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.
Key question: How quickly does the MES deliver reliable KPIs?
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.
An MES must quantify losses, not just collect data.
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.
Connectivity largely determines project cost and scalability.
Standardized interfaces (e.g., OPC UA)
Digital signals without custom programming
Open APIs (ERP, BI, quality systems)
Proprietary drivers
Custom development per machine
Dependency on system integrators
The deployment model directly affects TCO, maintenance effort, and scalability.
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.
An MES must scale from pilot to enterprise.
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.
Usage determines success.
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.
Modern MES selection is based on evidence, not promises.
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.
License fees alone are not decisive.
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.
A Manufacturing Execution System should:
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.