Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) fill the gap between plant control systems (PCS) on the factory floor and corporate ERP systems. MES connect disparate factory systems, ensure compliance, and provide critical manufacturing data and alerts. They are implemented by specialized MES vendors who understand production needs better than traditional ERP vendors. Camstar's InSite is an MES that provides enterprise integration, business intelligence, and production execution across multiple plants through solutions like LiveConnect, LiveView, and LiveRelay. InSite supports multi-site manufacturing processes through information sharing and unit transfers between specialized or general plants and subcontractors. While still a developing market, MES are poised to transform manufacturing IT systems.

1. Manufacturing Execution
Systems

2. Why MES?
• Missing link between PCS and corporate systems
(typically ERP)
• PCS attached to devices on factory floor
– Often proprietary technologies
– Export data as text
– Often left unconnected
– Or managed by specialists (non-IT)
– Critical systems (eg: BGE)
– Requirement for compliance
• ERP does not finish where PCS begins
• Invoke different competences

3. Who?
• A different set of vendors
• Specialising in manufacturing systems
(ex-CIM vendors) – eg: Camstar
• Different philosophy
– Attention to local differences
– Used to dealing with production managers
– More of a “front end” system
– Market still relatively under-equipped (unlike
ERP)

4. InSite Enterprise Applications
PLANT A PLANT B PLANT C
LIVERELAYRELAY Other
System
LIVEALERTALERTLIVESYNCSYNC LIVEVIEWVIEW
LIVECONNECTCONNECT
SITE
LEVEL
CO
LLABO
RATIO
N
LEVEL

5. InSite Total Solution
Enterprise Integration (Camstar’s LiveConnect)Enterprise Integration (Camstar’s LiveConnect)
Enterprise
Business Intelligence
(Camstar’s LiveView and LiveAlert)
Enterprise
Business Intelligence
(Camstar’s LiveView and LiveAlert)
> Reporting
> Alerts
> Dashboard
> Corporate Portal
Plant 1Plant 1
SPC
Paperless
DHR/EBR
CAPA
Training
RMA
Supplier
Quality
Electronic
Signature
Maintenance &
Calibration
Document
Control
Production
Plant 2Plant 2
SPC
Paperless
DHR/EBR
CAPA
Training
RMA
Supplier
Quality
Electronic
Signature
Maintenance &
Calibration
Document
Control
Production
Global
Manufacturing
Data

6. Workflow ModelingA workflow consists of
multiple process steps, each
of which references a
specification or …
… another workflow which
consists of its own steps

7. • InSite XML Connect
– Publishes XML documents from any transaction
– Processes all inbound transactions from XML
• Business Process Integration (BPI) Center
– Based on Microsoft's BizTalk Server EAI framework
– Business logic and process flows
– Best practices for data integration between the InSite and
ERP applications
• ERP Application Adapter
– Transforms and processes inbound transactions to ERP
– Produces and transforms outbound transactions from ERP

8. Mfg Order, Material List
InSite and ERP Processing
Touch Points
Planning
Raw Materials
WIP Starts
WIP
WIP Completions
Finished Goods
WIP Move WIP Quantity
Change
ERP

9. LiveRelay Summary
Ship
units
Receive
units
Plant A
Plant B

10. LiveRelay Process
Send XML
with units
Plant A
Receive XML
and units
Plant B
Deliver XML
Documents
Reply
Instructions
Execute
Instructions
Ship units
to Plant B
Start units
from Plant A
Routing
Server

11. Typical Multi-Site Processes
• Plants have same capability
• Utilize capacity when needed
• Information from each plant transferred
and returned with units
Plant A
Plant B

12. Typical Multi-Site Processes
• Plants have specialized capability
• Units are transferred to multiple plants
sequentially
• Information from all preceding plants stays
with units
Plant A Plant B Plant C

13. Typical Multi-Site Processes
• Units are transferred to a sub contractor,
then continue at new plant
• Information from all preceding plants stays
with units if sub contractor using InSite
Plant A
Sub
Contractor
Plant C

14. Conclusion on MES
• At present only manufacturing sites
• No critical mass in the market
• Not really competitors of ERP vendors but
have power to change the market
• No notion of a single instance anywhere
• Maintains local power but provide powerful
linkages