The Greatest Modern Manufacturing Duo of All Time: IIoT and MES

Your business’ integration of an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and a Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) is what we consider one of the most powerful manufacturing software duos in the industry. We urge you, manufacturing business owners, to view this combo as not just a trend but a necessity. 

Manufacturers increasingly view IIoT as an alternative or replacement to their existing MES when, in fact, the solutions must work in harmony to enable real-time data caption and informed decision-making. The Fuuz MES Platform offers the best of both worlds: a robust MES with full IIoT capabilities for machine monitoring. 

Let’s discuss how these two platforms complement each other, with MES serving as the backbone for efficient operations and see how you can leverage them to gain a competitive advantage.

The Backbone of Your Manufacturing Operations

Before we speak more about IIoT, let’s establish why maintaining your current MES is so important. MES extends and fills gaps in enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, providing a backbone so that IIoT connectivity effectively creates solutions that are much greater than the sum of their parts. 

Manufacturers leveraging IIoT without a robust MES solution risk overlooking critical aspects of their production management. MES is also essential because it does far more than provide insights or KPIs; it’s also your vehicle for executing run production, managing inventory, linking financials and much more. 

MES provides the necessary infrastructure for tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) such as:

•       Scrap

•       Quality

•       Throughput

•       Efficiency

Without this foundation, businesses are essentially leaking profits with every product produced. Think of it this way: IIoT collects data from devices and provides some of the context for that data from those same data sources. MES then takes that context and completes the total picture by providing details on customers, their orders, products, bills of materials, etc. Things change rapidly on the shop floor and it’s MES that can analyze the total picture and respond with new changes that make sense.

One of the critical distinctions between a comprehensive MES solution and simplistic spreadsheet-based systems is the flexibility to leverage collected data for continuous improvement. It’s not enough to merely capture data; effective action requires a robust MES platform capable of analyzing, interpreting, and acting upon the insights gained.

IIoT and Machine Monitoring

Now, let’s talk about how IIoT is changing the game for manufacturers. It’s capturing and communicating real-time data more accurately than we ever thought was possible. In addition, it provides benefits such as:

•       Increased machine utilization

•       Predictive maintenance

•       Asset tracking

•       Facility management

•       Just in time manufacturing

•       Connecting remote assets

•       Easier-to-use interfaces

•       Sharing knowledge across various plants

•       Process and behavior monitoring

What many don’t know is that a large portion of IIoT, which has become synonymous with smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0, is machine monitoring, which includes and supports production monitoring, process monitoring, and equipment condition monitoring as mentioned above. Most machine learning algorithms are applied over the top machine data to perform predictive analytics and other functions. The Fuuz MES Platform’s machine integration capabilities make it easy to automate manual processes (a huge time saver) and connect your programmable logic controllers (PLCs) on a single platform. 

Here’s more on how Fuuz customers have benefited from the IIoT and MES combo.

Olde Thompson, the largest manufacturer and supplier of private label and branded spices in North America, lost some of its valuable customizations when it decided to switch away from its  legacy solution to a new ERP. Fuuz delivered a multi-tenant cloud solution that “filled in the gaps” and met its previous needs with an out-of-the-box strategy. The best of both worlds, IIoT and MES, brought to you by Fuuz.

MPI Corporation, an investment holding company, had a similar issue. When it updated its legacy ERP to a modern system in 2013, it realized that while the new system worked great, it required a significant number of customizations that were simply missing. MPI’s talented IT team worked hard to develop the new system’s capabilities, but it wasn’t until working with Fuuz that MPI discovered exactly what they were looking for,  an augmented IIoT product that could truly meet their needs at a level beyond their expectations.

The True Value of IIoT for Manufacturers

The true value of IIoT lies in its ability to enhance existing MES solutions, automating manual processes, reducing manual efforts, and providing real-time insights into operations. By integrating IIoT data streams into MES platforms, manufacturers gain deeper visibility into their processes, enabling informed decision-making and proactive problem-solving.

Companies that have embraced this integrated approach, like the ones mentioned above, have reaped the benefits, achieving higher margins and improved EBITDA. Conversely, those who have yet to adopt MES solutions are at risk of falling behind their competitors in terms of efficiency, quality, and overall performance.

IIoT and MES are the foundation for just about everything in smart manufacturing and they ensure that every data point collected contributes to tangible improvements in efficiency, quality, and profitability.