An Operations Execution System (OES) is a term used to describe a suite of manufacturing systems designed to execute operations tasks, such as production, maintenance or inventory tracking. Manufacturing Execution System (MES) are a subset of an Operations Execution System, as they are typically concerned with executing tasks within just the production line. Other systems which might be included within an OES might include Warehouse Management System (WMS), Supply Chain Management systems (SCM) or Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS).
Large, global enterprises invoking a Quality Management program impacting operations systems seek integrated systems to ease the deployment of such a program. For one reason, quality assurance programs cover many areas of manufacturing, including the processes that intersect each of these activities.
This concept is a fairly new one, lacking in a single term to describe it yet. Gartner uses the term "Manufacturing Process Management". ARC Advisory Group uses the term: "Collaborative Manufacturing". The theme is all the same: by collaborating across operations processes, between different functions and departments, a higher performance operations model emerges, one that optimizes manufacturing output, leading to better quality products produced more cost effectively, so as to better compete globally.
