Start in the right place, see results in 90 days, expand on proven value
Every stage delivers measurable results. Your team learns from each stage, improves the way it works, then decides the next step, so the roadmap always fits your real needs.
Roadmap
| Stage | Duration | What your factory gets |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment | 1 day | Your three biggest bottlenecks, and where to start. |
| Data standardization | 2–6 weeks | One agreed set of item codes, process steps, production standards and downtime reasons across departments. Valuable even before the software goes live. |
| Pilot | 90 days | Management can answer three questions about the pilot scope; your team gets used to the new way of working. |
| Expansion | As planned | Roll out what has worked to other lines and modules. |
After every stage, your team and ControlMES review the results together and adjust the scope of the next stage to fit your needs. Data standardization and the pilot can run in parallel.
The most important condition
The top executive leads in person
ControlMES changes many habits in a factory. When the numbers become transparent down to every machine, shift and department, there will be pushback at times. Projects succeed when the business owner or CEO personally owns the project and sees it through, rather than handing full responsibility down the line.
Data foundation
The numbers in ControlMES are only right when the underlying data is right. Most factories already have this data, but it is scattered across Excel files, accounting software and individual people's experience. Only the data for modules in the rollout scope needs to be standardized.
Data to standardize
| Data | Includes | Used in | Usually comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Item codes and material usage standards | Finished goods, WIP, raw materials; material usage and loss allowances | Planning, Warehouse | ERP, accounting software, planning files |
| Process steps, machines and shifts | Step sequence for each item, machines that can run it, speeds, setup times; shifts and work calendar | Planning, Production tracking | Production routings, supervisors, actual run data |
| Downtime reasons and machine connectivity | Downtime reason list; run, stop and output signals for each machine | Production tracking, Machine connectivity | Team leaders, maintenance, on-site machine survey |
| Warehouse | Warehouses, locations, units of measure, packing and pallet specs, opening stock | Warehouse, Traceability | Storekeepers, stock count |
| Quality | Defect codes; criteria and frequency for incoming, in-process and final inspection | Quality management, Traceability | QC, customer requirements |
| Equipment and maintenance | Equipment list, maintenance tasks and intervals | Maintenance | Maintenance team, machine records |
| Customers and delivery | Customers, delivery requirements, packing specs per customer | Planning, Warehouse, delivery | Sales |
| Organization and access | Departments, roles, users | Whole system | HR, management |
How it works (2–6 weeks)
Collect existing data
Excel files, ERP exports, current planning files.
AI-assisted cleanup
Find duplicate codes, missing information and figures that don't match across files.
The factory signs off
Departments agree on one data set; each list has an owner.
Keep it current
New item codes get their process steps and standards in ControlMES before they go into production.
Ready when
- Data for the modules in scope is complete and confirmed by the departments involved.
- Downtime reasons and defect codes are agreed by team leaders, supervisors and QC.
- Every list has a named person responsible for keeping it up to date.
Done by: the factory's departments involved (planning, engineering, warehouse, QC, maintenance, sales, supervisors). The ControlMES team cleans, cross-checks and guides.
Implementation principles
Start where results come fastest
A bottleneck line, one process step, or one module across the whole factory, depending on your problem.
Results after 90 days
Measurable, and management can verify them.
Management leads, operations deliver
Management sets the goals and makes the call when things get stuck; operations run the rollout day to day; IT provides technical support.
No extra work for operators
Data comes from machines and existing tasks.
Roles in the project
| Role | Usually | Responsible for | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project owner | Business owner or CEO | Project results, budget, cross-department decisions, resolving friction as ways of working change | Follows progress directly, regular review meetings |
| Project manager | Plant manager or production director | Scope, rollout sequence, assigning people | About 20% of their time in the first 6 months |
| Implementation team | The factory's point of contact (IT or planning) with the ControlMES team | Infrastructure, network, connectivity, security | Per project plan |
| Key users | Supervisors of each process step | Code lists, data verification, screen feedback | About 30% of their time in the first 3 months |
| Sales | Sales staff and sales manager | Customer list, delivery requirements, how delivery dates are set; feedback on order and delivery screens | Per project plan |
Decisions for management
Own the project directly
The top executive is accountable for the results and does not hand that down the line.
Pilot scope
Choose where to start.
Supervisor time
Free up supervisors to take part.
Pilot budget
Approve the first-stage cost.
Data access
Allow sales to see production data.
One official source of numbers
ControlMES numbers are the ones used in meetings and reports, replacing notebooks and personal spreadsheets.
The 90-day test
Management can answer three questions about the pilot scope on their own, directly in ControlMES.
Real run time
How many hours did the pilot machines and lines actually produce yesterday?
Downtime reasons
Why did they stop, ranked from biggest to smallest?
Running orders
Which orders are running, and will they make their due dates?
1-day assessment
Free of charge. In the morning we follow one order through the shop floor; in the afternoon we work with each department. You receive the report within 5 days.
FAQ
We already have an ERP.
ControlMES runs alongside it and adds the shop-floor data.
Our operators aren't used to software.
Most data comes from machines and existing tasks; picking on screen takes only a few taps.
Our factory has special requirements.
ControlMES runs in four different industries and is configured for each factory.
What does it cost?
We quote after the assessment, stage by stage.
How soon will we see results?
90 days on the pilot scope.
Our staff worry about being monitored.
Common in the early stage. The top executive leads in person, uses the data to improve processes rather than to assign blame, and makes ControlMES the official source of numbers in meetings.
We tried before and it didn't work.
The assessment will show why, and how to start again.