Real problems, real fixes, from my own projects.
Two team members gone in two months This week, my team went through another change — my MES engineer decided to leave and join another company, even after I tried my best to counter offer. I fully respect her choice, but of course, it’s not easy for me. This means in just two months, I’ve […]
Losing Support Staff Right Before a Critical Phase Read More »
“Every time the MES didn’t meet our needs, someone would say: ‘Why don’t we just build our own?’But is that really the better path?” The Temptation to Build If you’ve ever worked with a legacy MES, or struggled to adapt an off-the-shelf solution, you’ve probably heard it: “We can just build it. We know our
Buy or Build Your MES? Here’s How I Thought Through It Read More »
“Operators are the ones who use MES the most.So why do we treat them like afterthoughts during implementation?” Why Operator Confidence Matters A lot of MES projects focus on systems, specifications, and dashboards.But the reality on the shop floor is different. It’s the operators who: “Without their confidence, even the best MES logic will fail in practice.”
Creating Confidence: Empowering Operators as Super Users Read More »
“I needed process knowledge.But the people who had it… didn’t think it was their job to share.” The Hidden Challenge in MES Requirements Gathering In MES implementation, we often talk about data, logic, and integration.But one of the hardest parts has nothing to do with systems — it’s about people. Specifically: “How do you interview
Interviewing SMEs Who Don’t Know They’re SMEs Read More »
“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
From Zero to a Team: Building MES Capability from the Ground Up Read More »
