At a glance
- An MES manages and evaluates production — across many machines, at the order and KPI level.
- A production control system organizes and controls the cell — physically connected to machines, robots, and handling systems.
- The key sentence: An MES tells you what is happening in production. A production control system makes it happen.
- Not an either-or: the two often work together — the MES plans at a coarse, plant-wide level, while the production control system carries it out in the production cell.
Anyone looking for software for automated manufacturing today almost always types the same term into the search engine: "MES." The term is well established, and in English "Manufacturing Execution System" covers just about everything between the ERP and the machine.
For machining variant production in the DACH region, however, this leads to a consequential mix-up. Because the software that actually operates an automated production cell is not an MES — it is a production control system. Anyone who picks the wrong software category ends up either with a management layer that delivers KPIs but cannot run a machine autonomously — or never finds the right solution at all, because they do not know the right term.
The confusion has a linguistic cause. In English, "Manufacturing Execution System" is an umbrella term that also covers machine-level process control ("production control"). In German-speaking countries, by contrast, two separate terms have become established: the MES for the plant- and order-related management level, and the production control system (in German "Fertigungsleitsystem" — also referred to as cell control system, plant control system, or master computer) for the level that physically operates an automated plant.
This distinction is not marketing — it reflects real-world practice. VDI Guideline 5600 describes the MES through eight task areas, and ISA-95 (IEC 62264) places it on Level 3 of the automation pyramid, between the Enterprise Level (Level 4 · ERP) and the Control Level (Level 1 · PLC). A production control system covers the Operations Management Level (Level 3 · MES) and the Process Control Level (Level 2 · SCADA). It operates precisely at this lower boundary, where software meets real machine, robot, and handling controls.
What an MES does
An MES is a management and transparency layer for the entire production area. Its strength lies in breadth:
- order management and tracking across many machines and workstations
- machine and production data collection
- performance analysis and KPIs such as OEE
- quality, material, and personnel management
- feedback to the ERP
The "detailed control" that an MES provides operates at the order and resource level: which order is running on which machine, what the progress is, where bottlenecks arise. That is valuable — but it is not the same as physically operating a plant. An MES generally does not issue the transport order to the robot, does not transfer the NC program to the machine control, and does not trigger a machining start.
What a production control system does
A production control system is the brain of a flexible manufacturing cell. Connected to the machine, robot, and handling controls, it physically runs production:
- connects directly to machine, robot, and handling controls
- initiates transports and supplies the machines with workpieces and resources
- transfers NC programs to the control and triggers the machining start
- manages tools, fixtures, and material and calculates their requirements
- runs unmanned shifts and keeps the plant running via automatic strategies for bypassing breakdowns
For this to work reliably, a production control system plans close to the action: a rolling detailed plan and production preview over a short horizon of hours to a few days. This plan must be based on the real, physical availability of resources — because only what is set up, equipped with tools, and supplied with a valid NC program can actually be produced. An MES plans more broadly and more coarsely; a production control system plans more narrowly and with execution-level precision — but does so bindingly. A single, manually loaded machine is productive only around 60% of the time. In an automated cell controlled by a production control system, this figure rises to over 90%.
Manufacturer-independent — a decisive point for production control system
A manufacturer-independent production control system such as SOFLEX connects machine tools from a wide range of manufacturers — such as HERMLE, DMG MORI, GROB, HELLER, etc. — via standardized interfaces, regardless of which control is installed (e.g. SIEMENS, HEIDENHAIN, or FANUC). Automation from a wide range of suppliers can be connected just as easily — from robots and handling systems (KUKA, LIEBHERR, FANUC, etc.) to storage and transport systems.
For operations, this means:
- uniform operation across all systems
- flexible deployment of personnel despite the skilled-labor shortage
- investment security without dependence on a single machine supplier
- standardized interfaces into a company's business systems (ERP, CAM, tool management, ...)
The open OPC UA information model FLAMES additionally standardizes this connection.
The practical difference at a glance
In short: An MES tells you what is happening in production. A production control system makes it happen.
Why it is not an either-or
Both systems solve different problems and are not mutually exclusive. In many operations they work together: the superordinate ERP or MES system hands over production orders together with delivery and quantity specifications, and the production control system takes over the detailed planning, the resource provision, and automated operation — and reports back running times as well as good and scrap parts.
A production control system is therefore the link between the planning level and the machine. It does not compete with the MES; it closes the gap between commercial planning and real, autonomous plant operation.
What does this mean for your software selection?
The decisive question is not "MES or production control system?" but rather: what is the software supposed to do?
Rather an MES if you want to:
- create transparency, KPIs, and order tracking across many machines
A production control system if you want to:
- actually operate an automated cell, robot cell, or flexible manufacturing system
- produce non-cyclically with a large, frequently changing range of parts in small to medium batch sizes
- provide automatic workpiece and resource supply, NC program management, and unmanned shifts
About SOFLEX
Since 1984, SOFLEX has been developing manufacturer-independent production control systems for automated production plants. With over 2,200 installations worldwide, we support companies in mechanical engineering, aerospace, medical technology, and tool and mould making.
Author (Adina Popescu - Marketing Manager at SOFLEX Fertigungssteuerungs-GmbH)
For over ten years, she has turned complex manufacturing technology into clear, understandable stories — all around the digitalization and automation of production.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
Not necessarily. A production control system does not require an MES: production orders can just as easily be handed over directly from the ERP or a PDM system. An MES makes sense when more detailed planning than the ERP provides is needed — it complements the production control system but is not a prerequisite. All systems are coupled via standardized interfaces.