Ask a manufacturing executive about his or her enterprise integration strategy and you’ll likely hear about the IT department’s focus on synchronizing ERP, CRM, and the supply chain. But, more and more, I’m hearing product lifecycle management (PLM) and manufacturing execution systems (MES) described as enterprise systems. Therefore, these applications, too, need to factor into the integration equation.
Typically, engineers from around the globe collaborate on product design while PLM software tracks the process from conception to production and beyond, including warranty management and even recalls. As such, PLM has matured beyond its engineering roots to become an enterprise tool.
Similarly, in the factory, MES delivers the work instructions to move a product prototype into production. MES has historically been considered an isolated application responsible only for managing the flow on the factory floor. But today MES also takes orders from ERP, keeps tabs on inventory in the warehouse, and monitors packaging before it is pushed out the door to distribution. The software is, indeed, integrated into the enterprise.
Now, manufacturers are clamoring to unite MES and PLM, two enterprise outcasts that, together, can create a powerful competitive edge...
Read the rest of this article by Stephanie Neil at Managing Automation: http://blog.managingautomation.com/channel/2011/01/enterprise-integration-includes-plm-mes/
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