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The "Return" Question

March 9, 2012

As with any automation investment, whether hardware or software, a major part of the justification process is how long will it take to recoup the investment.

David Greenfield, editor in chief

With manufacturing execution systems (MESs), that can be a difficult question to answer because MES implementations often accompany enterprise resource planning (ERP) upgrades.

“It really depends on what level of implementation is being performed and what performance improvements are ‘allocated’ to the MES project,” says Darren Riley, business solution manager at Apriso (www.apriso.com). “If I were to suggest a high-level average, most MES projects should pay for themselves within the first year of implementation. I have heard of some that have actually been paid for in a couple of months, based on quality improvements, throughput acceleration and higher customer satisfaction.”

>> Click here to read Automation World's complete feature: MES Implementation Best Practices

About the Author

David Greenfield, editor in chief | Editor in Chief

David Greenfield joined Automation World in June 2011. Bringing a wealth of industry knowledge and media experience to his position, David’s contributions can be found in AW’s print and online editions and custom projects. Earlier in his career, David was Editorial Director of Design News at UBM Electronics, and prior to joining UBM, he was Editorial Director of Control Engineering at Reed Business Information, where he also worked on Manufacturing Business Technology as Publisher.