MES vs ERP: which one suits your needs best

There is an easy answer to this question: it depends.

ERP stands for ‘enterprise resource planning’. Under a single umbrella, we have finance, sales, purchasing, inventory management, and many of the other systems that keep enterprises running.

MES system vs ERP

MES stands for ‘manufacturing execution system.’ Where ERP looks after the whole enterprise, MES is focused almost entirely on the shop floor, helping keep production in line with sales demands and purchasing supplies. MES is increasingly available as a module within ERP systems, though it can also be used as a stand-alone system integrated with ERP.

Where you don’t need MES

You might produce a single, simple product. It might be those short, throwaway pencils they hand out for free on a mini golf course. They might come from a small shop which counts how many are on hand and backflushes the materials used. There are only two shop employees and no one cares which of the two worked at which station. This business has little need for MES.

Businesses like these have little need for an MES, but might benefit from a basic ERP system to take care of inventory, purchasing, or finance.

Understand your manufacturing ERP needs better with this comprehensive manufacturing EPR requirements template

Where you do need MES

Another manufacturer might have hundreds of products made at multiple global plants. ERP creates a sales order that must arrive at a customer's dock in two weeks, alongside thousands of other orders and forecasts.

MES analyzes demand against available shop time and materials to determine the best plant for on-time shipping. It schedules production across all plants, tracks actual completion times and quantities, and continually reschedules to meet customer needs efficiently. Businesses with a single facility and various products still need timely delivery. In such cases, rescheduling may be based on manager inspection, while MES provides production data to evaluate worker productivity and task suitability.

MES and ERP integration

ERP-MES integration lets shop-floor execution data, like production counts, machine status, and quality results, flow straight into the enterprise-wide numbers that finance, sales, and purchasing already rely on, rather than sitting in a separate system that someone has to reconcile by hand.

For a primer on the integration methods available, from simple point-to-point connections to APIs and enterprise service buses, read our beginner's guide to ERP integration.

Your manufacturing business might have compliance requirements that MES can meet with the right data.  MES can track employees’ training and certifications and ensure only qualified workers perform certain work.  It can also track daily time to help ensure workers take required break periods or keep their exposure to hazards minimized.

Which one suits your needs best?

A lot of manufacturers need ERP.  Some can also benefit from an MES integrated into that ERP.  In the right circumstances, the systems complement each other.  Which one suits your needs best?