Custom MES
Custom MES development, built around your plant
Custom MES development means building a manufacturing execution system for your process, machines and ERP instead of configuring a packaged product. It suits plants whose process does not fit a standard model, that need deep integration with mixed or legacy machines, or that want to own the code. It is not the right answer for every plant, and we will say so.
Free scoping call. We start with one line, never change your machine logic, and you own the code and the data.
- material movements tracked a day, integrated steel plant
- 720,000+
- fewer dispatch errors with RFID and barcode dispatch
- 90%
- items an hour through RFID warehouse automation
- 16,800
Company reported project figures, not independently audited, not a promise for another plant. Samsung Business Insights: our RFID warehouse automation story (opens in a new tab). Forbes India Brand Connect (sponsored): founder profile (opens in a new tab).
Sound familiar?
- Every MES demo shows a process that is not quite yours.
- You have been quoted licence and configuration costs that do not fit a one or two plant business.
- Your machines are a mix of old and new, and the packaged MES needs them all to be new.
- You want the code, so a vendor roadmap never decides your plant’s future.
The wrong MES costs twice: once to buy, and again when the plant works around it.
What you get
A first module on one line
The module with the clearest payback, live in weeks to a few months.
A data model for the rest
Based on ISA 95 concepts, so the next modules fit.
Full source code and IP
In your repository, documented, with at least two engineers who know it.
An honest build vs buy view
We will tell you if a packaged MES fits better.
What we have built
In an integrated steel plant in India, our material tracking covers warehouses, central stores and vendor yards: more than 720,000 material movements tracked per day, and a 90 percent reduction in dispatch errors after RFID and barcode based dispatch.
Our QR based maintenance and video SOP systems support blast furnaces, coke ovens, rolling mills and processing lines, with more than ₹80,000 crore (about US$9.6 billion) of machinery under maintenance.
Figures are company reported from past projects. They are not independently audited benchmarks and are not a promise for another plant. Read the case studies.
How we work
What you get
A working MES module on your line, integrated with your machines and ERP, with full source code and IP ownership at the end of the engagement, documentation and a support option. Our engineering team is in Belagavi and Bengaluru, and works with plants across India and with US customers on their time zone.
How we start
- 1Process and system walk. Two to three days on site with production, quality, maintenance and IT.
- 2First module scope. The module with the clearest payback, its measure and its data model.
- 3Build and pilot. One line, in short releases, tested by the users.
- 4Extend. Next modules and lines on the same data model.
How it works
Modules of a custom MES
- Production tracking and work order execution
- Machine connectivity, OEE and downtime
- Material, WIP and genealogy for traceability
- Quality checks, SPC and non conformance
- Electronic work instructions and digital SOPs
- Maintenance requests and condition data
- ERP integration and management reporting
How we build it
We start from the process, not a feature list: walk the line, map every event that changes the state of an order, a material or a machine, and design the data model around those events using ISA 95 concepts. The first module goes live on one line in weeks and is extended from there. Every release is tested with the people who use it on the floor.
The stack is chosen with your IT team: common web technologies, a relational database and an OPC UA and MQTT connectivity layer, deployed on premise, in your cloud or hybrid. Documentation and handover are part of the scope, so your team or another partner can maintain it.
Risks of custom MES, and how to control them
- Scope growth: fix the first module and its success measure before starting.
- Key person dependency: code in your repository, documented, with at least two engineers who know it.
- Rebuilding what exists: buy standard parts (historian, BI, CMMS) where they fit and build only the plant specific core.
- Validation in regulated industries: plan GAMP 5 style validation and 21 CFR Part 11 controls from the start where they apply.
Background
When custom MES is the right choice
| Situation | Leans custom | Leans licensed |
|---|---|---|
| Process | Unusual, mixed discrete and process, plant specific rules | Close to the product’s standard model |
| Machines | Many vendors and ages, legacy controllers | Modern, standard controllers |
| Plants | One to a few | Many, needing one standard |
| Ownership | You want the code and control of change | You prefer a vendor roadmap |
| Internal IT | Can own a codebase with a partner | Prefers configuration over code |
When we are not the right choice
- Your process matches a packaged MES well and you run many plants that need one standard.
- You have no one internally who will own a codebase with a partner.
Common concerns, answered
Will this disrupt production?
No. We connect read only first, install during planned stops, and edge devices buffer data so a network problem never stops a machine. Nothing writes to a PLC without your controls team and a test.
Our machines are old. Do we need to replace them?
No. Old machines are the usual case. A running signal, a cycle signal or a current sensor on the motor is enough to start, without touching the machine program.
We tried a system before and nobody used it.
That is the most common failure, so we design with the operators and supervisors who will use it, start with one report they already fill in by hand, and only extend once they rely on it.
What about IT security?
Read only by default, a segmented OT network, and a review with your IT team before anything connects, following the ISA/IEC 62443 zone approach.
We will not replace SAP or Oracle. Do we have to?
No. We connect to the ERP you already run through its standard interfaces and add what the shop floor is missing. Your ERP stays the system of record.
Do your engineers understand a heavy industrial floor?
Our systems run in steel plants, warehouses and process lines. We start every project by walking the line with your operators and supervisors, and the first release is tested by them, not only by IT.
Are we locked in?
No. You own the source code and the data, documented, in your own repository. Another team can maintain it.
Frequently asked questions
Is a custom MES more expensive than a licensed one?
Not necessarily. A custom MES has no per user or per site licence, but you fund the build and the upkeep. A licensed MES has lower build effort for standard processes but ongoing licence and configuration costs. Compare total cost over five years for your scope.
Who owns the code?
You do. At the end of the engagement you receive the full source code and IP, in your own repository, with documentation.
How long does a custom MES take?
A first module on one line typically goes live in weeks to a few months, depending on scope, machine access and integration. A plant wide MES is built in phases over longer periods.
Can a custom MES be validated for pharma?
Yes, if validation is planned from the start: requirements, risk assessment, testing and 21 CFR Part 11 controls such as audit trails and electronic signatures where they apply.
Can we move to a licensed MES later?
Yes. Because the data model follows ISA 95 concepts and the data is yours, it can be migrated. Some plants keep a custom module for a specific process alongside a licensed MES.
Related reading
References
Start with one line and one number
We scope one line, agree the number that should move, and show it moving before anything is scaled. You keep the code and the data.
Step 1
An engineer reads it
Not a sales bot. Our team replies within 24 hours with questions or times for a call.
Step 2
30 minute call
Your process, machines, systems and the number you want to move. We tell you honestly if we are a fit.
Step 3
A written scope for one line
What we would connect, what you would see, how long it takes. You decide; nothing starts without your approval.
Reviewed by Amey Kadle, Founder, Ajinkya Technologies. Last reviewed: .