The Work Order Lifecycle
A work order travels through six states in a well-designed MES: Created (from ERP), Scheduled (assigned to machine and shift), Released (visible on shop floor), In Progress (production started), Pending QC (production complete, awaiting quality check), and Closed (QC passed, ERP updated). Each state transition is timestamped and attributed to a user.
ERP Integration Pattern
The MES should consume work orders from your ERP via API or database sync — not manual entry. When production completes, the MES pushes actual quantities, scrap count, and cycle time back to ERP. This two-way integration eliminates double data entry and keeps your inventory accurate without manual reconciliation.
Machine Assignment and Scheduling
The MES scheduler should understand machine capabilities (which products can run on which machines), current machine status (running, down, changeover), and shift availability. A simple rule-based scheduler handles 80% of factories without complex algorithms. Reserve machine learning for high-mix, high-volume environments with hundreds of work orders per day.
Real-Time Progress Tracking
As production runs, the MES shows: units produced vs target, current OEE, estimated completion time based on current pace, and any quality holds. The production supervisor sees this on a large screen at the line. The plant manager sees it on their phone dashboard.
Work order management in MES is fundamentally about visibility — knowing what should be happening, what is happening, and what has happened — in real time across every production line.
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