Smart manufacturing execution systems ( MES ) go beyond traditional MES functions like efficiency , quality , track and trace , etc . it uses all that data to enable lean manufacturing through IIoT insights and intelligence ,” begins Joe Gerstl , Director of Product Management , GE Digital .

“ It helps manufacturers to transform their business and operations through data integration , machine learning , and predictive analytics . Take for instance the ability to predict when downtime is about to occur based on key indicators and the knowledge of what product is running on the line or the last maintenance date of the equipment . Better than predicting it , what if your MES could tell you what to do to prevent it . These are just some examples of benefits that can be obtained with the rich set of data that Smart MES provides through automation , sensors , system integration , and manual data entry .”

Comparing its use in 2020 to how Smart MES will be used in 2021 and beyond , Gerstl continues to explain that , “ today , Smart MES has been able to meet the needs of manufacturers , in this age of COVID-19 , in a connected enterprise . With reduced numbers of workers in the factory due to social distancing guidelines and with more workers performing their jobs at home , it is more important than ever for manufacturers to implement solutions that consolidate , aggregate , and transform manufacturing data across not just the local plant but across the entire enterprise .”

Manufacturingglobal . com 57

Manufacturing Magazine - April 2021 | Page 57

Nine months on from speaking with GE Digital , we discuss how the use of Smart MES has evolved since the outbreak of COVID-19

Smart manufacturing execution systems ( MES ) go beyond traditional MES functions like efficiency , quality , track and trace , etc . it uses all that data to enable lean manufacturing through IIoT insights and intelligence ,” begins Joe Gerstl , Director of Product Management , GE Digital .