從事MES專案導入或是MES 相關產品開發的人，應該都要知道 MESA這個大名鼎鼎的組織，他有一份白皮書，簡單明瞭的定義了 MES 的功能與定位，以下是截自他白皮書中有關 MES Functionality 的部份，簡簡單單 11項，清楚說明了一套完整 MES 的產品應該具備的功能。
MES Functionalities1.
Resource Allocation and StatusManages resources including machines, tools labor skills, materials, other equipment, and other entities such as documents that must be available in order for work to start at the operation. It provides detailed history of resources and insures that equipment is properly set up for processing and provides status real time. The management of these resources includes reservation and dispatching to meet operation scheduling objectives.
2.
Operations/Detail SchedulingProvides sequencing based on priorities, attributes, characteristics, and/or recipes associated with specific production units at an operation such as shape of color sequencing or other characteristics which, when scheduled in sequence properly, minimize setup. It is finite and it recognizes alternative and overlapping/parallel operations in order to calculate in detail exact time or equipment loading and adjust to shift patterns.
3.
Dispatching Production UnitsManages flow of production units in the form of jobs, orders, batches, lots, and work orders. Dispatch information is presented in sequence in which the work needs to be done and changes in real time as events occur on the factory floor. It has the ability to alter prescribed schedule on the factory floor. Rework and salvage processes are available, as well as the ability to control the amount of work in process at any point with buffer management.
4.
Document ControlControls records/forms that must be maintained with the production unit, including work instructions, recipes, drawings, standard operation procedures, part programs, batch records, engineering change notices, shift-to-shift communication, as well as the ability to edit “as planned” and “as built” information. It sends instructions down to the operations, including providing data to operators or recipes to device controls. It would also include the control and integrity of environmental, health and safety regulations, and ISO information such as Corrective Action procedures. Storage of historical data.
5.
Data Collection/AcquisitionThis function provides an interface link to obtain the intra-operational production and parametric data which populate the forms and records which were attached to the production unit. The data may be collected from the factory floor either manually or automatically from equipment in an up-to-the-minute time frame.
6.
Labor ManagementProvides status of personnel in and up-to-the-minute time frame. Includes time and attendance reporting, certification tracking, as well as the ability to track indirect activities such as material preparation or tool room work as a basis for activity based costing. It may interact with resource allocation to determine optimal assignments.
7.
Quality ManagementProvides real time analysis of measurements collected from manufacturing to assure proper product quality control and to identify problems requiring attention. It may recommend action to correct the problem, including correlating the symptom, actions and results to determine the cause. May include SPC/SQC tracking and management of off-line inspection operations and analysis in laboratory information management system (LIMS) could also be included.
8.
Process ManagementMonitors production and either automatically corrects or provides decision support to operators for correcting and improving in-process activities. These activities may be intra-operational and focus specifically on machines or equipment being monitored and controlled as well as inter-operational, which is tracking the process from one operation to the next. It may include alarm management to make sure factory person(s) are aware of process changes which are outside acceptable tolerances. It provides interfaces between intelligent equipment and MES possible through Data Collection/Acquisition.
9.
Maintenance ManagementTracks and directs the activities to maintain the equipment and tools to insure their availability for manufacturing and insure scheduling for periodic or preventive maintenance as well as the response (alarms) to immediate problems. It maintains a history of past events or problems to aide in diagnosing problems.
10.
Product Tracking and GenealogyProvides the visibility to where work is at all times and its disposition. Status information may include who is working on it; components materials by supplier, lot, serial number, current production conditions, and any alarms, rework, or other exceptions related to the product. The on-line tracking function creates a historical record, as well. This record allows traceability of components and usage of each end product.
11.
Performance AnalysisProvides up-to-the-minute reporting of actual manufacturing operations results along with the comparison to past history and expected business result. Performance results include such measurements as resource utilization, resource availability, product unit cycle time, conformance to schedule and performance to standards. May include SPC/SQL. Draws on information gathered from different functions that measure operating parameters. These results may be prepared as a report or presented online as current evaluation of performance.
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之所以又貼出這11項 MES functionalities, 還是因為有感於現在許多的工程師甚至 SA 人員，都過度專注在 WIP Tracking, 以為只要能順利執行 tracking jobs, MES 的責任已了，結果想管的依然管不好，想看的一樣看不到，大費周章花這麼多時間和精力導入 MES, 只是爽了 Operator, 苦了 Manager, 那導入的效益在哪？
現在的 MES 都充滿了大量客製化的部份，SA 人員在滿足了現場 User各種奇奇怪怪的需求後，卻忘了 MES 最基本的目的與功能；各種異想天開的機制埋在各個 Function 中，其中不乏許多純 IT 思維的東西，甚至到最後連報表都跑不出來(通常只是產生了一堆整理不出什麼有用資訊的資料)，這樣的 MES 要他幹麼？還比不上用 Run-Card.
希望SA 人員在設計任何一個 function的時候，都能再 review 一遍以上 11 項 MES functionalities, 思考一下自己的設計是否有違反上述的功能目標？ 這樣的設計是如何滿足上述的功能目標？不再是一些似是而非的奇怪設計。
