Factors determining the optimal architecture of a manufacturing execution system utilised in automated production

Information Technology driven manufacturing has progressively evolved since the first introduction of computer systems. As the needs of industry become more demanding, the software used to drive manufacturing must continually advance. In order to remain competitive, businesses need to keep their costs of production down, maintain high product quality and also drive maximum efficiencies. Only through automated manufacturing processes, are businesses able to achieve these goals. High levels of automation require the implementation of sophisticated Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). This research investigates the optimal design elements for MES, with particular focus on the potential for a web based architecture. Product comparisons, technological investigations and surveys were employed to elucidate MES design and potential areas of enhancement. It was found that while a web based MES could out-perform the traditional client-server model on various aspects, there are too many security concerns to be viable as a cloud hosted application.