We’ve reached the end of our MES demo phase — a major milestone after months of vendor screening, requirement clarifications, and live demonstrations. But instead of wrapping things up neatly, the final phase opened up a new layer of complexity.
We originally shortlisted two strong candidates:
One: a top-tier global MES vendor with a strong presence and support structure in Southeast Asia — mature, proven, and widely respected.
The other: a leading China-based MES provider — fast-growing and powerful, but without a local SEA support footprint yet.
We expected both to submit proposals.
Only one did.
And just as we were preparing to move forward with that, a previously eliminated vendor re-entered the scene — this time with a bold offer: a free proof-of-concept (POC) built on their low-code platform, tailored to our factory’s actual scenario.
This wasn’t part of the original plan. But I believe good decision-making includes the ability to reassess when the landscape shifts. And this new offer deserved consideration.
Right now, we are weighing:
- Technical maturity vs agility
- SEA support readiness vs customisability and cost
- And the longer-term potential — not just for system performance, but for ongoing collaboration
I know some people expect vendor selection to be straightforward: run the demos, get the proposals, compare, and pick.
But in practice, it rarely works that way. Priorities evolve. Vendor behaviour changes. And sometimes, the ones you least expect come back with stronger positioning.
We are close to making our recommendation. Once the decision is finalized and endorsed by management, I’ll share more about the outcome — and the reasoning behind it.
For now, I just want to capture this stage — the moment after the demos but before the decision, when leadership means keeping an open mind, without losing direction.
🟡 More to come.