“Many vendors can talk the talk.
I needed one that could walk the production floor — and show it.”
Why Functionality Was My First Filter
In the early stages of MES sourcing, it’s easy to get distracted:
- Beautiful dashboards
- Exciting buzzwords
- Promises of full integration
But after leading our pilot MES experience, I learned a hard truth:
If the core functionality doesn’t fit your operations, nothing else matters.
That’s why I chose to evaluate functionality first — even before price, even before support promises.
What “Functionality First” Looked Like in Practice
Here’s how I structured my vendor evaluation process:
✅ 1. Anchored in Our Real Use Cases
I didn’t ask vendors “what can your MES do?”
Instead, I shared our scenarios — e.g. a PCBA moving from SMT AOI to depanelization, or a barcode scan at rework.
Then I watched:
- Could they follow the flow?
- Could their system handle traceability across split lots or shared carriers?
- Could they show it in a working demo — not just in PowerPoint?
✅ 2. Checked for Process Mapping Flexibility
I needed to know:
- Could we map dynamic routes (e.g. rework loops)?
- Could we track unit-level exceptions in a batch-based flow?
- Could the logic adapt as our factory matured?
The answers came through questions asked, not slides shown.
✅ 3. Simulated Day-to-Day Scenarios
We asked vendors:
- How would an operator log a defect?
- How does the system know when a part has passed or failed SPI?
- Can we override logic temporarily without breaking traceability?
This helped us detect real limitations that weren’t obvious at first glance.
What I Learned from This Approach
- The best vendors weren’t always the best presenters — but they had answers when it mattered.
- Some systems looked modern, but struggled with basic production logic.
- Asking grounded questions early saved us time later in technical clarifications.
🔗 Related Posts
- Criteria I Set for Selecting the Right MES Vendor
- Choosing the Final Two: Lessons from My MES Vendor Shortlisting
Final Thought
A demo that mirrors your production logic is worth more than 50 pages of spec sheets.
“When evaluating MES, don’t just let the vendor run the show.
Bring your real-world process into the room — and see what their system does with it.“