Choosing Sepasoft MES Over Pre-Packaged Custom System Integrator Solutions:
A Guide for End-Users
In the evolving landscape of manufacturing operations, the quest for efficiency, accuracy, and scalability has led many to explore the integration of Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). With Ignition® by Inductive Automation providing a flexible foundation, the options for MES integration range from custom solutions crafted by system integrators to comprehensive suites like Sepasoft MES. While the allure of an inexpensive pre-packaged custom solution from a system integrator might seem appealing, there are compelling reasons to choose Sepasoft MES for your manufacturing needs.
Seamless Integration and Standards Alignment
One of the first points to consider is the seamless integration and standards basis (e.g. ISA-95, ISA-88) offered by Sepasoft MES. Unlike solutions from integrators, which often focus on a specific functionality like OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), Sepasoft provides a comprehensive suite including not only OEE downtime tracking, but track and trace, batch processing, SPC, ERP connector, document management, and others designed to work together effortlessly and consistent with industry-standard models. This compliance ensures that Sepasoft’s MES solutions align with global standards for manufacturing operations, enabling a more efficient and standardized workflow across various sectors and sizes of manufacturing environments.
The Drawbacks of Custom Solutions
Pre-packaged custom Ignition solutions sold by system integrators can appear to offer a bespoke fit for your unique needs. However, keep in mind their origin was most likely a project that they did for another customer and the system integrator is repackaging that project as a product. As such, these solutions come with their own set of challenges:
- Limited Scope: Many of these solutions focus narrowly on the solution for the original customer and may not be optimal for all customers, particularly those in other types of manufacturing industries (discrete, batch, continuous).
- Limited Offering: Developing, selling, and supporting software is not the main business activity of system integrators, so often the MES package offered is incomplete, having some aspects of a full MES suite, but not all. Customers will need to piece together MES modules from multiple vendors if they plan on growing their MES functionality when buying pre-made point solutions from system integrators.
- Scalability Issues: Pre-made solutions from system integrators are often not designed with scalability in mind, making future expansions cumbersome and costly.
- Support and Upgrades: Continuous support, upgrades, and bug fixes are vital for any software system. As stated earlier, because software development and support is not the main business activity of system integrators, these solutions frequently suffer from unreliable support and infrequent updates, putting your operations at risk.
The Sepasoft Advantage/Advanced Support
Sepasoft ensures that you have access to continuous, advanced support and upgrades so your operation is always using best-in-class MES tools. This support helps safeguard your MES against potential disruptions caused by operating system upgrades and patches. Additionally, it ensures that you remain up-to-date with the latest updates to Ignition® by Inductive Automation, maintaining your system’s efficiency and reliability.
Choosing Sepasoft MES over a system integrator’s custom solution offers several distinct advantages:
- Comprehensive Suite: Sepasoft MES modules are built to work seamlessly together, providing a full-fledged MES solution that covers all aspects of manufacturing execution systems without the need for multiple vendors.
- Product Evolution: With over a decade of feedback and continuous improvement, Sepasoft MES modules are refined to meet the diverse needs of all manufacturing environments, avoiding common pitfalls and short-sightedness encountered in packaged custom solutions from system integrators.
- Advanced Support: Sepasoft ensures that you have access to continuous, advanced support and upgrades so your operation is always using best-in-class MES tools. This support helps safeguard your MES against potential disruptions caused by operating system upgrades and patches. Additionally, it ensures that you remain up-to-date with the latest updates to Ignition® by Inductive Automation, maintaining your system’s efficiency and reliability.
- Cost Efficiency: While the initial cost of a custom solution might seem lower, the total cost of ownership often increases due to higher upfront labor costs, ongoing maintenance, and the need for additional features. Sepasoft MES, being a comprehensive solution, reduces these costs significantly.
- Rich Functionality: Pre-packaged custom solutions from system integrators are more correctly known as pre-made Ignition projects. While Ignition projects alone are powerful, the additional functionality unlocked in a true MES software using Java–like Sepasoft MES–is substantial. See table at the end.
Making the Right Choice
The choice between a custom solution by a system integrator and Sepasoft MES should be guided by long-term considerations. The integration of Sepasoft MES into your manufacturing operations promises not just a solution that meets your current needs but one that evolves with you, ensuring reliability, scalability, and support that custom solutions struggle to match.
