Extending Aras Innovator into Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) for Build/Engineer-to-Order Manufacturers

Manufacturing execution systems (MES) have traditionally been closely tied to the enterprise resource planning (ERP) and material resource planning (MRP) domains. While MES’s connectivity to ERP and MRP is critical, these highly transactional environments provide a limited view into critical sources of process intensive product information living is such environments as product lifecycle management (PLM) systems.  

“For build-to-order (BTO) and engineer-to-order (ETO) manufacturers, the constrained connectivity of traditional MES is exacerbated by increasing business pressure to improve mass customization, part reuse, BOM structures, among other goals.”

For build-to-order (BTO) and engineer-to-order (ETO) manufacturers, the constrained connectivity of traditional MES is exacerbated by increasing business pressure to improve mass customization, part reuse, BOM structures, among other goals. Achieving such goals requires informing MES with product and process information such as engineering change, problem reporting, workstation instructions, tooling, quality/test criteria, shop drawings, and much more. Yet, much of this data is established within PLM environments - outside the purview of ERP or MRP.

The Aras Innovator MES application provides native connectivity to product data and processes while maintaining the needed ERP synchronization and signaling. Organization will have complete end-to-end order status visibility from award to shipment, planning capabilities, and “ready to build” rules and signaling. While ERP will still treat orders and inventory, all other data requirements will directly reference the various Aras Innovator applications such as program management, part/BOM management, quality, and manufacturing process planning (MPP). Within the broader context of the digital thread, this approach to MES helps provides data cohesion between MPP and maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO).