Choosing an MES is a significant decision for a growing manufacturer. The right system becomes the backbone of daily shop floor work: operators book jobs on it, supervisors run shifts from it and managers base decisions on its data. The wrong system becomes an expensive layer of extra data entry that everyone works around. This checklist helps you evaluate options on what matters most.
1. Start with your goals
Write down the outcomes you want, with measures: higher OEE on bottleneck machines, lower scrap, paperless job cards, faster traceability, better schedule adherence. Rank them. Your top two or three goals should shape the first phase and how you evaluate systems. See building the MES business case.
2. Fit with your production type
MES needs differ between production types:
- Discrete, high-mix job shops: routing flexibility, job tracking, setups, drawings at the machine.
- Repetitive, high-volume lines: counts, takt, OEE, andon, line balancing.
- Batch and process industries: recipes, batch records, parameters, material genealogy.
- Assembly: serial tracking, work instructions, component scanning, testing.
Ask vendors to demonstrate your production type with your own scenarios, not a generic demo.
3. Shop floor usability
Operators decide whether MES succeeds. Check:
- Can an operator book a job, record a stop and log rejects in a few taps?
- Does it work on rugged tablets or shared terminals, with gloves, in noisy, dusty areas?
- Is it available in the languages your operators read?
- Does it use scanning to avoid typing?
- Does it keep working during brief network drops?
Ideally, let a few operators try the screens during evaluation.
4. Core functions
- Work order release and job tracking by operation.
- Production booking: good quantity, rejects, time.
- Downtime recording with reason codes.
- OEE and loss analysis.
- Digital work instructions and drawings.
- Quality checks, first-off approval and non-conformance.
- Material consumption and traceability.
- Labour tracking and skill checks.
- Dashboards and shift reports.
5. Machine connectivity
Ask how the system collects machine data: which controllers and protocols it supports, what retrofit options exist for older machines and how operator input combines with machine signals. Confirm that connectivity can be added in phases. Sensor, gateway and controller option costs are usually third-party charges and should be identified early. See retrofitting old machines.
6. Integration
MES usually needs to exchange data with ERP or accounting software: work orders and items in, production and consumption out. Ask what interfaces the MES supports and check what your ERP or accounting software exposes — an API, imports or file exchange. Integration feasibility depends on both sides and should be confirmed before committing.
7. Flexibility and change
Your processes will change: new products, new checks, new machines. Ask how easily routings, checklists, reason codes and screens can be changed, and by whom. Systems that need developer time for every small change become bottlenecks.
8. Deployment and data
- Cloud, on-premise or hybrid, and what happens if the internet drops.
- Backup and recovery arrangements.
- User access control and audit trails.
- Data ownership and how easily you can export everything.
9. Phasing and implementation
Ask for a phased plan with a first phase that delivers measurable value within weeks. A credible partner will suggest starting with one area or line and the biggest loss, then expanding. Be wary of plans where nothing goes live until everything is ready.
10. Total cost and support
Compare total cost over several years: licences or development, devices, implementation, hosting, support and internal time. Ask about support response times, who you'll actually work with, and how enhancements are handled.
Packaged MES or tailored MES?
Packaged MES products suit plants whose processes match the product's design. Tailored MES, built around your processes, suits SMEs with unusual workflows or those who want to start small and grow without paying for unused modules. In both cases, the checklist above applies.
An example evaluation
A food packaging manufacturer shortlisted three options. Instead of standard demos, it gave each a script: release a job, book production on two shifts, record a mould change and two stops, reject a batch at inspection and trace a finished pallet back to resin lots. One option struggled with the shift handover; another needed heavy configuration for traceability. The company chose the option that ran the script smoothly, could start with three lines and offered clear phasing. The script also became the acceptance test before go-live.
Getting started
Write your top goals and five realistic shop floor scenarios. Use them to run scripted demos with two or three options, involve a supervisor and operators in the evaluation, and agree a phased plan with measurable KPIs before signing.
How we help
We build tailored MES for small and mid-sized manufacturers, in phases, starting with the losses and processes that matter most to you. See MES software and what is MES.
Talk to us about your MES requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Should we choose MES before or after ERP?
Either can come first. Many SMEs gain more quickly from MES on the shop floor, with ERP or accounting software handling orders and finance.
What's the most important selection criterion?
Fit with how your shop floor actually works, and whether operators will use it. A powerful MES that operators avoid delivers nothing.
Do we need machine connectivity from day one?
No. Operator entry on tablets delivers most early value. Connectivity can be added to key machines later.
Cloud or on-premise MES?
Both work. Cloud is simpler to maintain; on-premise may suit plants with unreliable internet or strict data policies. Hybrid approaches buffer data locally when connectivity drops.
How do we compare quotes fairly?
Compare total cost over several years — licences or development, devices, implementation, hosting, support and internal time — against the same scope and phases.
