MES Selection Criteria: How to Choose MES That Delivers

MES selection criteria determine whether a Manufacturing Execution System delivers measurable business value—or turns into a long-running IT project. For manufacturing companies, success is not defined by feature lists, but by time-to-value, economic impact, and scalability.
This guide focuses exactly on these decisive factors.

1. Time to Value (Implementation Speed)

Key question: How quickly does the MES deliver reliable KPIs?

Relevant MES selection criteria

• Productive within days or weeks instead of months

• Preconfigured KPIs (OEE, downtime, scrap)

• Pilot operation with real machine data

Assessment: Systems with long implementation phases delay ROI and reduce internal acceptance.

2. Economic Focus Instead of Feature Depth

An MES must quantify losses, not just collect data.

MES selection criteria

• Clear attribution of downtime, scrap, and throughput losses

• KPI logic with economic valuation (€/hour, €/unit)

• Impact-based prioritization

Assessment: Without cost context, even detailed KPIs result in a weak business case.

3. Machine Connectivity and Integrations

Connectivity largely determines project cost and scalability.

MES selection criteria

• Standardized interfaces (e.g., OPC UA)

• Digital signals without custom programming

• Open APIs (ERP, BI, quality systems)

Red flags

• Proprietary drivers

• Custom development per machine

• Dependency on system integrators

4. Cloud Deployment vs. On-Premise

The deployment model directly affects TCO, maintenance effort, and scalability.

MES selection criteria

• No on-site server infrastructure required

• Updates, backups, and security included

• Predictable and transparent costs

Assessment: Cloud MES solutions reduce IT overhead and accelerate rollouts.

5. Scalability and Multi-Plant Capability

An MES must scale from pilot to enterprise.

MES selection criteria

• Fast rollout to additional lines or plants

• Consistent KPI definitions across locations

• Cross-site comparability and benchmarking

Assessment: Isolated solutions without a rollout strategy limit long-term value.

6. Usability and Shopfloor Adoption

Usage determines success.

MES selection criteria

• Intuitive user interfaces

• Clear role concepts (operators, supervisors, management)

• Minimal training effort

• Mobile analytics for leadership

Assessment: Low adoption makes any MES implementation ineffective—regardless of functionality.

7. Proof of Value (PoV) Instead of Gut Decisions

Modern MES selection is based on evidence, not promises.

MES selection criteria

• Time-boxed pilot phase

• Real production data

• Predefined target KPIs

• Clear go/no-go decision

Assessment: A Proof of Value reduces risk and accelerates internal approvals.

8. Total Cost and ROI

License fees alone are not decisive.

MES selection criteria

• Implementation and integration effort

• Ongoing operating costs

• Scaling costs

• Expected payback period

Rule of thumb: The best MES is the one with the fastest ROI, not the lowest license price.

Conclusion: The Most Important MES Selection Criteria

A Manufacturing Execution System should:

• Deliver measurable results quickly
• Make economic losses transparent
• Be easy to integrate
• Minimize IT overhead
• Scale across multiple plants
• Achieve high shopfloor acceptance
• Prove its value in a pilot phase
• Enable a clear and measurable ROI

Companies that consistently apply these MES selection criteria avoid misinvestments and choose systems that measurably improve productivity.

Note: Providers such as SYMESTIC align precisely with these criteria, offering a cloud-based MES approach focused on fast value realization and scalable rollouts.