In summary, for end-users seeking to integrate MES into their manufacturing operations, the choice is clear. Sepasoft MES offers a comprehensive, mature, and supportive solution that stands in contrast to the limited scope, scalability challenges, and uncertain support of repackaged custom solutions by system integrators. Investing in Sepasoft MES is investing in the future of your manufacturing operations.
Functionality Checklist
| Functionality | Pre-Packaged Custom Project | Sepasoft MES Modules |
| Visual workflow editor | Not possible unless it is implemented in java. | Included out-of-box |
| ISA-88 batch engine | The Ignition SFC code is used but will require extensive Python code. | Included out-of-box |
| Document editing | Not possible to provide document editing unless it is implemented in java. | Included out-of-box |
| Enter values in documents | Not possible to provide document editing unless it is implemented in java. | Included out-of-box |
| Dynamically populate document values from batch parameters and tags | Not possible to provide document editing unless it is implemented in java. | Included out-of-box |
| Save documents with user-entered values in the database | Not possible to provide document editing unless it is implemented in java. | Included out-of-box |
| Signature templates that support multiple authentication requests | Requires significant Python and database coding. | Included out-of-box |
| Electronic Batch Records (EBR) | Requires Python and database coding. | Included out-of-box |
| EBR Viewer and Reporting | Requires custom database, Python, and building custom Perspective views. | Included out-of-box |
| Dynamic UDT and tags creation | Must be created and maintained manually. | Included out-of-box |
| Visual batch or process monitor Perspective component | Not possible to provide document editing unless it is implemented in java. | Included out-of-box |
| Automatic creation of database schema | Requires labor to design and implement. | Included out-of-box |
| Advanced algorithms to determine the cell that caused loss of production | Requires labor to design and implement. | Included out-of-box |
| Grouping of cells that make up a line to support sub assemblies and parallel cells | Must be implemented manually. | Included out-of-box |
| Aggregating OEE data across multiple lines, machines, products, operators, and much more | Requires research of how to accomplish and labor to implement. | Included out-of-box |
| Advanced impromptu analysis supporting filters, grouping, and sorting of analysis results | Not possible unless it is implemented in java. | Included out-of-box |
| Highly-optimized live analysis showing real-time production data | Requires labor to design and implement. | Included out-of-box |
| Client data is cached with invalidate events and notifications for high performance | Must use scripting, tags, and come up with notification of events that happen during production and labor to implement. | Included out-of-box |
| Synchronization of production data across multiple MES servers. Getting production data to the right server at the right time. | Use database replication, or extensive scripting to achieve. | Included out-of-box |
| MES server health monitoring | Not possible unless it is implemented in java. | Included out-of-box |
| Ability to change past production data | Typically overlooked and requires a very optimized analysis engine to achieve. | Included out-of-box |
| Visual configuration of ERP integrations to retrieve production orders and report back actual data | Usually requires 3000 to 4000 lines of script and is not very maintainable. | Included out-of-box |
| Notification of upcoming samples to be taken | Requires labor to design and implement. | Included out-of-box |
| Notification of SPC rule violations without having to view control charts | Requires labor to design and implement. | Included out-of-box |
| Advanced and user friendly SPC charts with integrated raw data | Not possible unless it is implemented in java. | Included out-of-box |
| Synchronization of sample definitions and sample results across multiple production sites and areas | Use database replication, or extensive scripting to achieve. | Included out-of-box |
| Western Electric and Nelson SPC rules | Requires research of how to accomplish and labor to implement. | Included out-of-box |
| User-friendly sample entry component dynamically driven by sample definitions | Typically, each sample definition has a custom Ignition screen to support manual sample entry. | Included out-of-box |
| Automatic collection of sample data based on the sample definition | Typically, requires configuration in the designer. | Included out-of-box |
| Combined analysis including OEE, downtime, SPC, and machine settings data | Not sure how to do this or if it has ever been done. | Included out-of-box |
| Backfill with MQTT historical store data | Possible with SQL Bridge and requires configuration. | Included out-of-box |
| WIP Inventory Tracking | Requires labor to design and implement. | Included out-of-box |
| Visual traceability graph component | Not possible unless it is implemented in java. | Included out-of-box |