MES vs MOM: On the path to holistic manufacturing management

Digitization of production processes MES vs MOM: On the path to holistic manufacturing management

2024-05-10 A guest post by Kilian Bächle* | Translated by AI 6 min Reading Time

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Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) or Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) can be used to better organize, optimize, and secure manufacturing processes. But what are the differences and what should companies pay attention to when choosing?

The terms MES and MOM are often used together. But what do they stand for and in what context are the underlying concepts related?(Image: Adobe Stock) — The terms MES and MOM are often used together. But what do they stand for and in what context are the underlying concepts related?
(Image: Adobe Stock)

Kilian Bächle works as a Product Manager IoT at Contact Software.

Looking at it on a global level, MES and MOM offer multiple advantages to manufacturing companies by improving the efficiency, quality, and flexibility of the production processes and creating a solid foundation for data-driven decisions. Find out how Manufacturing Operations Management and Manufacturing Execution System are related in practice here.

What is an MES?

An MES is a software that manufacturing companies use to organize their production. The VDI guideline "Manufacturing Management Systems" (VDI 5600) describes MES as a meaningful functional complement to Enterprise Resource Planning systems (ERP), in order to plan and control all production processes promptly, ensure process transparency, and accurately depict the material and information flow within the supply chain. To accomplish this, the guideline defines the following tasks for MES:

Order management
Detailed planning and control
Resource management
Material management
Personnel management
Data collection
Performance analysis
Quality management
Information management
Energy management

After the sales planning has been carried out in the ERP system and corresponding production orders have been generated, the production department uses the MES to execute the production orders. Typically, the software offers various views that are tailored to the user groups, such as production management, machine operators, quality inspectors, and their task assignments.

The planning view for assigning people to workspaces in Contact Elements for IoT.
(Image:Contact Software)

The image shows an example planning view of a MES for assigning personnel to workplaces. The production management controls here, which people perform the scheduled operations at the defined points in time at which workstation. Therefore, this function falls into the MES tasks of personnel management and fine control.

The task list according to VDI-5600 is a good starting point for classifying the MES term. However, not each of these functions is equally relevant for every manufacturing company. For example, suppliers in the automotive industry are required to deliver their products just-in-time (JIT) or just-in-sequence (JIS) to the OEM's assembly line, which results in a strong focus on production logistics. Companies in the process industry typically produce goods for a large market. Their challenge is to maintain the continuous production process. In plant and mechanical engineering, on the other hand, highly varied products are manufactured from individual items to large series. Here, companies are required to manage complexity and meet contractually guaranteed delivery dates.

Over time, different MES have developed for the different requirement profiles. This means that the software systems each have their own strengths within the scope of the above task list and some also offer functions that are not included in the list. Therefore, it is advisable to evaluate and compare different systems based on your own requirements.

What is MOM?

Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) is a holistic concept. Its aim is to digitally manage manufacturing processes in a company and to provide manufacturing-related information across departments in a transparent manner in order to optimize the overall value creation process. In addition to the production processes, the business processes are also taken into account and seamless communication is established from the manufacturing level to the corporate management level. This requires an exchange of information between different IT system domains, for example:

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) for product development and planning of work steps in production.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) for sales planning and commercial processing of orders.
Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) for the execution of production orders.
Quality Management Software (QMS) to ensure product quality.
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platform for combining data from machine control systems and sensors to monitor manufacturing processes in real time.

The interaction of the IT systems makes the cooperation of the different departments and teams more efficient, which has a positive effect on the entire value creation process. The production operates at lower manufacturing costs, can realize shorter delivery times and a high product quality. In addition, the holistic MOM approach enables companies to better adapt to changing market situations, as it integrates the production processes into the overall value creation process.

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There is currently no official definition for the term Manufacturing Operations Management that includes a specific list of functions. Accordingly, the scope over which MOM extends varies depending on the source and context.

So how do MES and MOM relate to each other?

Overview of IT system domains (simplified representation according to Gartner Inc.)
(Image:Contact Software)

Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) are understood as a central software in the context of the MOM approach. As a system for use in the shop floor, it mainly focuses on executing tasks and processes within production.

MOM describes the overarching concept in which the production processes are integrated into the business processes of the overall value creation. The goal of this approach is to optimize the value chain by coordinating information across various departments. Therefore, the concept includes not only the execution level, i.e., MES functions, but also adjacent functions from the areas of ERP, PLM, QMS, IIoT.

When choosing a Manufacturing Execution System (MES), you should pay attention to the following aspects: integration with existing systems, application in your specific sector, customization options, user friendliness, mobile application options, real-time capabilities, scalability, service and support from the provider, modernity (including cloud capabilities, use of artificial intelligence) and finally, verify that the system can be aligned with long-term corporate strategies and objectives.

If you want to implement a Manufacturing Execution System (MES), choose one that fits your manufacturing structure. Also, it should meet your needs. For example, in process manufacturing, recipe management is often required, whereas in discrete manufacturing, work is done with bill of materials.

In addition, the system's ability to integrate is particularly relevant. According to the Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) approach, cross-departmental consistency of information increases the efficiency of the entire value creation. Therefore, the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) must be seamlessly integrated into the relevant existing IT systems, such as Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Quality Management System (QMS), and their processes.

In addition to these two particularly important criteria, the following aspects should also be considered:

Extendibility Depending on the project scope, project risks can be minimized by first rolling out some basic MES functions. Subsequently, further functional areas can be developed piece by piece until all relevant processes are integrated.  For this procedure, the software should be modular and grow step by step with your own needs.
Scalability In addition to the content expansion of the MES to include additional functional areas, the scalability of the solution to all manufacturing sites is also relevant. This includes not only the support of the corresponding languages but also the ability to gather and evaluate the local information at a central location. Ultimately, the MES provider must also be able to implement introduction projects globally.
Adaptability Production processes are as unique as the products manufactured. The better the MES serves your own processes and information needs, the greater the benefit.
Future-proofing The economic resilience of the MES provider and their affinity for integrating new technologies, such as Industrial Internet of Things and AI methodologies, are important factors for the long-term development of the system.
User Experience (UX) The software must be intuitively and attractively designed for end users to avoid acceptance problems and costly training measures. The best system in terms of content is worthless if it is not used properly.