en.Wedoany.com Reported - Rockwell Automation has released a survey report indicating a significant gap between the widespread adoption of Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and their enterprise-wide expansion. Based on a survey of 1,560 decision-makers in manufacturing and industrial operations across 17 countries, the report reveals key challenges manufacturers face in driving long-term performance, system integration, and value capture.
The survey shows that while 93% of manufacturers have deployed MES in their plants, only 28% have implemented it across the entire enterprise, and just 23% have achieved full integration with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), and Quality and Operational Technology (OT) systems. Factors such as system silos, underutilized data, and increased operational risks limit manufacturers from capturing the full value of their MES investments. Integration has become both a top priority and a major obstacle: 44% of manufacturers list integration as a core requirement for MES procurement, while 33% of respondents consider MES the biggest data integration challenge.
In terms of artificial intelligence applications, manufacturers expect 42% of processes to be supported by AI next year, with this figure reaching 54% by 2030. However, 43% of manufacturers admit they fail to effectively utilize the data they collect, which is the foundation for AI operations. Cybersecurity has also become a focus, with 46% of manufacturers experiencing cybersecurity incidents in the past year. Security and compliance are now the second-largest procurement requirement for MES, selected by 43% of respondents.
The report cites Kumi North America as a real-world case study. This automotive Tier 1 supplier specializing in injection-molded interior plastics and components has expanded its use of Rockwell's Plex system across its plants in the United States and Canada since deploying it in 2008, recently adding the Plex MES Automation & Orchestration (MES A&O) module. Paul Andrews, Assistant Vice President of Systems at Kumi North America, stated that before deploying Plex, the company faced operational coordination difficulties, with some plants lacking software support.
Anthony Murphy, Vice President of Product Management at Rockwell Automation, noted that MES adoption is no longer the challenge; the real hurdle lies in enterprise-wide scaling. He said that MES functionality has evolved from tracking production to providing holistic operational insights into quality management, workforce productivity, and supply chain forecasting. He added that with a resilient MES like Plex, spanning from edge to cloud, manufacturers can connect all aspects of production and scale on demand over time.
Lorenzo Veronesi, Research Director at IDC, emphasized that integration ranks first in both procurement requirements and modernization challenges, and that organizations failing to address system silos and data underutilization may miss significant value creation opportunities. The full report outlines recommended steps to bridge the gap between MES deployment and scaling.
