge and technical skills needed to help handle your most complex manufacturing operations and make the most of your SAP MES software in the long run.
Getting Started with Our Team
Interested in learning where our team of SAP consultants can fit in your organization?
Ready to digitize your entire production process and improve manufacturing efficiency across teams, but don’t know where to begin?
Contact us today for more information about our SAP consulting services!
