Manufacturing execution, governed end to end
ERP plans the business. Automation runs the equipment. SMART MES coordinates, records and governs how the work is actually done, and keeps a complete history of every product.
More than electronic production entry
The value of MES is not simply knowing where production happened. It is governing what should happen next, under which conditions and with whose authority.
A well-designed MES connects production orders, materials, approved routes, machines, operators, process parameters, inspection results, quality status, inventory movement and finished goods. Vector11 designs it around your actual process, not a generic template.
The same governance applies across industries: batch and lot genealogy in process manufacturing, serial traceability and routing in discrete manufacturing, and both in hybrid operations.
One controlled journey, from material to ERP
SMART MES records each stage and decides whether the product may move on. Illustrated for discrete manufacturing.
Material receipt
Receive, identify, verify.
Readiness
Eligibility and approvals.
Release
Authorise the order.
Route execution
Track each operation.
Quality
Inspect, hold or release.
Finished product
Identity and genealogy.
Dispatch
Control movement.
ERP update
Results and reporting.
Capabilities
Govern how work is done
From order release to dispatch, SMART MES checks that the right material, route, instructions and approvals are in place before work moves on.
Production order management
ERP orders become shop-floor work, with planned versus actual quantities, status, holds and deviations.
ConfigurableRouting and workflow rules
Approved process sequences by product, grade and specification. The next step is released only when prerequisites are complete.
ConfigurableMaterial, WIP and finished goods tracking
Barcode, QR or RFID identification at every station, transfer and store.
ConfigurableDigital work instructions
Approved instructions, checklists, parameter confirmations and operator eligibility checks.
ConfigurableScheduling and dispatch support
Order dispatching and execution status, native or integrated with specialist planning software.
ConfigurableWarehouse, yard and dispatch workflows
Transfers, staging, finished-goods storage and dispatch eligibility.
Configurable
Know how every product was made
Not just whether it passed, but which material, machines, parameters, people and inspections were involved.
Product genealogy
Each finished item linked to its heat, batch or lot, order and route, machine and shift, parameters, people, tests, rework and dispatch.
ConfigurableQuality gates
Requirements checked before, during and after production, with release only when evidence is complete.
ConfigurableInspection and lab integration
Laboratory and inspection systems connected, including NDT.
ConfigurableHold, release, rework and nonconformance
Non-conforming product stopped in the workflow until an authorised decision is recorded.
ConfigurableProcess parameter compliance
Speed, temperature, pressure and setpoints recorded against the product, with deviations flagged.
ConfigurableReporting and audit trail
Role-based access and auditable records of every execution decision.
Configurable
MES, ERP and SCADA: why each matters
A plant can have strong SCADA and a mature ERP and still have no execution governance. That missing layer is where traceability, quality discipline and reliable production data come from.
| System | Primary job | What it knows |
|---|---|---|
| ERP | Plans and manages business transactions | Orders, materials required, costs, finance, customers |
| MES | Coordinates and governs production execution | Routes, product identity, genealogy, quality status, execution records |
| SCADA | Supervises and controls the process | Machine states, process values, alarms |
Integrated with the systems around it
- ERP: orders in; consumption, quality status and results out
- Automation and SCADA: machine states and parameters tied to products
- Lab, inspection and NDT systems
- Maintenance systems (CMMS) and warehouse systems
- Advanced industrial AI through Algo8 PlantBrain, via standard interfaces
A software hold stops digital release. Where material must be physically prevented from moving, we engineer the link to equipment or handling interlocks.
What improvement can you expect?
Typical areas of improvement. Quantified results are published only when verified with the client.
Stronger process control
Work follows approved routes, instructions and parameters.
Complete traceability
Every product linked to its material, process and inspection history.
Quality governance
Holds and releases enforced in the workflow, with full authority records.
Production accountability
Reliable records of who did what, when and under which conditions.
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Whether the priority is equipment performance, controls modernisation, MES, traceability or ERP integration, tell us what is holding your plant back and we will suggest a practical way forward.