Building the smart factory, from the shopfloor up
Practical writing on shopfloor AI, the connected worker and the MES/MOM platforms underneath them. From someone who has spent his career making factory software work in real factories.
What is MES/MOM?
MES runs production. MOM runs the whole operation: production, quality, inventory and maintenance on the same data. What each covers and why it matters.
Everyone wants AI on the shopfloor. Very few have the data to feed it.
Why this site existsStart here
New here? Start with the foundations.
AI on the shopfloor is only as good as the systems and data underneath it. These four cover the basics, in order. About 27 minutes.
What is MES/MOM?
MES runs production. MOM runs the whole operation: production, quality, inventory and maintenance on the same data. What each covers and why it matters.
ISA-95 explained
The ISA-95 levels in plain English: what lives at each layer, how ERP, MES and automation talk to each other, and why the standard still matters.
MESA, MES and ISA
MESA closed in June 2026 and ISA took over its content. What MESA's MES models said, how they grew, and what the change means for MES/MOM.
What is OEE?
The OEE formula with worked examples: availability, performance and quality, why the bottleneck is all that counts, and what a realistic target looks like.
Latest thinking
Agentic AI and MCP, explained for people who run factories
Agentic AI and MCP are all over LinkedIn. What they actually are, what they could mean for the shopfloor, and what has to be in place before any agent touches production.
AI for the frontline: copilots, shift summaries and coaching
AI for operators isn't about replacing people. It's about giving every new starter your best operator's knowledge. What works today, and why it needs MES/MOM context.
AI, ML and GenAI on the shopfloor: what each one actually does
AI, machine learning and generative AI get used interchangeably. They shouldn't be. What each one is, where it earns its keep in a factory, and what it needs.
ERP, APS and MES scheduling: the plan versus the shift
ERP plans, APS sequences and MES/MOM executes. Where scheduling belongs in each system, the options for connecting them, and how to keep the plan honest.
Cloud, on-premises or hybrid: where should your MES run?
Where your MES/MOM runs matters for a system the shopfloor depends on 24x7. The trade-offs between cloud, on-premises and hybrid, and why licensing model matters too.
The MES functionality series
The systems layer, one function at a time
9 guides on what an MES actually does, from monitoring an order to getting material to the line. This is where the data every AI use case depends on comes from.
01MES functionality: the complete guide
What MES/MOM actually does, one function at a time: production, quality, inventory, maintenance, tooling, energy and connected worker, with links to every guide.
02MES functionality: production monitoring
How an MES runs and monitors production orders in real time: order context, machine integration, downtime, counts and the data behind every KPI.
03MES functionality: production scheduling
What ERP schedules, what MES fine-tunes, and how sequencing, capacity and changeovers turn a plan into something the shopfloor can actually run.
04MES functionality: quality operations
In-process quality in MES: inspection plans, SPC and control charts, non-conformance and holds, and how quality data ties back to every order.
05MES functionality: inventory management
Raw, semi-finished and finished stock in MES: lots, containers, consumption, genealogy and traceability, and why it beats tracking WIP in ERP.
06MES functionality: warehouse management and logistics
Receiving, putaway, picking, supermarkets and line-side replenishment: how MES manages material flow from goods-in to the line and back out again.
07MES functionality: maintenance
Why maintenance belongs in the same platform as production: shared downtime data, autonomous maintenance by operators, and when a separate CMMS or EAM makes sense.
08MES functionality: tooling
Moulds, dies, jigs and fixtures are often the single biggest factor in quality. How MES/MOM manages tool life, tool readiness and setups, so the order doesn't wait for the tool.
09MES functionality: energy
Energy is a cost and a sustainability problem, and most factories can't see it below the site meter. How MES/MOM attributes energy to machines, orders and products.
Explore by topic
20 articles
Think
Smart Factory & AI
Shopfloor AI, the connected worker and where manufacturing goes next.
35 articles
Learn
Foundations
MES, MOM, ISA-95 and OEE: the systems and standards every smart factory runs on.
20 articles
Make it work
Implementation
Business cases, teams and getting shopfloor projects over the line.
Who writes this
From MES developer to running a global MES business
I started out writing code and integrations for MES projects, moved into project delivery and solution design, then ran product. Today I'm VP & General Manager for MES at Infor. This is where I write about what the smart factory and shopfloor AI really take, and why the foundations matter more than the hype.
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- Vendor-neutral, practical guidance
- Written from real implementations, not brochures
- Shopfloor AI, smart manufacturing and MES/MOM
- No hype, no buzzword bingo