Integrating Manufacturing Execution and Business Management systems with soft computing

A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) is a highly complex, large, multi-task application that is used to manage production in companies and factories. It monitors and tracks every aspect of all factory-based manufacturing processes. One of the challenges of a MES is to find ways of integrating it with other information techology (IT) systems; i.e., business process management (BPM) systems, so that compatible information may be shared between both systems. This work studies the integration of a local company MES into a BMP to assist with budgeting, in which a data set is gathered from the MES and a soft computing model helps the expert with cost-level estimation. Various modelling methods are used, such as fuzzy rule based ones, in order to determine whether white box or black box models are suitable for the task. The results of the study show how information may be integrated between manufacturing and business management software