Rockwell Automation has released “Scaling MES Across the Enterprise,” an industry outlook report based on insights from 1,560 decision makers in manufacturing and industrial operations across 17 countries. The research concludes that despite the widespread adoption of manufacturing execution systems (MES), scaling their deployment across the enterprise has become the primary challenge for manufacturers seeking to drive performance, integration, and long-term value. The study shows that manufacturers consider this technology a strategic element to strengthen the competitiveness of their operations.
Increased operational risk
Most manufacturers have an MES in operation in at least one facility. However, far fewer have made it work consistently across plants, due to factors such as disconnected systems, underutilized data, and increased operational risk, all of which limit the value manufacturers can extract from the investments they have already made. For many manufacturers, overcoming these barriers is essential to accelerate their digital transformation.
Key findings of the report include:
• Adoption of MES systems is widespread, but their scalability is lagging: 93% of manufacturers have MES, although only 28% have deployed it at the enterprise level and just 23% report complete integration between enterprise resource planning (ERP), product lifecycle management (PLM), quality and operational technology (OT) systems. These data reflect that many manufacturers still have room to extend these capabilities throughout the organization.
• Integration is the top priority and biggest hurdle: 44% of manufacturers rank integration as their top MES purchasing requirement. It also ranks as the top challenge to modernization, with 33% citing MES as their biggest problem for data integration.
• AI ambition exceeds operational readiness: Manufacturers expect 42% of processes to be supported by AI in the next year and 54% to be supported by 2030. However, 43% recognize that they are not effectively using the data collected, the foundation that AI needs to function. This challenge presents an opportunity for manufacturers to better leverage the potential of their industrial data.
• Resilience is already a purchasing requirement: 46% of manufacturers experienced a cybersecurity incident in the last year. Security and compliance now rank second as an MES purchasing requirement, cited by 43% of respondents. For manufacturers, strengthening the protection of their industrial environments has become a strategic priority.
Take advantage of Plex technology
Companies in the industrial sector are scaling with Rockwell MES technology, such as Kumi North America, a Tier 1 automotive supplier specializing in plastic injection molded parts and assemblies for vehicle interiors. This long-standing customer initially implemented Plex in 2008 and has since deployed the smart manufacturing software in facilities across the United States and Canada. More recently, they expanded their use to include MES Plex Automation and Orchestration (MES A&O), an example of how manufacturers can evolve toward more connected operations.
“Before Plex, our operations had difficulty syncing and some locations did not have any software,” explained Paul Andrews, assistant vice president of systems at Kumi North America. “Our Plex infrastructure has grown alongside the expansion of Kumi’s business, and we have continued to leverage Plex technology in new ways.”
Manufacturers expect 42% of processes to be supported by AI in the next year and 54% to be supported by 2030
“MES adoption is no longer the obstacle, but enterprise scale,” said Anthony Murphy, vice president of product management at Rockwell Automation. “Manufacturers may have already taken the first step by making initial investments in MES technology, but many are struggling to realize its full value in the enterprise. The impact of an MES has also changed, from tracking production to providing insights into the entire enterprise’s operations, such as quality management, worker productivity, and supply chain forecasting. Additionally, when connectivity materializes, there are more opportunities to take advantage of AI technology. The manufacturers that are winning the race are not doing more than the rest; they are simply “They do more together. With an elastic edge-to-cloud MES like Plex, manufacturers can connect all aspects of production immediately and then scale as appropriate over time.”
“Manufacturers have moved beyond the question of whether to adopt an MES system and now face the even greater challenge of expanding their reach,” said Lorenzo Veronesi, associate director of research at IDC. “With integration being not only the number one purchasing requirement but also the number one modernization challenge, organizations risk failing to unlock significant value if the issues of disconnected systems and underutilized data are not addressed.”
Recommended steps to address the gap between MES deployment and scaling are outlined in the full report.
