Manufacturing Execution System Software

MES software built for your plant's exact routing, not a configured module

Siemens Opcenter, SAP Digital Manufacturing, and Tulip Interfaces are built to be configured across thousands of plants, which means every one of them ships generic modules that get bent, worked around, or partially ignored to fit your actual routing and work-order logic. A custom manufacturing execution system starts from your plant's real production flow: your work centers, your routing rules, your data-capture points. Nothing to configure around because it was built around your floor from the start.

  • Work-order routing and dispatch logic built around your actual work centers, not generic MES modules

  • Real-time production tracking from machine and operator data capture to a live shop floor view

  • Genealogy and traceability records tied to your specific lot, batch, or serial structure

  • Fixed-cost delivery, scoped up front, with source code ownership

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The problem

Sound familiar?

  • Your team building spreadsheet workarounds because Opcenter's routing module doesn't match how your plant actually sequences work?

  • Production data still keyed in after the shift ends instead of captured the moment it happens on the floor?

Short answer

A manufacturing execution system (MES) tracks and manages production on the shop floor: work-order routing, real-time production tracking, machine and operator data capture, and genealogy or traceability records. Manufacturers with a defined plant, work-center structure, and routing logic buy or build one when spreadsheets and disconnected ERP updates can no longer keep pace with production. An MVP scoped to one plant's core routing and tracking workflow typically runs $55,000-$100,000 over 18-22 weeks; a full build covering multi-line tracking, genealogy, and integration to ERP and machine data runs $100,000-$180,000 over 22-28 weeks, at a fixed cost.

Key takeaways

  • MES is a large, established category: platforms like Siemens Opcenter and Tulip Interfaces (raised $291M) already serve thousands of plants, so the case for custom isn't ease of entry, it's fit.
  • The gap that matters is routing logic: packaged MES ships generic work-order and dispatch modules that get configured, and configuration only goes so far when your sequencing doesn't match the module's assumptions.
  • Real-time production tracking and machine data capture are only useful if the data model matches how your floor actually reports, not a generic sensor-to-dashboard template.
  • Genealogy and traceability need to mirror your actual lot, batch, or serial structure, not a structure the platform assumes on your behalf.
  • An MVP scoped to one plant's core workflow typically runs $55,000-$100,000 over 18-22 weeks; a full build runs $100,000-$180,000 over 22-28 weeks, at a fixed cost.

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MES software delivery, by the numbers

products shipped
100+
cost delivery
Fixed
week delivery cycles
18-28

Configured modules only go so far when your routing doesn't match the assumption

Packaged MES platforms are built to serve thousands of plants at once, so the routing, work-order, and dispatch logic ships as a set of configurable modules. That works when your plant's production flow is close enough to the platform's assumptions. It creates friction when it isn't, and the fix ends up being a spreadsheet workaround, a manual override step, or a configuration effort that never quite finishes. Custom MES starts from your plant's actual work centers and sequencing instead of the other way around.

Capabilities

What we build

  • 01
    Work-order routing and dispatch

    Routing logic built around your actual work centers, sequencing rules, and dispatch priorities, not a generic module configured to approximate them.

  • 02
    Real-time production tracking

    A live shop floor view built on the metrics your team actually uses, fed by data captured as production happens instead of reconciled after the shift ends.

  • 03
    Machine and operator data capture

    Data pulled from PLCs, sensors, and operator input points, structured to match how your floor reports rather than a generic sensor-to-dashboard template.

  • 04
    Genealogy and traceability

    Lot, batch, or serial-level tracking built around your specific product and process structure, so traceability records reflect how your plant actually organizes production.

  • 05
    ERP and machine integration

    Two-way integration with your ERP and shop floor equipment, so work orders, inventory, and production data stay consistent across systems instead of living in separate silos.

  • 06
    Quality and downtime tracking

    Quality checks and downtime events captured at the point they occur, tied to the work order and work center so root cause is traceable, not reconstructed later.

How we work

From your floor's routing to live software

  1. Weeks 1-3
    01

    Discovery and floor mapping

    We map your work centers, routing rules, data-capture points, and integration needs against your ERP and equipment. You leave with a written scope and a fixed-price quote.

  2. Weeks 3-8
    02

    Data model and integration design

    We design the routing engine, the production data model, and the integration layer to your ERP and machine data sources, matched to your plant's structure.

  3. Weeks 8-24
    03

    Build in two-week sprints

    You review working software at each sprint. Routing, tracking, data capture, and traceability components are built and tested incrementally.

  4. Final 3-4 weeks
    04

    Floor validation and rollout

    The system runs against live production data so your team can validate routing accuracy and data capture before it replaces the current process.

Why us

Why manufacturers choose RaftLabs

  • 01
    Senior engineers build what they scope

    The engineers who map your routing and work centers also build the system. No offshore handoff after the contract is signed.

  • 02
    Fixed price before development starts

    We scope the work, calculate the cost, and lock it in writing before any development starts.

  • 03
    Founded 2015, 100+ products shipped

    A track record building production-critical systems that integrate with real equipment, real ERPs, and real shop floor teams.

  • 04
    You own the source code

    No vendor lock-in after delivery, and no seat licenses. The codebase, and everything built into it, is yours.

Have an MES project?

Tell us how your plant routes work today, and where the packaged modules stop fitting. We'll scope a fixed-cost build.

Talk about your MES project

Related services

What clients say

What clients say about working with us

Three-year average engagement. Founders and operators describing the work in their own words. No marketing varnish.

Amer Abu Khajil
Amer Abu Khajil
Canada flagCanada
Founder, Peak Studios & Perceptional

I found RaftLabs to be the perfect partner for Perceptional, with their expertise in helping startup founders build MVPs, a free consultation, a prototype that matched my vision, and their unwavering support.

01 / 06

Manufacturing Execution System Software, scoped in one call.

Tell us what's broken. Within one business day you get a straight take on cost, timeline, and the right first step. No deck, no pressure.

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Frequently asked questions

MES software sits between your ERP and your shop floor equipment. It manages work-order routing and dispatch, tracks production in real time, captures data from machines and operators, and records genealogy or traceability for each unit, lot, or batch produced.

Siemens Opcenter and Tulip are strong platforms for large, multi-plant enterprises that can standardize routing and workflows across sites and absorb the configuration effort that takes. Custom MES makes more sense for a single plant with routing, work-order, or data-capture logic specific enough that generic modules keep getting worked around instead of used. We help you assess which side of that line your plant is on during discovery.

Yes. We map your work centers, routing rules, and dispatch logic during discovery, then build the routing engine around that sequence instead of adapting a packaged module to fit it.

Yes. We connect to PLCs, sensors, and operator input points to capture production data as it happens, and build the shop floor view around the metrics your team actually uses to run the line.

Yes. We build lot, batch, or serial-level genealogy tracking around your specific structure, so traceability records match how your plant actually organizes production, not a generic template.

An MVP scoped to one plant's core work-order routing and production tracking typically runs $55,000-$100,000 over 18-22 weeks. A full build with multi-line tracking, genealogy, and ERP or machine-data integration runs $100,000-$180,000 over 22-28 weeks. We scope a fixed cost after discovery.

Work with us

Tell us what you need. We'll tell you what it would take.

We scope Manufacturing Execution System Software in 30 minutes. You walk away with a clear cost, timeline, and approach. No commitment required.

  • Scope and cost agreed before work starts. No surprises. No obligation.
  • Working prototype within 3 weeks of kickoff.
  • Pay by milestone. You see progress before each invoice.
  • 60-day post-launch warranty. Bug fixes, UI tweaks, and deployment support. No retainer.
  • All conversations are NDA-protected.