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MES Settings

MES Settings — Machines tab

Overview​

This article describes the MES Settings page — the central hub for configuring and managing MES across your machines. From this page, you map machines to ERP resources, configure job tracking preferences, and enable MES on individual machines when they're ready.

The MES Settings page is designed for a configure-then-enable workflow: you can configure every machine's settings — resource mappings, job management mode, and job selection method — before MES is active on any of them. When a machine is ready, you enable MES on it. Each machine goes live independently.

When MES features are enabled on a machine, jobs are sourced from your ERP's work order operations. Depending on your configuration, operators either manage jobs and submit labor tickets through ShopPulse (with data syncing back to your ERP), or job activity is driven entirely from the ERP with MachineMetrics in read-only mode.

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

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 LevelManager and Executive users can configure MES settings. MES Package activation, Clock Out Flow, and Skip Setup Parts require IT Admin or higher.

How It Works​

MES Package Activation​

Before any machine can use MES features, the MES Package must be activated on your account. An IT Admin (or higher) can activate the MES Package from Settings > Company, or your SDM can activate it on your behalf. This surfaces the MES Settings page, auto-enables prerequisite settings behind the scenes, and makes the multi-job queue tab available in ShopPulse for all MES-enabled machines. No machine behavior changes at this point.

Per-Machine Settings​

Each machine on the MES Settings page has the following configurable settings:

SettingWhat It Controls
MESEnables ERP-sourced jobs and labor ticket tracking on this machine. Requires both "Record labor as" and "Schedule jobs as" mappings.
Manage jobs inShopPulse: operators manage jobs in MachineMetrics. ERP Driven: jobs managed in ERP, MachineMetrics is read-only.
Jobs selected byOperator: operator picks jobs. Program: APM matches programs to jobs. Available when "Manage jobs in" is set to ShopPulse. Program may be unavailable if the machine is incompatible with program-based job selection (e.g., no program data).
Default ActivityActivity mode (Setup or Production) for newly-added jobs. Applies when "Jobs selected by" is set to Program. Default: Production.
Record labor asERP resource for labor ticket attribution. Required before MES features can be enabled.
Schedule jobs asERP resource(s) for filtering which jobs appear in the Dispatch Schedule. Required before MES features can be enabled.
FAIPer-machine toggle for First Article Inspection. When enabled, operators are prompted to submit their first piece for quality inspection before transitioning from setup to production. Requires MES enabled and Manage jobs in = ShopPulse.
HandoverPer-machine toggle for Shift Handover. When enabled, operators see an analytics summary and note-taking flow when clocking out, and the incoming operator sees the AI-generated handover summary on clock-in. Requires MES enabled and Manage jobs in = ShopPulse.

Note: Machines without MES enabled use a MES/ERP ID field to map to an ERP resource, rather than the standard resource mapping system used by MES-enabled machines.

How these settings interact depends on your connector type — your SDM can confirm which type applies to your account. See Uniform Connectors and Flexible Connectors below.

Account-Level Settings​

These settings apply across all MES-enabled machines on the account:

SettingWhat It Controls
Automatically confirm high confidence matchesWhen enabled, high-confidence APM matches commit to the ERP without operator confirmation. Suggested and No Match Found cases always require manual confirmation.
Clock Out FlowStructured Clock In/Out experience for MES machines managed in ShopPulse. IT Admin or higher.
Skip Setup PartsSkips part tracking during setup activity mode. IT Admin or higher.
Allow Operators to Override Job Start & End TimesLets operators adjust job timestamps.

Uniform Connectors​

Most current ERP integrations are Uniform Connectors.

With Uniform Connectors, job tracking decisions start at the account level. An account-level setting — the Global Job Management Method — determines the account's strategic direction (ShopPulse or ERP Driven). Each machine's MES toggle then determines whether MES is enabled on that machine. Together, these two settings constrain the available "Manage Jobs In" and "Jobs Selected By" options for each machine.

Flexible Connectors​

With Flexible Connectors, each machine's job tracking configuration is independent — there is no account-level Global Job Management Method setting. A single account can have some machines ERP-driven and others ShopPulse-managed at the same time. Each machine can be configured and enabled independently with no constraints from other machines.

How to Use It​

1. Map Machines to ERP Resources​

Set "Record labor as" and "Schedule jobs as" for each machine. "Record labor as" is a single ERP resource (individual or resource group) that all labor on this machine is attributed to. "Schedule jobs as" accepts one or more resources and controls which jobs appear in the machine's Dispatch Schedule. Both are required before MES can be enabled. You can complete all resource mappings across your entire fleet now — this has no impact on current operations. Machines continue on their current workflow until you explicitly enable MES.

2. Enable MES on Individual Machines​

When a machine is configured and you're ready, enable MES. This shifts the machine to ERP-sourced work order operations with labor ticket tracking.

For Uniform Connector accounts, the Global Job Management Method and MES toggle together determine what "Manage jobs in" options are available — see Uniform Connectors above.

3. Configure Job Tracking​

Choose "Manage jobs in" and "Jobs selected by" for each machine:

  • ShopPulse + Operator — Operators select jobs from the Dispatch Schedule.
  • ShopPulse + Program — APM automatically matches programs to jobs. This is especially valuable for machines running multiple concurrent jobs — like palletized machines — where manually tracking which program belongs to which job isn't practical. APM handles that matching automatically, making it the right choice for any multi-job workflow.
  • ERP Driven — All job activity managed in the ERP; MachineMetrics is read-only.

4. Set Account-Wide Preferences​

If using program-based job selection, review the "Automatically confirm high confidence matches" checkbox. The default (unchecked) is a safe starting point — enable it after you've validated APM accuracy on your floor.

Tips & Best Practices​

  • Start conservative on confirmations. Leave "Automatically confirm high confidence matches" off until APM accuracy is proven on your floor.
  • Time MES enablement around shift changes. Enabling or disabling MES stops active work on that machine. Coordinate with operators.

FAQs & Troubleshooting​

  • Why don't I see the MES Settings page? The MES Package must be activated on your account. An IT Admin (or higher) can activate it from Settings > Company, or your SDM can activate it on your behalf.

  • Why can't I enable MES features on a machine? Both "Record labor as" and "Schedule jobs as" must be mapped before MES features can be enabled.

  • Why is "Jobs selected by" grayed out? This setting is available when "Manage jobs in" is set to ShopPulse. If "Manage jobs in" is ShopPulse but the Program option is unavailable, the machine may be incompatible with program-based job selection (e.g., it does not produce program data).

  • What happens when I enable or disable MES features on a machine? Enabling MES switches the machine to MES; disabling it reverts the machine. In both cases, active operator sessions and jobs on that machine are stopped. A warning dialog explains the impact before you confirm. When disabling, ensure in-flight labor tickets are submitted first to avoid orphaned tickets. Other machines are unaffected by the change.

Need Help?​

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