Assessing the effectiveness of using the MES in manufacturing enterprises in the context of industry 4.0

Abstract

Industry 4.0 can be defined as the next level of manufacturing enterprise development and refers e.g. to investments in digital technology. To adapting the enterprise to the Industry 4.0 concept, as the first step, the assessment of currently used information technologies (so called basis for investments in “smart” technologies) in the company should be made. The tool, that supports the execution of business processes within a company may be the information system, namely Manufacturing Execution System (MES). The use of MES enable date and information storage in real time from production business processes and their transfer to other activities realised within a company. The aim of the article is to analyse the effectiveness of using the MES by employees in maintenance departments, on the basis of two examples of manufacturing companies in the automotive sector of industry; analysis will be undertaken on three levels of management: Operational, tactical and strategic. Conducting research is of particular importance, as it indicates the degree of a company’s readiness to implement the Industry 4.0 Concept.