Why is transparency in production no longer enough today?
Transparency alone does not improve production.
Many manufacturing companies are investing in digital solutions to visualize key performance indicators, monitor machine status, and analyze production data.
However, successful MES projects do not arise from transparency alone—they emerge when transparency leads to operational control. Even if key performance indicators such as OEE are available at all times, the crucial question often remains unanswered in practice: Why do deviations occur—and what actions make sense now?
This is precisely where many companies reach their limits. Data is available, but the connections are not visible. While production managers receive more information, they are often still unable to control processes in a targeted and operational manner. Modern production control therefore means more than just data collection. The key is to place information from production, quality, and machinery into an operational context—so that data can be used to make concrete decisions.
Why do so many MES projects fall short of expectations?
Many MES projects fall short of expectations because insufficient emphasis is placed on operational benefits. The cause rarely lies with the software itself. Today’s modern MES solutions offer extensive capabilities for data collection, analysis, and production monitoring.
In many projects, the initial focus is on key performance indicators, dashboards, and reports. While this does create transparency, it often remains unclear how this information can be used to make better decisions in day-to-day production.
For example, a declining OEE alone does not explain why downtime occurs, which processes are affected, or under what conditions quality issues arise. Successful MES projects therefore take a different approach: they look not only at data points, but also at the interrelationships within the production process.
Background: Why Transparency Alone Is Not Enough
Production data only delivers value when it becomes operationally actionable within day-to-day manufacturing processes. The key is therefore not just collecting data, but being able to make connections visible and derive concrete actions from those insights.
What Sets Successful MES Projects Apart?
Successful MES projects are tailored to the specific challenges of production.
The focus is on questions such as: Where do bottlenecks occur? What information is missing in day-to-day operations? Why do decisions or root cause analyses take too long? This is precisely where the true added value of an MES lies.
Production data is made available in real time and automatically linked together. This allows root causes to be identified more quickly and decisions to be made directly within the ongoing process. Only then does a comprehensive view of production emerge. An MES thus becomes not just an analytics system, but an operational control system for the digital shop floor—connected across production, quality, and processes.
Practical Tip: Demonstrate Value Step by Step
Successful companies rarely start with an approach that aims to solve all problems at once. Instead, they focus on the areas with the greatest need for improvement, such as downtime, quality issues, or manual data analysis. This allows visible improvements to be achieved quickly in day-to-day production operations.
Why don't key performance indicators alone control production?
Key performance indicators provide important insights, but they do not automatically explain the causes of problems.
A reduced OEE initially only indicates that deviations exist. Only when it becomes clear which machines are experiencing problems, which materials are affected, or in which shifts disruptions occur most frequently can targeted measures be devised.
The same applies to quality deviations. When quality data is linked to machine status, orders, and process parameters, it creates a reliable basis for decision-making that leads to sustainable improvements.
Making precisely these correlations visible is one of the core tasks of modern MES systems.
Why Do Excel and Siloed Solutions Reach Their Limits?
Excel and isolated standalone solutions reach their limits when production processes need to be controlled in real time.
In many companies, production data is still consolidated manually—often using Excel spreadsheets or downstream analyses. As a result, correlations only become apparent after the fact.
Data must be maintained, consolidated, and interpreted. As a result, decisions are often based on a picture of production that is already outdated.
An MES such as the Böhme & Weihs MES, on the other hand, captures production data directly during the process and automatically links it to machines, orders, quality data, and material information. As a result, root causes become apparent not only after the fact, but immediately during ongoing operations.
The difference is crucial: It is no longer just a matter of understanding what happened—but of actively influencing the process.
Background: The Difference Between Analysis and Control
Analyses show what has already happened. Modern production management, on the other hand, enables manufacturers to identify deviations at an early stage and respond directly within the ongoing production process.
How can you get started with modern production control?
The best way to get started is step by step, addressing specific challenges in day-to-day production.
In practice, a structured approach has proven effective. Companies start where the greatest need for action exists—for example:
- downtime
- Quality issues
- Manual data analysis
- Lack of transparency on the shop floor
An analysis workshop held directly in the production environment lays an important foundation for this. It reveals what information is currently missing, where delays occur, and which processes cause unnecessary effort.
Only on this basis does it become clear exactly how an MES can benefit production.
Conclusion: Why Context Is More Important Than Mere Data Collection
Modern production control requires more than just transparency. What matters most is the ability to intelligently link production, quality, and process data and use this information to make better decisions in day-to-day production. This is precisely where the true added value of modern MES systems lies: they lay the foundation for a digital shop floor (networked process control with automation and AI). This makes interrelationships visible, enables faster action, and allows for effective control of production.
