“There was no MES department.
No documentation.
No handover.
But we still had to deliver results — fast.”
Starting from Scratch (Really)
When I joined the company, there was no formal MES department.
The previous staff had left. The system had been deployed, but much of the setup knowledge had walked out the door with them.
What was left behind:
- A system that was already in use
- No training history
- No documentation
- And a team of new joiners trying to understand how it all worked
This wasn’t a complaint. It was simply our starting point.
How I Began Building — Before Building the Team
Before I could recruit or assign anyone, I needed to create some structure.
So I started with:
✅ Learning the System Internally — Logging in, checking functions, tracing production flow
✅ Restoring Context — Comparing what the MES showed vs what was happening on the shop floor
✅ Connecting with Production & Engineers — To validate what data mattered and what didn’t
✅ Rebuilding Trust Slowly — Especially with operators who had been burned by system changes before
This early legwork helped me build clarity, not just confidence.
Forming a Team, One Role at a Time
Instead of hiring blindly, I focused on capability gaps.
I asked:
- Who can translate process logic into system logic?
- Who’s patient enough to trace shop floor tickets?
- Who knows SQL but can also explain things clearly?
Eventually, I found teammates who were:
- Curious, even if not experienced
- Hands-on, willing to learn directly from shop floor feedback
- Comfortable bridging technical and operational perspectives
I didn’t hire a team. I grew one.
What I Learned From This Process
- You don’t need a big team to start — you need the right energy.
- MES isn’t just IT — it’s operational logic in digital form.
- Be transparent with users — If the system has limits, say so. Honesty builds credibility.
- Share small wins — Every improved scan, every clearer label counts when trust is low.
“Every strong system needs a strong team behind it. We didn’t start with much, but we made it work — piece by piece. If you’re in the same boat, don’t underestimate the power of structure, delegation, and trust.”
