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MachineMetrics Intelligent MES

MES operator workflow diagram

Overview​

MachineMetrics Intelligent MES connects your ERP directly to the shop floor, enabling real-time job tracking, automated program matching, and accurate labor ticket submission — all from the operator's ShopPulse operator dashboard interface.

MES is enabled on a per-machine basis, giving you control over which machines have MES enabled and when. You can configure everything — resource mappings, job tracking preferences, account-level settings — before MES is active on any machine. Each machine goes live on MES independently, on your schedule.

When MES is enabled on a machine, jobs are sourced from your ERP's work order operations rather than created manually in MachineMetrics. Labor tickets are created, tracked, and submitted back to the ERP. Burden hours are automatically calculated and attributed to the correct jobs — eliminating manual time tracking and duplicate data entry.

MES features require the MES Package. An IT Admin (or higher) can activate the MES Package from Settings > Company, or contact your Solutions Delivery Manager (SDM) for assistance.

Note: This article describes the ShopPulse-managed workflow. If your account is configured for ERP-Driven mode, MachineMetrics reflects your ERP state in read-only mode — operators do not manage jobs or submit labor tickets from ShopPulse.

Feature Availability​

RequirementDetails
ModuleMES Package (includes Dispatch Schedule and ERP Data Studio)
ERP IntegrationRequired. Active integration with a supported ERP. Contact your SDM to confirm compatibility.
Access LevelConfiguration requires Manager or Executive access. MES Package activation, Clock Out Flow, and Skip Setup Parts require IT Admin or higher. Operators interact with MES features in ShopPulse — no special access level required.

Key Capabilities​

Automated Job Matching (APM)​

Auto Production Monitoring continuously monitors which program is running on a machine and matches it to the correct ERP work order operation. When a program changes, APM evaluates match confidence and presents the result to the operator: a high-confidence Matched result that the operator confirms (or that commits automatically if auto-confirmation is enabled), a lower-confidence Suggested result that asks for operator verification, or a No Match Found result that requires manual job selection. This eliminates the need for operators to manually identify which job is running — especially valuable on palletized machines running multiple concurrent jobs.

Labor Ticket Tracking​

Every job on a MES-enabled machine creates a labor ticket that tracks the operator, activity mode, burden hours, and part counts. Tickets start as draft (MachineMetrics only) and become committed when a match is confirmed — opening the record in the ERP. When work is complete, the operator submits the ticket to close it in the ERP. Jobs flow in from your ERP; submitted labor tickets flow back out to your ERP — keeping both systems in sync.

ShopPulse Job Queue​

ShopPulse is the operator-facing interface for MES-enabled machines. It displays a real-time job queue showing all active and pending jobs, their match states, and the actions available on each. Operators use ShopPulse to confirm job matches, correct mismatches, switch activities, split or merge tickets, and submit labor when work is done.

Dispatch Schedule​

A scheduling view showing each machine's upcoming work order operations, sourced from the ERP. Supervisors and managers use it to schedule, re-sequence, and manage shop floor work. It serves as the source of available jobs when operators manually add work from ShopPulse.

First Article Inspection (FAI) adds a quality inspection step at the setup-to-production transition. When an operator completes setup and is ready to begin production, they can submit the first piece for inspection. A QA inspector reviews it at a dedicated inspection station and either approves — clearing the operator to enter production — or rejects it with a reason, returning the operator to setup to correct the issue and resubmit.

Shift Handover adds a structured end-of-shift handoff workflow. When an operator clocks out, they can review their shift analytics, add notes about machine conditions or issues, and submit an AI-generated summary for the incoming operator. The incoming operator sees this summary alongside their assigned work when they sign in.

How It Works​

MES creates a continuous loop between your ERP, your machines, and ShopPulse:

  1. Supervisors schedule work on the Dispatch Schedule. Supervisors and managers pull released work order operations from the ERP and schedule them for their assigned machines on the Dispatch Schedule.
  2. APM identifies which job is running. When a program starts, APM compares program data against available work order operations and assigns a match state — Matched, Suggested, or No Match Found. A draft labor ticket is created automatically.
  3. Operators confirm matches in ShopPulse. Operators review match states and confirm the correct job. Confirmation commits the labor ticket to the ERP and locks the job field.
  4. Work is tracked in real time. Burden hours accrue automatically on both draft and committed tickets. Operators can switch activities, pre-select upcoming jobs, split or merge tickets, and monitor part counts as they work.
  5. Labor tickets are submitted to the ERP. When operators submit, the ERP record closes. Submission timing is flexible and can match how your team works — right after confirming a match, periodically throughout a run, at job completion, or at the end of a shift. If a ticket is marked Incomplete, a new one opens automatically to pick up where work left off.

Configuration Overview​

MES setup is designed to be deliberate and non-disruptive. You can fully configure account-level and per-machine settings before MES is active on any machine, and each machine goes live on MES independently when ready.

  • MES Package activation — an IT Admin (or higher) can activate the MES Package from Settings > Company, or your SDM can activate it on your behalf. Surfaces the MES Settings page and enables prerequisite account settings behind the scenes. No machine behavior changes at this point.
  • Account-level and per-machine configuration — configured on the MES Settings page. Map each machine to its ERP resources, set job management modes, and configure account-wide preferences. All of this can be completed before MES is active on any machine.
  • Per-machine MES enablement — when a machine is configured and ready, enable MES on it. Each machine goes live independently, on your schedule.

For a complete walkthrough of the setup process, see MES Settings and Configuring a Machine's Production Settings.

Need Help?​

Contact your Solutions Delivery Manager or email support@machinemetrics.com.