MES owns execution and capture; ERP owns planning and books. Split by document type and latency—mixing makes both systems worse. This page uses a step ladder: align the bottleneck before shopping modules.
- ERP work orders answer what to make; MES answers what is happening now.
- Second-level capture, andon, and process parameters fit MES—not ERP stuffing.
- Inventory books, cost, and AR stay authoritative in ERP; MES posts results back.
- Boundary docs must list where release, report, QC, and put-away live.
- Close one line end-to-end before cloning plant-wide.
| Decision lens | Common trap or cost | Safer cut |
|---|---|---|
| Plan/books | ERP authoritative | Orders and cost |
| Execution/capture | MES authoritative | Reporting and params |
| Post-back | Results to ERP | No double entry |
Cut the boundary by latency and responsibility Lock scope before quote. DaXi Technology returns boundaries, master-data essentials, and acceptance—not a vague lump sum. partner page
MES without ERP first?
Possible, but stock and cost stay on side paths. Plan the post-back interface early.
Report labor into ERP only?
Low-frequency coarse reporting can; takt, defect causes, and machine state still want MES.
Where does APS sit?
Often spans both: master plan in ERP/APS, fine schedule and locks in MES.
How to accept the boundary?
Trace one order from release to put-away; critical quantities should be entered once.