“I wasn’t just looking for features.
I was looking for fit — with our factory, our people, and our pace of change.”
Why Clear Criteria Mattered
When you’re sourcing an MES, the danger isn’t that you’ll find too few vendors —
it’s that you’ll find too many, each promising to solve everything.
At first, it was tempting to be impressed by modern UIs, integration claims, and flashy dashboards.
But I knew we needed more than surface-level appeal.
So I took a step back and asked:
What actually matters to us?
Not just “what MES should have,” but “what we need at our stage of digital maturity.”
My Core Criteria
Here’s what I ultimately prioritized — and why:
✅ 1. Traceability
We needed full process traceability — down to critical components, with flexibility for batch or unit-level control.
It wasn’t just for audits. It was for real-time issue tracking, quality control, and team accountability.
✅ 2. Equipment Integration Capability
Our lines include SPI, AOI, CNC routers, and legacy machines.
We needed a vendor that could demonstrate proven ability to handle machine integration, not just say “yes.”
✅ 3. User Accessibility
Operators are the primary users.
The interface had to be simple, intuitive, and multi-language compatible.
A system too complex to navigate would never be used consistently.
✅ 4. Support Responsiveness
We assessed how quickly vendors responded to our questions — and how clearly they explained things.
The best MES system won’t help if support goes silent during a line issue.
✅ 5. Deployment Flexibility
We wanted a system that could be rolled out in stages, not an all-or-nothing setup.
The ability to start with SMT, then move to Depanelization, MI, and FATP was key.
What I Didn’t Prioritize (Yet)
Some features didn’t make it into our top tier — not because they weren’t useful, but because we weren’t ready to leverage them yet.
Examples:
- Full-blown analytics modules
- AI-based dashboards
- MES–ERP auto-reconciliation
These were noted, but not scored highly. We focused on solving today’s pain first.
The Scorecard Approach
To reduce bias, I converted all criteria into a weighted scorecard.
Each vendor was evaluated using the same lens, so we could:
- Compare apples to apples
- Identify which trade-offs we were making
- Discuss decisions with management transparently
👉 You can download a copy of my MES Evaluation Criteria Scorecard (VST-001) here.
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Final Thought
There’s no one-size-fits-all MES.
But there is a right mindset for selection:
“Be honest about your factory’s needs.
Be clear on what can wait.
And choose based on fit — not features alone.”