A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Built to Evolve

Building an MES That Could Evolve with the Operation

Manufacturing operations rarely stand still. Processes change, business requirements evolve, and new expectations emerge around traceability, quality, integration, and operational visibility.

For one major U.S. manufacturer, those needs varied significantly across three areas of the facility. First-stage processing needed greater material visibility and batch traceability. Filling operations needed to digitize quality and operational procedures. Shipping operations required automated tracking, routing, and execution at significant production volumes.

The manufacturer partnered with Actemium Avanceon to develop an MES environment capable of supporting these different requirements while providing a consistent approach across the plant. Over more than a decade, the system expanded alongside the operation, addressing new challenges as they emerged.

The Challenge

Critical manufacturing information was fragmented across systems, paper records, and individual processes, creating different challenges throughout the facility.

In first-stage processing, limited material visibility made it difficult for operators to quickly locate and consume inventory. Usable material could expire before it was found, while quality status and batch genealogy needed to be reliably maintained.

Filling operations relied heavily on manual records for sampling, testing, startups, changeovers, cleaning activities, and other quality processes, limiting consistency and visibility.

Shipping operations introduced a different scale of complexity. Tens of thousands of cases and hundreds of pallets could move through the operation during a single shift, creating a significant tracking, routing, shipping, and data-transaction workload.

These challenges were compounded by aging software, disconnected systems, and reliance on tribal knowledge, increasing the need for a more integrated and sustainable approach.

The Approach

Actemium Avanceon worked directly with plant stakeholders through requirements gathering, design workshops, solution development, system integration, commissioning, and ongoing enhancement.

Instead of treating each operational need as an isolated project, the team used a common plant-wide MES architecture that could be configured for the requirements of each area. Individual initiatives were introduced and enhanced over time, with some progressing in parallel.

This approach allowed the manufacturer to address distinct workflows while maintaining consistency in how manufacturing information was managed and integrated with plant and enterprise systems.

Applying MES Across the Operation

First-Stage Processing: Material Visibility and Traceability

The MES improved control over inventory and material movement through:

• Box location and inventory visibility
• Batch genealogy and traceability
• Expiration management
• Material movement tracking
• Quality status visibility

Operators could locate materials more efficiently, prioritize aging inventory, and maintain better visibility into material status throughout production.

Filling: Digitizing Quality Execution

Quality and operational processes previously dependent on manual records were moved into electronic workflows supporting:

• Sampling and testing
• Quality records
• Exception management
• Startup procedures
• Changeover checklists
• Cleaning documentation

This provided a centralized electronic history of quality and operational activity while improving visibility into testing requirements, exceptions, and completed procedures.

Shipping: Automating High-Volume Execution

For shipping operations, the MES supported:

• Case-to-pallet genealogy
• Automated routing and material movement
• Shipping execution
• Production data collection
• ERP transaction integration

With tracking, routing, and transaction activity largely automated, an operation moving tens of thousands of cases and hundreds of pallets per shift could be managed with approximately two to three operators.

The Results

Across the facility, the MES helped the manufacturer:

• Improve material visibility and reduce product loss associated with expiration
• Strengthen inventory accuracy and traceability
• Centralize quality records and improve visibility into testing and exceptions
• Standardize operational procedures for startups, changeovers, cleaning, and other activities
• Reduce dependence on paper and manual processes
• Automate high-volume execution, including tracking, routing, shipping, data collection, and ERP transactions
• Support significant production volumes efficiently through a highly automated operation

More Than a One-Time MES Project

The value of this engagement was not limited to a single implementation. As manufacturing requirements changed, the MES could be extended to address new operational needs without requiring the manufacturer to start over.

Over more than a decade, that approach allowed individual improvements in inventory, quality, traceability, and execution to become part of a broader manufacturing environment.

For manufacturers evaluating MES today, the takeaway is straightforward: the goal is not simply to implement a system, but to create an environment that can continue supporting the operation as it changes.

Build an MES That Can Keep Up With Your Operation

Actemium Avanceon helps manufacturers design, implement, modernize, and enhance MES solutions around real operational requirements.

Ready to explore where MES could create value in your operation? Contact our team to start the conversation.

Written by: Jamie Boulanger