Short answer
The 11 MES functions — and where OpeEye stands
MESA International’s model lists eleven functions an MES can perform. No plant needs all of them on day one. This is where OpeEye stands on each today.
| MES function | OpeEye today | How |
|---|---|---|
| Data collection | Covered | Operator tablet on any machine, counting box on the cycle signal, direct Fanuc, Mitsubishi, Siemens and Haas controller links |
| Performance analysis | Covered | OEE per machine and per job, downtime by reason, hourly, shift and daily reports |
| Dispatching production units | Covered | Job cards assigned to machines; the operator starts, pauses and completes them on the tablet |
| Labour management | Covered | Operator PIN logins, who ran what, operator efficiency with stops that aren't theirs taken out |
| Quality management | Covered | First-piece and in-process checks on the tablet, rejects by reason and category |
| Maintenance management | Partly | Breakdowns with alerts and history, maintenance-due flags per machine; no full work-order system |
| Product tracking and genealogy | Partly | Every piece tied to its job card, machine, operator and shift; batch-to-dispatch traceability built to order |
| Document control | Partly | Part masters with revisions and quality checks; drawings and work instructions built to order |
| Resource allocation and status | Partly | Live status of every machine; tools, inserts and coolant with life and stock |
| Operations scheduling | Custom build | No automatic scheduler today — built around your machines and rules if you need one |
| Process management | Custom build | Routing across operations and approvals built to your process |
How to start an MES without a six-month project
- 01
Every machine live
Tablets at each machine on day one — status, pieces, rejects and the reason for every stop. - 02
Jobs and people
Job cards dispatched to machines, operators on PIN logins, quality checks at the machine. - 03
Machines that report themselves
Fanuc, Mitsubishi, Siemens and Haas controls and counting boxes, one machine at a time, where it pays. - 04
The rest, built to fit
Scheduling, routing, traceability or an ERP link — quoted at a fixed price, built on the same data.
MES vs ERP
| MES (shop floor) | ERP (business) | |
|---|---|---|
| Answers | What is happening on the floor right now, and why | What was ordered, bought, made and billed |
| Time scale | Seconds and minutes | Days and months |
| Data comes from | Machines, operators, inspectors | Sales, purchase, accounts |
| Typical users | Operators, supervisors, plant head | Office, accounts, management |
| In OpeEye's case | This is OpeEye | Tally or your ERP, fed by OpeEye's exports |
For the machine-shop view of the same split, see machine shop software. For functions built to your process, see custom manufacturing software.
In use at
Running on real shop floors.
Production tracked live on OpeEye.
Production tracked live on OpeEye.
Your floor next?
A 20-minute demo on your own machines, then a free 15-day trial. Most floors are live the same afternoon.
Start your MES on the floor, this week.
A 20-minute demo on your own machines, then a free 15-day trial. ₹399 per machine a month in India, $5 elsewhere.
Questions about MES
What is MES software?
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A manufacturing execution system (MES) is the software layer between the ERP, which plans and invoices, and the machines on the floor. It records what is actually happening — jobs, machines, operators, quality, downtime — and gives the plant live control of production. MESA International describes eleven MES functions; most plants start with data collection, dispatching and performance analysis.
Is OpeEye an MES?
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OpeEye is the shop-floor layer of an MES: data collection from the machines, dispatching through job cards, labour, quality and performance analysis are covered today; maintenance, traceability, document control and resource status partly; scheduling and process routing are custom builds. It costs ₹399 per machine a month in India and $5 elsewhere.
Do small manufacturers need an MES?
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Most need the first three MES functions — knowing what every machine is doing, which job is on it, and where the time goes — long before they need scheduling or genealogy. Starting there costs a per-machine subscription instead of a six-figure project, and the data it collects is what a fuller MES would need anyway.
How much does MES software cost?
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Large MES projects are typically licensed per site or per user with a separate implementation, and take months. OpeEye's shop-floor MES is ₹399 per machine per month in India ($5 outside), unlimited users, live in an afternoon, with a free 15-day trial; anything built to order is quoted at a fixed price first.
What is the difference between MES and ERP?
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ERP runs the business: quotes, orders, purchase, inventory value, invoices and accounts. MES runs the floor: which job is on which machine, what was made and rejected, why machines stopped, and who did what — minute by minute. The ERP plans; the MES records what actually happened and feeds it back.
How long does an MES take to implement?
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A full MES often takes months of configuration, integration and training. A shop-floor MES that starts with tablets at the machines can be live in a day — machines, parts and operators added on one call — with controller connections and custom functions added machine by machine afterwards.
Related
- Machine shop softwareThe shop-floor half of running a machine shop — and what it leaves to your ERP.
- Custom softwareYour process as software — built on a platform already running factories.
- OEE softwareAvailability × performance × quality, computed from real floor events.
- Industry 4.0Industry 4.0 for MSMEs, in plain words — start with the machines you have.