For many manufacturers, ERP systems represent the brain of the business — organizing orders, inventory, procurement, and high-level planning. But when it comes to real-time execution on the shop floor, that brain is often flying blind.
Production isn’t just about schedules and stock levels. It’s about what’s actually happening in real time — machines running or idle, materials consumed, jobs started or scrapped, and line issues that force pivots mid-shift. Traditional ERP systems don’t capture this level of detail or reactivity, because they were never designed to.
This is where a modern MES — like Kanoa — becomes essential. Positioned between ERP and the factory floor, MES fills the execution gap: collecting, contextualizing, and returning data where ERP systems can't.
Enterprise Resource Planning systems are built for structure. They’re designed to create plans, coordinate resources, and record business transactions. But once those plans hit the physical world, things often go off-script.
Here’s what ERP platforms typically don’t provide:
Real-time status of production lines or work centers
Granular data about process steps, rejects, downtime, or operator interactions
Contextual understanding — for example, why a job is delayed or what step caused rework
Immediate feedback loops between what was planned and what’s happening now
Manufacturers relying solely on ERP often patch these gaps with paper-based processes, spreadsheets, or tribal knowledge. This leads to:
Delayed data entry back into ERP (sometimes days after events occur)
Inaccurate inventory levels due to untracked consumption or scrap
Lack of traceability, making audits or root cause analysis difficult
Poor responsiveness to disruptions or quality issues
And the bigger the operation, the more costly these gaps become.
Manufacturing Execution Systems are built to operate in the messy, fast-moving world of production. A well-implemented MES acts as a system of record for the factory floor — tying together operators, equipment, processes, and production data into a unified, digital view.
Kanoa MES closes the gap between ERP and reality by:
Dispatching production jobs to the appropriate stations, work cells, or lines
Tracking execution in real time, capturing data at each step in the process
Monitoring machine states, production counts, quality events, and material usage
Recording traceability and compliance data automatically
Sending updates back to ERP, including completion status, quantities produced, and materials consumed
This two-way connection ensures that what’s recorded in ERP reflects the truth of what actually happened on the floor — not just what was supposed to happen.
A major concern for many manufacturers exploring MES is integration. Connecting ERP and MES is often perceived as expensive, fragile, or reliant on bespoke development.
At Kanoa, we’ve intentionally designed around that barrier by building our platform on Inductive Automation’s Ignition — a mature, industrial-strength platform with a broad set of integration capabilities.
While RESTful web services are our preferred integration method (many modern ERP systems provide them), we know that’s not always an option. Kanoa MES also supports:
Flat-file transfers, like CSVs or XML exchanged over secure network locations
Direct database transactions, connecting to ERP databases where appropriate
ODBC/JDBC integrations for structured SQL-based systems
MQTT or OPC UA-based messaging, when used as part of hybrid architectures
Through Ignition’s Web Dev module, Kanoa can consume or expose REST endpoints for modern API-driven ERP systems. But thanks to Ignition’s flexibility, we're not limited to one approach — we can meet your ERP where it is, not just where you hope it could be.
The result: ERP-MES integration that’s not only robust, but also adaptable over time.
Let’s break down what this looks like in a real manufacturing environment:
Without MES:
An ERP system generates a production work order.
Planners print the job and manually distribute it to the floor.
Operators track progress with paper forms or whiteboards.
Completed data is collected at the end of the shift (or week) and re-entered into the ERP.
Inventory is updated late — often with discrepancies due to scrap or rework not being recorded.
With Kanoa MES:
The ERP sends the production order directly to Kanoa MES via API, file drop, or database query.
The MES routes jobs to the appropriate lines and tracks their progress in real time.
Operators report issues, downtime, or rejections at the point of occurrence.
Kanoa logs process and production data automatically — via machine signals, operator input, or both.
The MES pushes clean, structured data back into the ERP as production is completed.
This shift eliminates lag, improves accuracy, and enables real-time visibility for planners, engineers, and managers. You go from managing based on assumptions to making decisions based on facts.
MES isn’t just a connector. It’s a system with its own distinct role: making sure the plan becomes reality, and the reality gets reported.
By investing in the right MES platform, manufacturers unlock:
Execution control — the ability to track, enforce, and adapt production as it happens
Operational visibility — detailed data on performance, quality, and downtime
Faster, more reliable ERP data — eliminating delays and errors from manual entry
Scalability — the ability to connect new lines, processes, or facilities without re-architecting systems
In a world where responsiveness and traceability are becoming competitive necessities, leaving this layer out — or trying to fake it with spreadsheets — just doesn’t cut it anymore.
Kanoa MES is built specifically for manufacturers who want modern digital operations without heavyweight infrastructure. With flexible integration paths, a modern UI, and deep roots in Ignition’s industrial capabilities, Kanoa helps teams:
Get real-time insights from the shop floor
Close the loop between ERP planning and actual execution
Improve data accuracy, throughput, and responsiveness
Build a sustainable foundation for smart manufacturing
And because we prioritize openness and interoperability, Kanoa MES can evolve with your systems — whether your ERP is a modern cloud-based solution or a legacy on-prem install.
Ready to bridge the ERP-shop floor gap with a modern MES?
Let’s talk — and explore how Kanoa can make that connection clean, scalable, and future-ready.